Fixes
Troubleshooting
Most everyday smartphone problems can be solved without a repair shop: you just need to calmly check a few obvious things in the right order. Here are the first steps for the most common complaints. We do not open the case or touch system settings that could do harm.
Restarting is not just a joke from tech support: it is the first honest step of diagnosis, separating a random glitch from a real problem.
How this section works: we describe safe checks that any user can do. If the phone is swollen, smoking or badly damaged, do not experiment; take it to a repair service.
Common complaints
The battery drains too fast
Open the battery usage stats and find which app uses the most. Lower the brightness, turn off constant location access for apps that do not need it and turn on battery saver. If the charge drops even with no load and the phone is several years old, the battery may be worn out.
Storage is full
Check in settings what takes up the most space. Usually it is videos, photos, downloaded files and messaging app caches. Move your media library to a backup, delete what you do not need and clear the apps' temporary data.
The signal or mobile data keeps dropping
Turn airplane mode on and off, check your balance and plan, and reinsert the SIM card. If the problem only happens in one place, it may be coverage. If nothing changes after reinserting the card, contact your mobile carrier.
The phone gets very hot
Take off the case, move the phone out of the sun and off the pillow, and close heavy games and navigation. Do not charge it under a blanket. If the body is hot while idle or the battery has swollen, stop using the device and do not try to repair it yourself.
The screen is frozen and does not respond
Do a forced restart: on most phones this means holding the power button or a button combination described in your system's help pages. If freezes keep happening, check free storage and updates.
The phone charges poorly
Try a different cable and a different socket, and gently check the port for dust and lint. Do not poke it with metal objects. If nothing helps, the problem may be the port itself or the battery.
A general order of checks
Describe the symptom
Write down exactly what happens, when it started and what came before it: an update, a new app, a drop, a trip.
Restart the phone
A normal restart closes stuck processes and often clears one-off glitches with the signal, sound and screen.
Check storage and updates
Free up space if less than a tenth is left, and install available system and app updates.
Many oddities, from a slow camera to crashing apps, disappear once there is free space in storage again.
Rule out a single app
If the problem started after you installed an app, remove it for a while and see whether the problem comes back.
Back up before drastic measures
A factory reset solves a lot, but it erases everything. Only run it after a fresh backup and when the other steps have not helped.
Related reading
- Tools
Features built into almost any smartphone: device finder, password storage, backup, parental controls, battery saver and system updates.
- Guides
Step-by-step guides: preparing to switch phones, moving contacts and photos, two-factor codes, resetting the old device. The article catalogue lives here too.
- Questions
Answers about this reference, about switching and choosing a smartphone, about protecting data and lost devices.
What we relied on
- Official help centres of mobile operating system developers
Dates and definitions were checked against the official help materials of operating system developers at the time of writing. Mobile systems are updated regularly, so menu names and steps on your device may change over time.