Usually, when your mobile phone starts acting up, you take it down to the local phone shop or big box retailer to take a look, or you call an IT hotline and troubleshoot the issue on another phone. But simple IT support isn’t always enough to fix whatever the problem may be. Sometimes, you need to call in the big guns to get your phone working again, to keep it safe, or to retrieve the data you want from it.
Here are a few times when you might need more than basic troubleshooting help:
Retrieving Information
You drop your phone in a toilet, and suddenly, you’ve lost everything. All the pictures you were saving of your baby’s first steps and your oldest’s graduation. You meant to back those up, but you never did. Now they’re gone forever. Or are they?
Mobile device forensics can sometimes retrieve pictures, videos, and other data from mobile phones that have been damaged, wiped, or corrupted. Forensic specialists can also help with retrieving information for a criminal investigation. Parents may find this useful if they learn that an adult has been trying to contact their child online but the child deleted the messages. Mobile device forensics may be able to retrieve them.
Hardware Problems
It can be hard to remember that smart phones are basically really small computers. They have a hard drive and a processor powering everything, and these things can malfunction, causing everything on the phone to go kaput. RAM is responsible for the phone’s memory and storage, and if this stops working properly, you will lose the ability to save important photos or contacts.
When you have hardware issues, IT isn’t usually able to help. These items typically will have to be replaced or repaired. This requires special skill that the average IT professional doesn’t possess. Most IT technicians are able to walk through commands on the keyboard to fix issues, not to get into the nitty gritty of the phone’s construction.
Virus Issues
Most run-of-the-mill viruses can be handled by IT technicians. They can root out the virus and wipe it from the phone, ensuring that you don’t have any more issues. But some viruses are created by professionals who want to do more than track your movements or steal some of your personal info. These viruses can take root in your phone and be very difficult to remove.
If this happens, you need a professional who knows how to find and remove these viruses. Other nasty stuff that might end up on your phone includes tracking software, trojan horses, worms, and more. You need someone who really know what they’re doing when you get one of these. They can be designed with tricks that make them hard to remove, like replicate when it seems like they have been deleted. Only someone with serious skills can get them off your phone once and for all.
Safety Issues
Remember when the new Galaxy was recalled because it was spontaneously combusting? As in, these brand new phones would just randomly light on fire. When something like that is happening with your phone, going down to the tech desk at your local big box store just isn’t going to cut it.
Phones spontaneously blowing up isn’t a common occurrence, so you have that going for you. But you could experience any number of other safety issues with your phone based on its performance or its physical components. If you are having any issue that poses a safety risk to you or others, you need to take your phone to a pro to get it repaired or you need to talk with the company about getting the phone replaced.
When your phone is on the fritz, you want it fixed as fast as possible. Make sure you know who you need to call so you don’t waste time or money going to a professional who can’t help you, like going to an IT technician when you need someone more specialized. These are just a few of the times you might need to see a pro, but do a little research for other issues before you make the call. You’ll get your phone fixed faster and save money.