The iPhone is the most popular smartphone there is. But just like all other smartphones and technology in general, it has its own problems. Thankfully, there are easy ways to either prevent or fix the most common iPhone problems, and they don’t all require taking your iPhone to a store to be fixed.
iPhone Fixes
iPhone Fix #1 –
My iPhone Fell in Water/Liquid – This is one of the most common issues (with a well-known and often-used fix). Maybe you dropped your phone in the pool, or the toilet, or some soup, whatever. Get your phone out of that liquid as quickly as possible; you’ll have about 20 seconds before the liquid seeps into your phone and does real damage. (If it’s the toilet, please put a glove on first.) Then do the following:
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Turn your iPhone off and take it apart as best as you can. This battery cover won’t be removable without a specialized tool, but it’s easy to find online and is inexpensive as well. Once you have that tool, you can take off the battery cover and remove the SIM card, and then place them on a dry paper towel.
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At this point, you can do one of two things:
A. Wipe down the rest of your iPhone and place it in a bag of raw, uncooked rice. The rice is supposed to draw the rest of the water/liquid out of your iPhone. However, this takes time and apparently doesn’t work as well on iPhone 4s and earlier models. While most people have newer models, some people either prefer to or must hang on to their iPhones for much longer. So here are your other options…
B. Wipe down the rest of your iPhone and place it in a container filled with any of the following: couscous (pearl), classic rolled oatmeal, instant oatmeal, instant rice (different from uncooked), kitty litter, or silica gel (crystal kitty litter). According to gazelle.com, all of these do a better job of drawing out water from an iPhone better than uncooked rice does. However, these foods and substances get sticky when wet, and therefore could get stuck inside your phone as well.
C. Wipe down the iPhone and then try to remove any water that’s inside the phone by shaking, blowing, or vacuuming it out. You’ll need more tools to take the rest of the iPhone apart.
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Your iPhone will need time to air out, so don’t touch it for about 24 hours. Once that time has passed, put your iPhone back together (if you took it apart). Then try turning it back on to see if it works.
iPhone Fix #2 –
My iPhone Won’t Hold a Charge – If your iPhone won’t charge, it could possibly need a new battery. However, that will cost you, so before you set out for an iPhone repair, try the following first to see if it resolves the problem:
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Restart your iPhone (note that this tends to fix many other iPhone issues as well)
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Do a hard reset of your iPhone by holding down the home and power buttons (or, for the newer models, the volume up button on the left and the power button on the right) for 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears on the screen and the phone starts back up. The hard reset will not delete any data from the phone, and it typically works to fix black/unresponsive screens.
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Try different chargers, cables, and even wall outlets. If your iPhone charger isn’t working and a different charger is working, you simply need a charger replacement.
If you’re still having issues after taking these steps, then you can take your iPhone in for a battery replacement.
iPhone Fix #3 –
The Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on My iPhone Isn’t Working – Sometimes iPhone iOS updates (like the iOS 9) will cause problems with the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This is usually a simple fix. You’ll do one or both of the following:
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Restart your iPhone based on the model and its instructions in the manual, or
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Reset the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth by going to your iPhone Settings app, then clicking on General, then Reset. Try the “Reset Network Settings” option first before messing with the “Reset All Settings”. Note that you’ll have to sign back into the Wi-Fi network or re-pair the Bluetooth connection.
Neither of these options will delete data from your iPhone. They only help reset the settings. If you choose the “Erase All Content and Setting” options, however, that will completely wipe all data from your iPhone.
Prevention of iPhone Issues
If you’d like to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to your iPhone and avoid all of the hassles that come with a phone repair, the following tips can help you prevent certain issues.
How Do I Keep My iPhone From Overheating? – Keep your iPhone out of your pocket, as your body heat can cause the phone temperature to rise. Also, avoid using your iPhone in extremely hot weather. According to Apple, it’s best to use your iPhone when “where the ambient temperature is between 32º to 95º F(0º and 35º C ).” However, when you aren’t using your iPhone but simply storing it away, it can withstand more extreme temperatures. Apple says you can “Store the device where the temperature is between -4º to 113º F(-20º and 45º C ). Don’t leave the device in your car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.”
You also shouldn’t leave your iPhone plugged in overnight or for extremely long periods. This can also overheat the battery and lessen its ability to hold a charge. Unplug your phone once it’s at 100%, and plug it back in to charge any time before it reaches 20%.
How Do I Preserve/Extend My iPhone’s Battery Life? –
There are a few things you can do to save and potentially extend your iPhone battery life.
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Keep your Wi-Fi off when you’re not using your iPhone or not near or at a Wi-Fi hotspot.
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Screen brightness affects battery life significantly, so don’t use a bright screen setting when it’s unnecessary. Use the “auto-brightness” light setting that allows your iPhone screen to adjust its brightness based on the lighting in your environment. Simply go to your iPhone’s Settings, then Brightness & Wallpaper, then click Auto-Brightness and turn “on.”
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Turn off your automatic updates for your apps, especially when your iPhone is low on battery. Just go to Settings, click on iTunes and Apple Store and then uncheck the Updates option.
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Turn off Apple’s “Spotlight”, as it consistently takes in data and uses up your battery life in the process. Go to Settings, then General, then click on Spotlight Search and disable it.
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Turn off the “Airdrop” feature, which allows you to share files with users on the same Wi-Fi. Those who have disabled this feature have stated they experience improved battery life. Simply go to the Control Center and disable your Airdrop.
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It may or may not seem obvious, but consistently heavy usage can shorten your battery’s lifespan. So, the less you use your iPhone, the less often it completes a charge cycle, and the longer it lasts. According to Apple (via Wikipedia), a full charge cycle is completed whenever you’ve used an amount equaling 100% of your iPhone battery capacity. For instance, if you use 66% of your battery’s capacity today, charge it back to 100%, and then use 34% tomorrow, that is one full charge cycle (even though the battery never fully discharged to 0%). Keep in mind that using your phone less also helps delay battery decay. Lithium-ion batteries have a cycle limit before decay sets in. Decreasing the number of cycles it goes through extends the battery life.
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Don’t leave your iPhone plugged in at all times, as your battery can overheat and lose the ability to keep a charge.
How Do I Keep My iPhone Screen from Being Damaged? – A great case will provide screen protection for your iPhone, reducing or eliminating the likelihood of you damaging your screen. If you have a good case but it didn’t come with a screen protector, you can buy one separately. While good screen protectors prevent scratches or dings on your screen, great screen protectors will keep your iPhone screen from getting cracked. Get the best screen protector you can within your budget at CPR and exchange , because phone screen repair is generally expensive, and it might be even pricier for your iPhone.
If you’re in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, there’s no need to Google “iPhone fix” or “screen repair near me” – we operate in your area and we have you covered. If you’re past the prevention and preservation stage with your iPhone and it needs to be fixed or replaced, please visit our Contact Us page to submit a form detailing your issue, or call us at 918-551-6550. You can also message us on our Facebook page.
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