How to repair a mobile phone

You probably won’t realise how reliant you are on your mobile phone until it stops working, catapulting you into an unconnected world where you can’t make telephone calls, send texts or check emails on the move.

Instead of simply binning your broken smartphone, why not save the expense of buying a new one and the stress of trying to recover its lost data by getting the phone repaired?

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Mobile phone warranty: Am I covered?

Most people carry a mobile phone everywhere nowadays, so it’s unsurprising that some models develop faults for no apparent reason.

If this is the case with your phone then its warranty period - normally 12 or 24 months - should always be your first port of call, because if the phone’s still covered then the phone manufacturer is duty bound to repair or replace it free of charge.

It’s worth noting that some caveats apply to this rule. For example:

• Occasionally the warranty onus will rest with the retailer or mobile network you bought the phone from. So try speaking to both if your phone’s manufacturer won’t help
• Mobile phone warranties only cover a limited range of faults. For example, the phone probably will be covered if the fault is the result of a manufacturing default, but not if you spilt water on it
• A refurbished or second-hand mobile phone will often come with a shorter warranty period, or perhaps none at all, than a new phone.

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Expired mobile phone warranty: What to do

If your mobile phone’s warranty has expired or if its fault was the result of poor care - perhaps you dropped it in water? - then you’ll need to explore other avenues to get the phone repaired.

At this point you’ll need to do a little detective work to try and work out exactly what the problem is.

If the phone simply isn’t switching on, isn’t charging properly or doing anything odd that could be related to a hardware fault then you’ll probably need to take it to a high-street mobile phone repair specialist.

If the phone is powering up but then, say, crashing when trying to open apps or simply freezing completely then the problem could be software related. In this case try resetting the phone to its factory settings - normally initiated from the phone’s “Settings” menu.

It’s worth noting that a factory reset will invariably wipe all personal data - contacts, texts, emails, photos and so on - from the phone.

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Mobile phone insurance

When you buy a new mobile phone most retailers or mobile networks will try to sell you an insurance plan that promises to repair or replace the phone in the event of a mishap.

Always read the smallprint carefully because some phone problems, such as water damage, aren’t always covered. Remember that new phones come with warranties, potentially saving you up to 24 months of insurance premium payments.

Alternatively, compare specialist gadget insurance deals online. For example, Protect Your Bubble offers mobile phone insurance deals starting at £1.49 per month, including accidental and liquid damage.

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Cheap ways of fixing a broken mobile phone

If you’re willing to explore alternative ways of repairing your mobile phone then posts in online forums and blogs. But, please bear in mind these will not be formally endorsed by the manufacturer.

Forums suggest the following tips:

• Water damage - Some gadget retailers sell small bags - starting at around £20 - filled with special beads that suck the water out of your phone. When we tested one such bag with a phone we dropped in the toilet, it really did the job.




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• Scratched screen - Wiping a soft cloth dunked in petroleum jelly over a scratched mobile phone screen can supposedly remove minor marks.
• Signal problems - Gadgets called femtocells could help increase you phone’s signal strength at home. Read our guide to boosting your mobile phone signal.

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