Sometimes, our mobile phones just don’t work the way that we want them to. Along with being a major cause of frustration, your iPhone can create a lot of stress when it doesn’t work properly.

Luckily, there are a handful of common iPhone problems and faults that have easy fixes, and don’t necessarily require the attention of a mobile phone repair specialist. Not only can this save you a lot of money through an at-home DIY fix, but it also reduces the amount of time you and your mobile phone spend apart!

We’ve shared five of the most common issues that iPhones present and how to fix them: 

1. iPhone Doesn’t Charge

An iPhone that refuses to charge can be one of the most frustrating faults your phone can have but thankfully, it has an easy fix.

Firstly, check that the charging port of your device is clear from debris (including dust, dirt and other lint that can collect there). Once this is clear, check that the actual charger itself is working by testing it on other Apple devices. If the charger doesn’t work with another device, it’ll be clear that your charger has become faulty.

If this fails to work and everything seems fine with your charging equipment, you may need to restart your iPhone. This can be done by force-holding the Home and Power button simultaneously until the device powers off. Sometimes, the most complex software fault can be fixed by a simple reboot!  

2. iPhone Camera Doesn’t Work

Another huge inconvenience that can often occur with an iPhone is when the camera doesn’t work, especially when you open the Camera app to take a great photo and an error message is displayed.

The main reason for this is because you have the restrictions turned off, meaning that the camera cannot be accessed. This can be changed by heading to Settings > General > Restrictions and ensuring that “Allow Camera” is turned on.

3. iPhone Doesn’t Turn On

The most common reason for an iPhone not turning on is that it has ran out of battery. This has an easy fix and can be corrected by plugging your device into the charger and allowing it to charge for 1 hour.

If your iPhone still refuses to turn on after you’ve charged it, you can perform a hard reset by force-holding the Home and Lock button simultaneously.  This gives the same effect as removing and reinserting the battery (which cannot be done on an iPhone as the battery is located behind the screen).

4. WiFi Not Working

If you notice that your iPhone doesn’t connect to WiFi, double-check that your settings are permitting a WiFi connection.

If you’re having trouble with connecting to a specific network (such as your home WiFi), you can force your device to ‘forget’ the network. This can be done by clicking Settings > WiFi and choosing the network, followed by ‘forget this network’.

5. iPhone Won’t Connect to PC

If your iPhone doesn’t connect to your PC when you connect it through the cable, it may be a result of your computer’s settings.

To fix this, start by ensuring that you have the latest version of iTunes on your PC. Then, turn on the device and press “Trust this Computer” when the alert reaches your device. After this, unplug all the other USB ports in your computer except for the one connecting your iPhone. You may need to use different ports if the initial connection doesn’t work.

As you can see, there are several iPhone problems that can be corrected with some simple DIY tricks. However, they aren’t all guaranteed to work, which is why we have iPhone insurance that can be used to protect you against unexpected costs that can come from a repairing a broken mobile phone.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

Poor mobile phone reception is no laughing matter. For most living in cities, having to walk around the room for a signal may seem like an issue that was resolved in the past, nevertheless it’s not the case for everyone in Great Britain. 

In fact, around one in five of us struggle with mobile phone reception and cannot use our mobile phones to make a call without having to take time to find a signal according to Culture Secretary Sajid Javid.

Coverage

In a world where 4G is becoming the norm and a 3G signal is at the very least the expected, it might be hard for some of us to understand that around 20% of people, while in their UK homes, can’t make a call or send a text from their phone without a lot of effort. 

Of course, having bad reception or coverage is one thing, but not being able to do anything about it is an altogether different matter. 

Contract Issues

One thing that tends to become apparent and is well documented in national newspapers is the sheer wrangling it takes to get out of a mobile phone contract, even if coverage is poor. If you own and use a mobile phone under a particular provider, you expect to have use of the phone. At the most basic level of commerce, you pay for a service and the service provider should adequately deliver that service, meeting a minimum standard. 

Looking at a number of papers would suggest that what’s happening is otherwise. The Daily Telegraph recently published a piece filled with horror stories about customers with no reception, companies with little interest in offering redress and in some cases bad and insulting customer service. The paper article cast a terrible light on the mobile phone providers, showcasing them as uncaring, incompetent and even in some cases showing contempt for their customers. 

Possible Solutions

Problems need solutions and one such effort at resolving issues was proposed by Culture Secretary Sajid Javid. Initially, Javid proposed that mobile phone providers would be required to allow phones under contract with them use other networks if theirs didn’t provide an adequate signal. He also put forward plans for mobile phone network providers being required to:

• Share infrastructure – companies could place transmitters on each other’s masts
• Reform virtual networks
• Be obliged to cover a certain area of the UK – the way they would do this would be up to them. 

However, there were a number of issues with the idea and experts, as well as members of the government cite security concerns and battery life amongst others as reasons why this approach may not work and it was altered.

This resulted in the idea to share networks being scrapped; however there still are some positives. These will result in 90% of the UK landmass having text and voice coverage by 2017; this will increase full coverage, which takes account of being able to download data, from 69% to 85%.  It’s certainly a move in the right direction, however for the 10% and 15% who live in areas without basic and full coverage respectively, it could still hardly be considered getting your money’s worth. 

Here at Row.co.uk, we cannot wait for network reception to improve. In the mean time, be sure to look after your mobile phone with our insurance, click here for a quote. 

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.