The average smartphone contains so much of your personal life — photos, contact list, calendar, email, digital wallet — that losing that handy slab of glass and metal can be extremely disruptive and disorienting. You may never have to face this situation, but you’d better plan for it, especially if you have kids with their own phones.
The following guide describes what you can do before and after you lose or damage your phone.
Basic Precautions
Rugged drop-resistant cases and screen protectors are the starters in protecting your phone from physical damage. Wirecutter, a product review site owned by The New York Times, offers iPhone case recommendations.
A lost phone can be a security risk, so make sure you have face or fingerprint recognition enabled and a strong password for your lock screen.
Your phone’s location services feature can also help you find your device if you lose it, so make sure to enable location on your phone android or iOS setting (if you have turned it off). Remember, you can adjust the app’s access to your location in your privacy settings.
Keep a record of your phone’s identification numbers (serial number and International Mobile Equipment Identity number) in case you need them need information Report to the police later.You can find the number in settings or by dialing *#06# on the phone’s keypad. Take screenshots and send them to your computer for safekeeping.
insurance options
Insurance or extended warranty coverage for your phone costs upfront, but it can bring benefits like 24/7 support, low-cost repairs, and same-day replacement for non-working devices.
If you’re not sure whether you need insurance, consider how long you plan to keep your phone, how you’ll use the device, and whether you can afford to pay for repairs out of pocket. In some cases, insurance can cost more than repairs, so read the warranty or policy carefully before investing.
When you buy a new phone, you’re usually prompted to register it. AppleCare, Google Preferred Services and Samsung Care+ is a common manufacturer plan; AT&T, TMobile and Verizon is one of the carriers that provides coverage.third-party insurance companies such as guarantor, Yasheng and Arco sell smartphone policies, as do some general insurance providers, such as progress and NASA.
back it up
use your phone apple, Google or Samsung With your account, you get a certain amount of “cloud” storage space — a networked server where you can back up your files. Cloud backup is easy: Once enabled, your phone should automatically back up when it’s plugged in and connected to a Wi-Fi network.
If you have a lot of content on your phone, you may need to buy more space for a few dollars a month.
set your Apple iCloud, Google or Samsung Accounts are synced across devices, then your email, contacts, notes, and calendar are backed up to the provider’s cloud. But you might also want to keep call logs, text messages, and other information from your phone.
apple, Google and Samsung Both their websites have instructions on configuring cloud backups on their devices.Google’s Google One service Also works with other Android phones and devices.
If you’d rather keep your files off a remote server for privacy and security reasons, you can back up to your computer instead.apple iOS devices Can Backup to Mac or PC use USB data cable or wireless network connection; This backup can be made later Transfer to a new iPhone or iPad. Google’s site has instruct Free to transfer Android files to computer and Samsung Smart Switch App For Windows, Mac and Android Yes backup and transfer Your Galaxy phone files.
find phone
If you lose your phone or worry about it being stolen, use the apple, Google or Samsung Find My Device page, or use something like Apple looking for my or Google’s find my device application. If your phone is still functional, location settings are enabled, and you’re connected to a network, you should see your device’s location on a map.
Apple’s Find My App can warn you If you leave a device and include a mark as lost Settings to lock your phone with a passcode and disable Apple Pay.However, if the device appears to be in an unfamiliar location, you can use these tracking tools to remotely lock or wipe your device iphone, Samsung Galaxy or others Android phone.
If the phone appears to be permanently lost or you know it has been stolen, please notify your wireless carrier and report it to the police; you may need these serial and IMEI numbers. If you have an insurance policy, file an insurance claim, change your password and alert your financial institution to suspicious account activity.
deal with damage
An accident happened. Waterlogged hardware and cracked screens are common phone mishaps. apple, Google and Samsung With its own guidelines for dealing with water damage, it may not be as deadly as it used to be. (many experts disagree Soak a wet phone in dry rice to suck out the moisture. )
For the technically adventurous, DIY sites i fix it Describes common repair guidelines. But for many people, shattered glass or a fried electronics means a trip to a professional service center. Check with your phone manufacturer and wireless carrier for your options.
national chains like CPR or Asurion Technical Repairs and Solutions (formerly known as UbreakiFix) uses some insurance policies. Speaking of insurance policies, if you sign up for one, file a claim.
