Cell phone troubleshooting helps you fix your phone, and it also allows you to figure out if you have a larger issue with your carrier. Common problems can often be fixed yourself, or at least it will identify if a repair or replacement might be required. Read on if you're experiencing issues with your cell phone such as your battery losing power or the phone ceasing to work after impacting a hard surface.
Dropped Calls
If you are having a problem with dropped calls, see if it happens in a particular geographic location. If so, alert your carrier so that it can begin the process of providing better coverage in that spot. If calls are being dropped at random, it could be because of bad weather or buildings that are blocking your signal. If neither of these things appears to be the issue and your phone is relatively new, your SIM card may be malfunctioning. Take your phone to a local dealer to swap your card.
Water Damage
If you've dropped your phone in water, remove the battery and leave the phone in a cool, dry location with the battery out and the casing left open. Dab a cotton swab into the phone to remove any excess water and leave the phone to dry. You can also place the phone in a container of dry rice, which will absorb excess moisture. After a day, reseat the battery and turn the phone on to see if it works properly.
Battery Issues
Batteries often don't last as long as your phone. If the battery won't hold a charge for more than an hour or two, then the cheapest fix is to buy a new battery. It's far less expensive than buying a new phone.
Dropped Phone
If you've just watched your phone fly out of your hand onto the sidewalk, know that it's not necessarily irretrievably damaged. Simply reseating the battery and SIM card will often have your phone working like new, minus a few dents and nicks. If the LCD display is damaged, however, it's often cheaper to buy a new phone than attempt to have it repaired.
Can't Receive Calls
If your phone won't receive calls, check two things. First, check to see if you can make outgoing calls. If you can, then verify whether you have a "do not disturb" option on your phone. You can find this information in the manual that came with the phone or online (see Resources below). If you can't make outgoing calls, then contact your service provider. The company may have inadvertently turned your service off. If you're behind on your payments, the carrier may have suspended your service.
Tags: your phone, your service, calls then, leave phone, make outgoing