Questions tagged [phone]
Hacks related to phones: usage, maintenance, and improvement of smartphones, as well as other mobile phones and landlines.
-3
votes
0answers
93 views
Why do most people keep their smartphones in their left pockets? [closed]
As I've seen many people with smartphones, I've noticed that they always put their phones into their left pockets despite the fact that they are not left-handed. I always keep mine in my right, and ...
0
votes
2answers
151 views
Does pressing “9” on a phone actually put my number on an internal “Do not call” list?
Background
According to Lifehacks #1777, pressing "9" on a phone will apparently add your number to an internal do not call list on the other end. This is also apparently verified by a very hoaky ...
1
vote
4answers
129 views
How to cure „stickiness“ on walkie-talkie rubber components
I have just retrieved my walkie-talkies from the big storage box where they lived for the last couple of years. The rubber/rubberized components (grip coating, dials, etc.) have gone very sticky to ...
1
vote
2answers
114 views
How can I legally identify pesky robocallers?
I am planning to move to New Hampshire soon, and one of the great benefits of living there is that unlike most states, private citizens can prosecute misdemeanors. That means once I become a New ...
1
vote
2answers
623 views
How can I remove skin oil from my phone's screen?
My phone screen picks up the usual fingerprint smudges, but there is a band where the swipe keyboard appears that is particularly bad. Rubbing with phone screen cleaning wipes and glasses cleaning ...
0
votes
2answers
466 views
How to recover swollen battery?
Many have faced this issue. So this is a general question.
I am using a smartphone from last 3 years. Now it's battery is swollen and there is some liquid developed inside the battery. Due to this, ...
0
votes
1answer
1k views
My clear phone case that I'm not using seems greasy or uncleaned? [closed]
I have a clear phone case that is yellow throughout, which I've grown accustomed to, but one day I saw a clearer phone case and bought it, and left the old one aside.
A few days/weeks later I saw my ...
1
vote
1answer
142 views
Air freshener inside phone screen [closed]
I was spraying air freshener in my room since it smelled bad, and my phone got in the way. Now, there is an abundance of it in my phone screen.
It is a weird dark blue liquid that covers the top ...
0
votes
2answers
167 views
Fixing the safety case of the smartphone
Just yesterday my smartphone's safety cover got broken as in the image below. It's minor damage and my favourite too so I do not want to replace it, at least not now. I want to fix it by using "...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
How do I know if my phone's jack slot is broken and not my headphones?
Initials:
First of all, sorry if this question has been asked at the wrong place.
This is a general consumer electronics question, but there's no such site yet.
And I'm pretty sure these are wrong ...
3
votes
2answers
289 views
Protecting a smartphone from rain?
I have a 5.5 inch smartphone,but it's not water proof and i face problem when i am cycling and it rains. I tried searching a polythene cover but alas i am unable to find a slim cover for the phone.Any ...
6
votes
5answers
528 views
Best way to mount a phone in the car
I have a Toyota Matrix and want to mount my iPhone 7 ( or future versions) for easy access to directions, etc. while still being able to charge it. Right now it sits in the cup holder or I stuff it ...
4
votes
10answers
2k views
How to get a squished leaf out of a headphone jack?
Was a bit careless and didn't notice there was a small bit of a leaf in my headphone jack until I was putting it in. Now it's squished and presumably stuck in there. Does anyone know a safe way to get ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Removing permanent marker marks from phone screen
What would be the best way to remove marks from my smartphone's screen, which have been caused accidentally from a permanent marker ? Note that my phone unfortunately isn't waterproof.
Also, I have ...
1
vote
4answers
256 views
How to prevent mobile phone in the car from falling when I use it as GPS?
When I want to use my phone as a GPS I usually try to find spaces in the car to put the phone in a horizontal position. Some possible places are the space right over the middle air condition holes, ...
1
vote
3answers
209 views
How to push small button with plastic cover on phone's edge easier?
My phone (Xperia M4 Aqua) has a power button on the edge of the phone. After having a thin plastic cover, the button is required a lot of force to push it. I can cut a hole in the cover in that ...
0
votes
2answers
572 views
How to prevent charger cables wearing out too quickly? [duplicate]
All of my phone charging leads have frayed at the ends where you plug it in. I've spent a lot on getting these braided cords that are supposed to last for a while but they never last. I have in total ...
2
votes
5answers
385 views
Preventing airbubbles when placing screen protector?
Whenever I try and place a screen protector on any electrical device, I always get a load of airbubbles, and my device ends up looking like this:
How can I prevent this from happening, or how can I ...
1
vote
10answers
38k views
How to clean the charging port of iPhone 6?
For weeks, I had the issue of my phone not charging as soon as I plugged in the lightning cable. I suspect it could be because of dirt that has accumulated over the years. How do I safely clean the ...
0
votes
0answers
30 views
I poured tea on my phone (Emergency!) [duplicate]
I hit the tea cup accidentally and it falls on my phone. I heard before that unplugging the battery and leaving the phone inside of rice for a while is a solution for this problem, but my phones ...
2
votes
3answers
357 views
Good way to prevent phone camera from touching table
In every smartphone I've looked at, the camera protrudes slightly from the bottom of the case, meaning that it is the primary point of contact when the phone is laid down flat:
Note that the lens ...
3
votes
2answers
4k views
How to fix when there is bubble after putting tempered glass and why is this happening? [closed]
I am using Iphone SE. When I put the tempered glass there generated bubble in the corner. I tried to fix it but it does not work & I have changed my tempered glass twice but still the bubble gets ...
7
votes
3answers
958 views
How can I unclog my headphone port on my phone? [duplicate]
So, my phone rather surprisingly spends a lot of its life in my pocket. In the course of its day to day life, it gets what I assume is pocket lint in the headphone jack. This buildup has made it so ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Muffling phone vibration at work
I have my cell phone set to vibrate at work. I keep it on my desk, in my peripheral vision so I can either see the screen light up, or hear/feel a weak vibration in case I'm staring too hard into my ...
2
votes
5answers
115k views
How to control phone while inside VR device without an action button [closed]
I bought a VR device that can hold your phone to give a VR experience, however I only discovered after I got home that I have no way of controlling anything while my phone is inside the VR device.
I ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Get the phone system to automatically call me back?
I have a weird problem with my phone which just got a new modem. I can call out but people complain they cannot call me. Supposedly it has been fixed, but how can I test this?
In the old days there ...
4
votes
3answers
278k views
How to clean transparent silicone/jelly cases?
I have here my jelly case on my smartphone. After 2 months, i saw that it getting yellowish and i don't know how to clean it.
But every month, I clean it with cloth and alcohol, but nothing's change.
...
0
votes
1answer
265 views
Removing dust from mobile's screen [closed]
Dust has gone inside my mobile screen and front camera. I don't know how it got there but I suspect that it has entered from the USB port. How can it be removed?
1
vote
3answers
13k views
Opening and tightening small screws
How can I open and close the tiny screws of my mobile phone if I don't have any type of tool to open that tiny screw? Suggest me the ways too by which I can make screwdrivers at home according to my ...
-4
votes
1answer
89 views
Smartphone data usage when travelling in US [closed]
I'm planning a trip to the US in an area I don't know well. It would be really helpful if I have my smartphone with me for things like google maps and staying in touch with people. Sadly, my provider ...
-2
votes
3answers
303 views
Taking photos of 100+ pages using mob cam without pain in hand
I don't take notes in class, so I usually just borrow notes from one of my friends for a few days and take photos of all of the pages before giving it back to them.
But the larger the stack of ...
1
vote
1answer
515 views
What can I do if I mess up a voicemail? [closed]
Sometimes when I leave a voice mail I can mess it because I'm not expecting to have to leave a voicemail and are unsure what to say and end up stumbling and not effectively expressing myself.
What ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
Sweat and touch screen issues
I am recently working on a project. I had to visit site day before yesterday. I will be staying there for next 6 days. The problem here is that the temperature is warm and due to working in sun body ...
-2
votes
2answers
1k views
In which pant-pocket should I keep wallet, handkerchief and phone? [closed]
Currently I put handkerchief, mobile phone and keys in right front pocket, and the wallet in left one. But I figured out some issues:
If I put keys and mobile in same pocket phone screen gets ...
-1
votes
1answer
160 views
How to tell a technical support call center worker that I am technically inclined? [closed]
Sometimes I just want to scream at people "I know what I'm talking about!". Ideally, I'd like a more polite way of saying this that won't be taken offensively, and can be said at the beginning of a ...
12
votes
5answers
15k views
Cleaning MicroUSB socket on mobile phone
I have a Motorola Nexus 6, and recently I noticed the charging cable wasn't staying in place as well as it did when the phone was bought - my phone is charging, but if I picked it up whilst plugged in,...
3
votes
1answer
495 views
How to protect micro switches?
The power button on my smartphone (Samsung Galaxy Note) stopped responding after carelessly using the phone outside on many rainy days. It would not come back so over time I got used to alternative ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
Temporary Phone Protection
I recently purchased a phone which is very new on the market. So new, it doesn't have any fitted cases for it yet.
What could i used as a temporary case or bumper to protect the edges and back of the ...
4
votes
4answers
600 views
Turn Smartphone into Headlamp
Last night I was changing my oil and using my smartphone as a flashlight (yes it did get dirty, and no I don't care). In the midst of the job I started wishing I could strap my phone to my head and ...
7
votes
6answers
7k views
How to Keep Phone Cool in Car
In the summer, with the sun beating down on my phone while I drive, my android phone tends to overheat.
I stumbled upon an ad hoc solution -- I had a piece of paper double folded to be 4.25" by 5.5" ...
12
votes
5answers
5k views
How to avoid losing keys/phone/wallet? [closed]
I constantly lose my keys, phone and wallet. I tend to leave them inside the car, house, bathroom, public places, etc. It costs me a lot of valuable time plus increases my stress levels. Any tips on ...
4
votes
3answers
6k views
How can I fortify micro USB connectors
Perhaps I'm heavy-handed but I've accidentally broken many micro usb cables by bending the connector on the cable and pulling it out of it's housing. I've tried a premium cable but even that broke the ...
0
votes
1answer
1k views
Using a 5v USB Wall Charger on a Zenfone 2 with +9v battery? [closed]
I ordered the new Zenfone 2 and it only comes with the "Boostmaster" quick charger that outputs 9v and 2A.
Also, I saw pictures where the visible part of the battery in the phone says "+9v 2A" on it.
...
17
votes
8answers
9k views
How to dry out a wet phone?
I unfortunately dropped my aunt's phone in water. I didn't tried anything yet (I'm afraid of a short circuit). Is there a quick and cheap way to completely dry out the internals of this mobile phone ...
8
votes
8answers
5k views
How to decrease hold time for customer service calls? [closed]
As I type this question I've been on hold with Bank of America for over a half an hour. I'm looking for a way to make my wait time shorter in the future by either:
Changing my own behavior within the ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
Gave my mobile number out online. Now I'm being spammed? [closed]
Long story short, I thought this site would boost my snap chat score.
I had to do dozens of surveys and competitions, put in my mobile number, and it didn't even boost my score.
Okay, we've ...
4
votes
2answers
21k views
How to cover up or fix a dent on a phone?
I recently got a new phone.
I recently dropped said new phone on a hard ceramic flooring.
My heart broke in two at this point as I discovered I had dented the phone as the case is a pile of rubbish ...
11
votes
4answers
4k views
How can I safely sanitise my smartphone's display?
I've recently upgraded from a keypad feature phone to a smartphone. The smartphone in question has Gorilla Glass 3 protecting the touchscreen, which I've read has an olegeophobic coating which can be ...
1
vote
1answer
9k views
How to convert standard SIM into Nano SIM? [closed]
I've some standard SIM cards which I'd like to test on my iPhone 5, but they're way too big.
Is there any adapter or methods of converting the SIM card, so it could fit and work into smaller Nano SIM ...
2
votes
2answers
6k views
How to make an adapter for a micro SIM?
I currently have an iPhone 4S and these models use a 'micro-SIM' which is smaller than a standard SIM Card (see below):
The thing is I need to move the SIM from the iPhone (micro-SIM) into an older ...
