How to ruin your phone: several effective ways. A hidden setting in all Android smartphones allows you to “break” any phone with one click
How often do we buy exactly the things we really need? IN modern world buying a new mobile phone (smartphone) is no longer an urgent need, and some people buy new model phone only because this moment she is "fashionable".
But what to do if your new, “fashionable” phone does not live up to your expectations? If you are disappointed with this device before the expiration of 14 days from the date of purchase, you can return it to the store and get your money back. But if 14 days have already passed, then you need to use some tricks. Some people come to the conclusion that the best thing to do is return the phone under warranty and either get a new model or the money paid for the device. Let's look at this option and find out how to break your phone so that it can be replaced under warranty.
Ways to quietly break your phone
There are many various advice regarding an unnoticed breakdown of the phone, but not all of these tips are effective, and some of them void the device’s warranty. To avoid mistakes, let's first learn about ineffective methods:
- Drown the phone. Ineffective way, since many devices function normally again after they are completely dry. In addition, characteristic traces of corrosion remain on the metal parts of the case and on the boards themselves.
- Mechanical damage. The warranty on the device is immediately voided. They are easy to identify and are evidence of careless handling of the device by the user.
- Damage to the operating system and OS bootloader. Most smartphone and tablet manufacturers deliberately limit access to the bootloader and the ability to reinstall the device's OS. Disabling these restrictions (root and firmware) will void the phone's warranty.
How can you break a phone without being discovered? Let's look at some really effective ways:
- The simplest is to use a piezoelectric element, which can be taken out of a regular lighter. Just take it off back cover phone and shock the exposed parts of the board. You can close the contacts of the SIM card receiver, hit the headphone output, flash card slot. After a few hits, the device will stop functioning.
- A more risky method is to connect a USB cable to the device and apply a stun gun to it.
The two methods listed above are most effective and leave virtually no traces. After using them, you can safely contact a service center where they will replace your phone, or a store where, according to the terms of the guarantee, you should get your money back.
If you can’t get your money back, the service center refuses to repair the device, or you don’t want to break it, but want to get rid of the phone, try selling it. The article will help you find out how and where this can be done.
iPhone and iPad users have noticed that if you manually change the date to January 1, 1970, the device locks. Oddly enough, the warning only encouraged more and more users to do what they shouldn’t do.
Almost no one now imagines himself without a mobile phone. But, unfortunately, phones often break. Statistics show that most often this happens due to the fault of users. AiF.ru found out how you can turn your phone into a “brick” with your own hands.
Curiosity
Official centers Apple service forced to accept the telephone numbers of those who dared to “go” to the past. Earlier, there were reports on social networks that when entering manually into iPhone settings or iPad dates On January 1, 1970, the device's operation is blocked, and when you try to turn it off, it enters a reboot cycle. Some users, on the contrary, stated that nothing bad would happen to the smartphone - on the contrary, it would acquire exclusive retro fonts and the design of icons and wallpapers in the style of the 1970s. The curiosity of smartphone owners led to sad consequences: everyone who changed the date ended up unable to turn on the phone and saw only the “eternal” apple.
Fault found on mobile phones iPhone phones, iPad tablets and media players iPod touch, which use 64-bit processors running operating iOS systems 8 and iOS 9.
Apple explains that the so-called "1970s bug" can only occur because manual entry dates on or before May 1970. The defect in the program will be corrected as soon as possible iOS update. For now, users are advised not to set the specified date on their phones.
Error "53"
Error entering date last story with bugs. Previously iPhone users reported "error 53" related to the Touch ID button. Updating or restoring operating system on their device, users instead of the usual “Apple” and “desktop” icons saw a message about problems. After this, as it turned out, nothing could be done with the phone - expensive equipment turned into a useless “brick” in your pocket.
This error occurred as a result of interference with the smartphone device. Most often this happened either as a result of damage to the phone or after poor-quality repairs.
Poor quality repairs
However, errors in smartphone programs are rarely found. Most often, unlucky users break their phones where they should be repaired! Poor quality repairs just as dangerous as the breakdown itself.
You cannot apply for iPhone repair and other electrical equipment to dubious organizations and unqualified specialists. An unprofessional amateur repairman differs from craftsmen with many years of experience in the fact that he does not know a lot of very rare, small and important moments of the process. Including the purpose of every smallest detail in a smartphone - down to the last screw and plug.
What was done in unknown conditions by non-professionals will naturally have to be redone and restored. There is no chance that after an intrusion by a non-specialist, any of the parts will fail: many are faced with the rattling of spare parts inside the case, unstable work components and the emergence of new problems with the device. Moreover, no one gives a guarantee for such work. As a result, the owner of the device has to pay twice.
Fake batteries
Independent selection of parts for the phone and their use will also lead to damage. Most often, inexperienced users select batteries: they end up either buying fake ones or installing batteries from other devices into the phone.
The battery for the phone must be purchased from a company or specialized store. Do not buy batteries secondhand. “Old” batteries are batteries that have almost lost or completely lost their capacity. On average, this moment occurs after 2-3 years of use. Most often, “aging” is accompanied by deformation of the battery.
After purchase, read the user manual, study all the rules of operation and storage. Under no circumstances should you charge the battery or use your smartphone in areas with high temperatures or humidity.
It's "right" to break your phone for warranty
You bought a phone and didn’t like it, you want to repair the device for free, destroy the phone so that they give you a new one... Cunningly breaking the phone so that it is accepted under warranty is another reason why smartphones are ruined. The Internet is replete with forums where “experienced” users give advice on how to “correctly” disable a product so that the malfunction is considered a warranty case. Put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes, strike a lighter on the electronics, play tricks with a magnet, jump the wires while charging - there are no limits to users’ imagination.
But a competent engineer at a service center is able to distinguish such damage from problems that may be caused by defects. Tricks with your phone will deprive you not only of money that can be returned for a smartphone you don’t like, but also of the device itself.
Software updates
There are also viruses and other malware that are susceptible to modern phones. It is enough to download malicious software or browse dangerous sites. Any file you download from the Internet could potentially contain a harmful script.
Modern viruses are capable of collecting full information about the owner of the smartphone: all personal data, photo and video materials, phone numbers, passwords in social networks. They can also block calls to your phone.
To prevent virus infection, experts advise installing programs only from official sources, monitoring the information that the program asks for during installation, and installing an antivirus program.
A deliberate attitude and refusal to experiment will help preserve mobile device and will ensure uninterrupted operation of your favorite phone for a long time.
Articles and Lifehacks
Today, many unlucky buyers are interested in how to break a tablet and get your money back under guarantee.
As a rule, this happens because the device does not meet any requests of its new owner. For example, it is purchased to work online in some program, for example, but it turns out that the tablet is not able to work with it correctly.
Is it possible to damage a tablet and make it look like it wasn't the buyer's fault? And how risky this enterprise? Let's try to figure this out.
Is it possible to break a tablet?
According to the law, within two weeks from the date of purchase you can return the purchased equipment and get your money back.
However, in the case of a tablet, everything is not so simple. There is a common misconception that you can return a device even if you don’t like its shape or color. In fact, this is not entirely true.
A tablet is a technically complex device, and therefore returning it even within the first two weeks from the date of purchase is not so easy.
Of course, if the purchased equipment does not perform the tasks assigned to it, this seems to be a valid reason for returning it.
In fact, it can only be accepted if a manufacturing defect is discovered.
In addition, you should inquire about the possibility of a return before purchasing. Don’t forget to check the availability of all the necessary equipment and documents (in particular, the presence of a warranty card and that it is filled out correctly).
If we are still interested in how to break a tablet, we should understand that it will not be difficult to disable it, for example, but getting your money back under warranty is very, very difficult.
In other words, we risk being left without a device and without money. This is why it is recommended to think twice about it.
Reviews from those who were able to break their tablet
It happens that the store itself agrees to refund the money. Today you can find reviews from those customers whose device did not see the network and did not pick up GPS satellites. They didn’t dare do the back-up on their own, so they took the tablet to the point of sale. This allowed them to get back what they had spent cash.
One of the visitors to a thematic forum on the Internet shared his own story about how he was able to disable his tablet.
He went to the 4pda website and found a similar device (with a similar processor). After that, I downloaded the “left” firmware for it and flashed my tablet through the MTKdroidtools program.
Following this, he received a message from service center that the device cannot be repaired. Next, the buyer took the corresponding act, went to the store and wrote a statement to terminate the purchase and sale agreement.
At the same time, the user also warns that his method also cannot be 100% reliable, since there can always be a specialist who can restore the tablet.
According to the law, the buyer has the right to return the device under warranty if he has already had several identical repairs, or if their total duration was more than 30 days per year.
Any amateur activity in this area is always a lottery. If the tablet has a really serious flaw, and experts decide that it was not the user’s fault, it will be accepted for warranty repair. If the device cannot be repaired, the money must be returned.
This article was published on techrepublic.com and unexpectedly received a big response. We at Rumikom decided that you, friends, would also be interested. The fact is, we are addicted to our smartphones. They keep us in touch, keep us informed and feverishly carry out all the routine work. For many of us, smartphones have become more than just a dialer; now they are a kind of window to the world, no matter how pretentious it may sound. And that's why we should take a little better care of them, because a smartphone is not just a toy that can be replaced on a whim. Especially in cases where you have sensitive data on your phone or you also use it for work.
What can you do to make sure you don't damage your phone? Of course, careful use and bumper with protective glass will give +1 to the integrity of the smartphone. But there are some things that you should not do with your phone at all. We don't mean that you can't throw it into lava, there are more realistic things that will definitely be unpleasant for your smartphone. We are sure that each of us has made one of these mistakes at least once.
1. Extreme temperatures
Both heat and cold can harm smartphones. If you leave your phone in the car on a hot summer day or on a frosty winter night, you risk saying goodbye to it and several large denomination bills for new device. Research has shown that Android devices and they tolerate cold better than iPhones on iOS, but at minus 30-40 degrees, smartphones on both platforms will last a long time.
With heat everything only gets worse. When heated to 45 degrees or higher, your smartphone runs the risk of repeating its fate Galaxy Note 7 or worse. It is unlikely that you will decide to use your smartphone at such temperatures, but it is better not to forget it in the car.
2. What is Root and how to install it correctly?
If you don’t even know what it is, then it’s better to just not touch anything. There are, of course, a certain number of users who want as much control over their device as possible. To gain this same control, many obtain root access or, in other words, superuser rights. There are many reasons not to do this. It doesn’t even matter that Google itself doesn’t guarantee stable work systems and programs on devices with root access. The important thing is that if you do something wrong, there is a chance that your brand new smartphone will turn into a brick. That is why, at every step in the “rooting” process, you are warned about possible danger. In fact, there are tools that provide root access quite easily, but even with this simplicity, your phone may refuse to work.
3. Malware
Malicious programs and all kinds of viruses are not only for PCs. Yes, they are different, but they cause no less harm, and even more, because malicious application can track your location and intercept sensitive data. Be careful when installing applications on your smartphone. We recommend using it more often standard application Security in all Mi phones. It is preinstalled by Xiaomi not for beauty.
4. Low memory
It would seem the most harmless thing. But no. If your phone doesn't have much built-in memory and you don't have an SD card, you can fill up your phone's memory pretty quickly, which can lead to some difficulties in using it. It will be problematic not only to install new applications, but also to use existing ones, because any application accesses the device’s memory... which no longer exists. How often has your video recording been interrupted? important moment due to a sudden low space alert? Has it ever happened that you couldn’t take a photo for the same reason? Follow free space on your phone and it will work more stable. The same Security application is at your service.
5. Give your phone a break
Our smartphones work and work and work and work. Of course, smartphones consistently last longer than PCs. But even these amazingly stable mobile platforms need a little rest. By at least, once a week it is better to reboot the device or leave it completely turned off for half an hour or so. This guarantees proper cleaning cache and proper restart of all subsystems. Also, turning off the device once a week will somewhat improve the longevity of the RAM and allow you to carry out certain diagnostics when starting the system.
6. Phone lock, SIM card, fingerprint
Graphic passwords, PIN codes, fingerprint scanners, and more recently even retinal scanners, are present in phones for a reason. This is protection from unwanted guests. A secure phone is more difficult to hack. Besides, everyone has Google account, with which you can even track the location of your smartphone and remotely erase all data from it. For users Xiaomi smartphones in addition to this, there is Mi Account, which also provides this opportunity. However, if you have added any password, REMEMBER IT. Otherwise, you risk falling into your own trap.
7. Insert the USB cable carefully
You always have a 50/50 chance that you will insert USB cable the MicroUSB connector of the smartphone is correct. But it happens that luck is not on your side and many begin to struggle with the hated connector, trying to insert it again. "Do you know what madness is?" - said the pirate Vaas in Far Cry 3. In any case, one careless move and your phone will part with you after the battery runs out and send you on a trip to the service center or to buy a new device. Always use caution when connecting the device.
8. The back pocket of jeans is not your smartphone's friend.
For some strange reason, many users have a tendency to put their phone in the back pockets of their already skinny jeans. The first is, of course, the risk of breakdown. If the jeans are thin enough, you just risk crushing it if you sit on it. Other risks are related to the infinitesimal size of the pockets - barely enough to hide half the phone. Stand up too quickly and your phone will easily fall to the floor. There is one more point: do not forget that the phone can be bent. We will not describe how this happens.
9. How to flash a phone?
There are many firmwares for Xiaomi phones and even more for Android devices in general. Starting from the fact that if the flashing is incorrect, the phone can go into a bootlap, ending with the phone turning into a complete brick, which is then quite difficult to restore. In any case, this is not a pleasant matter. Be absolutely sure that you have flashed your device with firmware specifically designed for it. You have been warned.
10. Phone flooding
We left the most obvious for last. You might be surprised, but even the slightest splash of water can cause irreparable damage to your phone. This means that if you use your smartphone for outdoor activities, even running or cycling, there is a chance that it will get wet. If you left your phone in the bathroom and take a hot shower, then remember that steam is the same as water and it will not be very pleasant for your phone to collect all the microdrops on itself. If you still manage to flood your device, then quickly take it to a service center or, as a half-measure, perform the “rice trick” (before it’s too late).
The main thing, friends, remember is that your smartphone is not immortal. The likelihood that you will quickly break it is, of course, low, but not so low that you can ignore obvious threats. Use your smartphone with care and it will not have to meet the hand of a repairman. If you do make a fatal mistake, you can always use the services of a specialized Xiaomi service center, with which Rumikom cooperates →