Some of the funniest and most outlandish stories that cell phone stores hear from customers are the result of a lost phone. Are they funny or is it irrational thinking brought on by panic? Given how indispensable a modern smartphone can be for someone who spends a great deal of time online, could losing one produce a psychological reaction?
We Rely on Our Cell Phones
In the past, many have often scoffed at people who seem to live entirely through their smartphone. We have smugly rolled our eyes at people who constantly check their phones for updates. Who hasn’t expressed frustration about people who can’t seem to do anything in any context without taking and posting a picture of themselves doing it? We think we are one of those people who sees their phone as a useful device, nothing more. Or so we thought…until it lost or stolen. That is when you realize just how dependent you really are on that little piece of technology.
Fast Phone Protection
Let’s set the crazy stories and extreme phone dependency aside. There are some simple (and free) things you should do to protect your phone. That’ll protect your email, passwords, and data in the event your phone is lost or stolen. At an absolute minimum you want to enable:
- Device encryption
- A password lock with a timeout of 10 minutes or less and a minimum of 4 digit length
- An automatic wipe if the passcode has been entered incorrectly a significant number of times (no more than 10 attempts)
How to Protect Yourself from Worst-Case Scenarios with Your Smartphone
Make sure any photographs you take are backed up. This has become incredibly easy in the last few years, with Apps like Dropbox automatically uploading all new photos. Apple’s iCloud service offers similar functionality within the overall Apple ecosystem and Android manufacturers like Samsun and HTC will have their own device backup service.
The easiest way to keep your contacts safe is to link them to an email account. If your personal email account supports ActiveSync (such as Gmail), take the time to transfer the contents of your phonebook to the address-book of your email service. When you add your email account to a smartphone, select the ActiveSync (or MS Exchange) option.
You’ll Love This
This sync option will allow your smartphone to not only synchronize email but also your calendar and contacts. This is extremely useful! Any contacts will be automatically added to your online email address-book. If your personal email service doesn’t support ActiveSync, you could always open a new account with Gmail and use that as your address-book backup. Select to only sync contacts with that account and away you go.
The main thing to remember about device security is to act before your device goes missing. Ensure policies are in place to protect your information and that the information itself is securely synchronized, or backed up on a regular basis.
Get the Professional Support and Help You Need
Whether you have a crazy cell phone story or just are in a panic over your lost or broken smartphone, you can get the support and understanding you need. At North Georgia Cell Phone Repair, we offer assessment and repair services for all cell phone problems. And we promise we won’t laugh too hard if you have a crazy story to share or request to make. We are here for you.
If your phone is not working at top performance, contact us today and let us fix your phone fast. Call us at 770-569-2002 to get a free estimate for repair or to learn more about cell phone stores. We can fix that phone!
