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Photos and Contacts

Sorting Through Old Photos and Contacts – Do You Need Them All?

We’ve all been there before — taking multiple photos from different angles just to make sure you get the best shot possible (even though most of them aren’t worth sharing). Or taking a hundred selfies with a hundred different faces only to just post one on Instagram. And if you’ve really gotten into phone photography after reading our iPhone 12 camera blog, you probably have a camera roll full of test shots that you’ll never edit or upload. And remember adding that one “friend” into your contacts but then never messaging them? So what should you do with all of those photos and contacts you no longer need?

In this blog, we’ll cover a couple of reasons why you should consider sorting through your old photos and contacts. After all, 2021 could be your year of productivity and efficiency (check out our 2 cents on that topic)!

How Should You Clean Out Your Photos and Contacts?

  1. Organization

If you’re anything like us, your phone’s camera roll is probably anything but organized. And you probably don’t want to waste a ton of space on photos and videos you will never use or upload to social media. But with our tips in hand, you’ll have an organized camera roll before you know it!

For your first step in the organization process, we recommend creating albums for your photos and categorizing them that way. You can organize by timeline, by people, by events, or any category you want! That way, the next time you’re looking for a specific photo, it will be at the tip of your fingers.

And if you’re overwhelmed by the mass of photos in your camera roll, you can select photos in bulk and transfer them to a specific album as well. It’s quick and organized!

  1. Save on the Cloud

Not quite sure if you’re ready to part with all of those photos just yet? Upload them to the Cloud! This option is for iPhone users only, of course, but it allows you to store your images elsewhere and free up some space on your phone in the process. As long as you have internet access, you’ll be able to transfer your photos from your phone to the Cloud.

  1. Delete, Delete!

This is the not-so-fun part — we know. But just remember that the best part of a moment captured in a photo is the moment itself. Just think about how many duplicate, blurry, and screenshotted images are just sitting on your phone! Delete any photos that just don’t stand out to you, because that probably means you’ll never use them for anything. And in the end, decluttering will feel good — trust us.

  1. Establish a “Cleaning Out Routine”

Get into the habit of cleaning out your photos by setting a weekly or monthly reminder to do so. Or you could even set a weekly reminder to organize them and a monthly reminder to delete the ones you no longer need/want!

Don’t put it off any longer; now that you have the tips and tricks to sort through your phone’s photos and contacts, go ahead and go for it! And if you need any assistance along the way, don’t hesitate to give Cellular Magician a call.

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iPhone 12 camera tips

These iPhone 12 Camera Tips Will Make You a Phone Photographer Pro

Do you enjoy dabbling in photography? Are you thinking about upgrading to a photographer-friendly iPhone? Then this blog is just for you! The iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max have advanced camera features that excite both amateur and professional photographers alike. Keep reading to learn more about iPhone 12 camera tips and more.

iPhone 12 Camera Tips and Features

Three Cameras

Yes—you read that correctly! The iPhone 12 has a camera for telephoto, wide, and ultrawide photos. The dual-lens cameras are arranged similarly to previous models (on the back of the iPhone). The primary camera has the largest aperture in iPhone history—ƒ/1.6—which significantly improves low-light shots.

Tip: The three cameras really come in handy when you are trying to perfectly frame your photograph. First, put your phone in portrait or landscape mode and zoom past 0.7x. As you zoom, the screen will continue to show you the area that is outside of the frame. Can’t fit everything in? Then that’s your sign to switch to a different camera mode!

Night Mode

Night Mode is a feature that is on several other iPhone models; however, on the iPhone 12, you can use it on all lenses (even the selfie lens!). Even better—Night Mode is automatic, meaning it turns on anytime it detects low light. Whenever Night Mode automatically activates, a moon icon will pop up to let you know.

Tip: To get the perfect low light photo, select the number next to the moon icon. This number shows how many seconds to keep your phone still before it snaps the photo. It also allows you to choose the exposure level yourself, giving you more creative freedom and control over your photos.

QuickTake

QuickTake is essentially a quick way to take a photo, video, or series of photos. On the iPhone 12, if you press on the white shutter button, it will take a photo. But if you hold the button for an extended period of time, it will switch to Video Mode and begin recording. If you press the white shutter button and swipe to the left, it will begin to take burst mode photos.

Tip: Trying to shoot a lengthy video? Hold down the white shutter button and swipe to the right. This will lock your phone into video mode, allowing you to remove your finger from the button and giving you more freedom.

Dolby Vision

Don’t worry videographers—we haven’t forgotten about you! Perhaps the coolest feature of the iPhone 12 is its ability to shoot and edit HDR videos with Dolby Vision. As you may know, HDR videos are more colorful, detailed, and visually advanced. Dolby Vision is simply a HDR video format. The iPhone 12 implements Dolby Vision HDR recording capabilities, which significantly improves video content. You can also edit your Dolby Vision videos on your iPhone 12, which makes the iPhone 12 the first phone to shoot and edit Dolby Vision videos.

Tip: To quickly turn on Dolby Vision video, go to Settings > Camera > Record Video > HRD Video.

Feeling ready to take on the world as an iPhone 12 photographer? We hope this blog taught you some iPhone 12 camera tips and tricks you didn’t know before! For any questions, concerns, or assistance with the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Max, feel free to give Cellular Magician a call.

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Productivity in 2021: Apps That Work on Mobile and PC

Productivity in 2021: Apps That Work on Mobile and PC

Need to boost your productivity this year, but you’re not sure what tools to start with? We understand! There are seemingly endless productivity apps available, with almost all of them offering you the latest and greatest tools. If you’re already struggling with getting all of your work done, you definitely don’t have time to sift through each and every productivity app and find one that suits you.

Luckily, in this blog, we will cover what we consider to be some of the best workplace productivity apps out there! We’ll discuss the benefits of each app so you can quickly and efficiently decide which app(s) will assist you the most.

1. Slack

Function: Slack is a communication and messaging tool that allows both in-office teams and global, remote teams to communicate, collaborate, share files, and more all in one place. Slack is a wonderful alternative to emails because it allows real-time responses and conversations. If you’re looking for a productivity app that will bring your team together and produce successful outcomes more efficiently, then Slack is the way to go!

Benefits: Perhaps the largest benefit Slack offers is streamlined, simplified lines of communication. It offers three basic communication features: open channels (visible to everyone), private channels (visible to select team members), and direct messages (visible to one coworker). Another benefit is Slack’s ability to easily integrate with other apps (Google Drive, MailChimp, the list goes on). When you keep everything in sync with Slack, it becomes a one-stop platform for all of your productivity, communication, and sharing needs. You can also drop and share all kinds of files within your Slack conversations (images, PDFs, Word Docs, Google Docs, etc.).

Mobile vs. PC: Slack has released updated versions of both its desktop and mobile apps this year, and the apps complement each other quite well. The mobile app is simple, organized, and easy to navigate. It can also be downloaded on both iPhones and Androids. Like the desktop app, it offers a “Mentions & reactions” screen, where users can quickly find Slack messages that mention them and/or reactions to their messages.

2. Airtable

Function: Airtable is a platform that allows you and your team to create and share databases. You don’t have to be a database expert to use it, either! Other than creating databases, the platform also lets you store, organize, and collaborate/communicate on tasks within the database. 

Benefits: Airtable is a lot like a spreadsheet, except simpler and more user-friendly. With Airtable, you can organize a large amount of information as well as the relationships between that information, which means you can better categorize your information as well. Additionally, Airtable has an Import feature, which allows you to upload existing data from other apps. The true beauty of Airtable lies in its flexibility—it will adapt to whatever organizational tasks you need it to.

Mobile vs. PC: Airtable’s mobile app has a few functionality limits. For example, you cannot create new fields in mobile; you can only view existing fields. You also can’t create or view Forms or Apps in mobile. That being said, navigating Airtable is equally as simple in mobile as it is in desktop.

3. Microsoft Teams

Function: Microsoft Teams is another collaboration platform that offers chat channels, document storage and sharing, online meetings and video calling, and more. These features make it quite similar to Slack, except Microsoft Teams is free with Microsoft365 and Office365.

Benefits: Because of its integration with Office365, Microsoft Teams makes it incredibly easy to collaborate on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. You can create the document in Microsoft Teams rather than having to open up a separate app. Another excellent feature is the user’s ability to follow channels that they are interested in/a participant in and hide whatever channels they do not what to see. This makes Microsoft Teams more customizable than other collaboration platforms.

Mobile vs. PC: With Microsoft Teams, you can stay connected anytime and anywhere by using the mobile smartphone app. With the app, you not only have access to all of your conversations and documents, but you can also respond to channels and join meetings as you would via desktop, PC, or laptop web browser.

There are many other productivity apps out there, of course. But we believe our top three choices will improve your overall workflow, help you get more done, and keep you self-motivated to accomplish more!

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benefits-of-a-battery-replacement

Benefits of a Battery Replacement

You’ve probably noticed that your phone battery begins to drain more quickly as your phone ages. When you first purchase the phone, you hardly ever have to hook it up to its charger. But the more you use it and the older it gets, the shorter its battery lifespan becomes. As soon as this happens, many people choose to purchase a new phone without considering other options like phone battery replacement. At the right local cell phone repair shop, replacing the phone’s battery is a much cheaper solution than dumping your old phone and buying a new one. Stay tuned to learn why!

Fortunately, if you’re noticing any issues with your phone battery, we can quickly and affordably replace it for you here at Cellular Magician. Our technicians will have your phone running optimally again in no time!

Here are a few reasons you should consider phone battery replacement:

1.Cost Efficiency

Smartphones are more expensive than ever, and as tempting as it is to simply purchase a new phone when your old phone’s battery is giving out, it will likely be a far more expensive purchase than a basic battery replacement. Plus, your phone’s battery life may start to give out before the performance of the phone itself slows down. This means everything except your battery is functioning perfectly, and it would be a bit of a waste to throw out a phone that is only experiencing one particular problem.

2.Time Efficiency

Another benefit to getting your phone battery replaced (especially at a local repair shop like ours) is the fact that it will save you a significant amount of time. Most local cell phone repair shops can replace your phone battery the same day you bring it in, or they can even replace the battery within the hour. So getting your phone battery replaced is both cheaper and faster than buying a new phone!

3.Security

Most cell phone repair shops offer some kind of warranty on their work as well. This means that if they replace your battery and it fails only weeks or months later, you’ll be covered. No time or money wasted!

4.Safety

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Hey, I can replace my battery myself and save even more money!” Although you might be a smartphone expert and capable of replacing the battery on your own, we highly recommend taking it to a professional. It’s the safest, easiest, and most reliable way to replace your phone’s battery. Here are a few things that could go wrong with DIY phone battery replacement:

  • There’s a strong possibility that you will break your phone. Opening your phone requires specific tools and specific skills like knowing how much pressure to use when opening up the phone.
  • You will have to purchase expensive tools and know how to use them. Most modern smartphones have embedded batteries, which means replacing them isn’t as simple as opening your phone and pulling out the battery. Removing the battery can entail heating, prying, and removing screws so you can access the internal components of the phone, all of which are time consuming and difficult tasks.
  • An exposed battery can release dangerous chemicals into the air if it’s broken or ruptured, meaning it could also start to swell and explode.

Your smartphone will be in good hands with the help of a local cell phone repair shop technician.

Perhaps the largest benefit of having your phone battery replaced by a professional repair shop is the comforting knowledge that it will be replaced with a battery of the highest quality, and it will be installed efficiently and correctly. So count on us for all of your smartphone or iPhone battery repair and replacement needs!

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Avoid Scammer

Buying a Used Smartphone: How to Spot a Scammer

“Gently Used,” “Pre-Owned,” and “Second-Hand” are all terms that people are typically wary of when purchasing a smartphone. But it’s not the “used” aspect of the phones that should make buyers cautious—it’s the potential scams they might face in the buying process.

Quick reminder: Cellular Magician has smartphone buy/sell services you can trust. We offer reasonable prices, detailed phone descriptions, and exceptional customer service.

Scammers and frauds are everywhere in the technology world, so in this blog, we list a few red flags to be on the lookout for when buying a pre-owned phone.

Strangely Low Prices

In your search for an affordable used smartphone, you stumble upon an iPhone 11 for $50. Sound too good to be true? Then it probably is! If there is no explanation as to why the phone is listed at such a low price, it probably means the seller is being intentionally ambiguous to hide issues with the phone. That doesn’t mean you’ll never find a pre-owned phone at an affordable price, though. Safe, reputable device sales happen all the time. You just have to find the right seller!

No Customer Reviews

If the seller or the shop has little to no reviews on their website or other review sites, they are likely a fake shop or unfair seller. Before purchasing a phone from them, do some research to see if you can find any customer feedback or customer reviews. Google, Facebook, and Yelp might be a good place to start. If you can’t find any customer feedback or if the feedback you do find is extremely negative, don’t proceed with your phone purchase. The seller or the business probably doesn’t actually exist and is just attempting to scam you.

No Photos of the Device

Another red flag is a used phone listing without photos of the device or a listing that uses stock photos instead of photos of the actual phone they are selling. The seller likely 1) doesn’t have the phone they claim to be selling or 2) is attempting to hide exterior issues with the phone (cracked screen, water damage, faulty charging port, etc.).

Cleverly Worded Descriptions

Cleverly worded descriptions are a huge sign that the seller is a scammer, especially if they are also unwilling to meet you in person. Tricky descriptions could include phrasing like “iPhone 8 Box & Instructions,” which sounds like you will receive the iPhone itself, the box, and the phone’s instructions. A scammer, however, uses phrasing like this to make you believe you are getting a phone when you are only getting a box and instructions.

Refusal to Meet In Person

When you meet the seller in person, you have the opportunity to make sure the phone is not fake, locked, or severely damaged. If the seller refuses to meet in person or suggests an unsafe place to meet, they are likely a scammer. That’s why we suggest purchasing a pre-owned phone from a reputable, trustworthy cell phone repair shop.

Did you know? Cellular Magician doesn’t just offer computer repair and cell phone repair. We also offer a variety of device sales. Stop by our store and let us know what kind of pre-owned phone you’re looking for. We’re happy to help!

Have a broken Phone you need fixed? Get an instant repair quote HERE!

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Sneak Peek: The Latest Apple iPhone Release

It’s official! The iPhone 12 is here, and it has some incredible features for both Apple lovers and Apple newbies alike. Launched on October 23, the iPhone 12 has a family of four models: the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Mini, the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. In this blog, we’ll cover the need-to-knows of each model. By the end of the blog, you’ll want to get your hands on one of these—trust us!

(Quick reminder before we get started: Our technicians are continuously trained on new Apple models as they are released. So if you ever experience any issues with your iPhone 12 or any other iPhone model, we’ve got you covered with our Apple iPhone repair experts!)

The iPhone 12

The iPhone 12 is a huge technological success, boasting a new design, exceptional dual-lens cameras, 5G connectivity, and a solid battery life. As far as iPhones go, it is the future! Its exciting new features include:

Design – Unlike the rounded edges of previous iPhones, the iPhone 12’s edges are flat, making it more comfortable to grip and hold. Perhaps the most exciting design aspect of the iPhone 12, however, is its color options—black, white, deep blue, light green, and red.

Display – The iPhone 12’s Super Retina XDR display makes colors intense and lifelike, transforming the viewing experience into something truly incomparable.

And more!

The iPhone 12 Mini

The iPhone 12 Mini is almost identical to the iPhone 12, holding all of the same features in a smaller, sleeker package. The iPhone 12 features a 6.1 inch display, while the Mini features a 5.4 inch display, making it the smallest iPhone since the iPhone SE. Its compact size is perfect for those who have been looking for a phone they can use one-handed. A couple of other features of the iPhone 12 Mini include:

Water Resistance – Less graceful iPhone users will be happy to discover that the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini can withstand up to six meters of water for up to thirty minutes. This means they can withstand rain, spills, and other common accidents with no problem! No one likes needing iPhone water damage repair, so this feature is a gamechanger.

Drop Protection – The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini have four times stronger drop protection than other iPhone models due to the “ceramic shield” material protecting them. Ceramic shield is known as one of the toughest, most durable smartphone glasses. With a ceramic shield, you will rarely be in need of iPhone screen repair!

The iPhone 12 Pro

Photographer lovers, this one is for you! The iPhone 12 Pro offers advanced triple-camera setups and other photography features such as:

Telephoto Lens – This third telephoto lens is only a feature of the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models. This lens is designed for taking accurate, precise images of distant objects.

Night Mode – Although the Night Mode feature is on the iPhone 11, Night Mode on the iPhone 12 Pro is a part of the ultra-wide camera, standard wide camera, and the front camera. This allows you to take low-light photos that are crisper without having to use the flash.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max

The iPhone 12 Pro Max offers almost all of the same features as the iPhone 12 Pro, except it boasts a larger and better display, battery, and camera system. Other features include:

A Wider Wide Camera – You read that right! The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s wide camera is even more improved with a 47% larger sensor and pixels.

Sensor-Shift Stabilization – Yet another incredible camera feature, sensor-shift stabilization makes your pictures and videos steadier. Say goodbye to blurry photos!

Convinced yet that you want to upgrade to one of these beauties? Whether you’re looking for a new iPhone, looking for iPhone repair help, or just looking to learn more, Cellular Magician is here to help!

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The Scariest Tablet Repair Mistakes

A broken tablet makes it impossible to work, stream, shop, or participate in social media, which quickly becomes inconvenient and frustrating for you. Even more inconvenient, though, is ignoring the problem with your tablet and allowing it to worsen before taking it to a professional.

The good news is—most tablet damage is repairable and affordable, especially if you come to Cellular Magician! You can count on us for cheap iPad repair.

In this blog, we’ll discuss common issues with tablets and ways to prevent these issues from worsening.

Cracked Screen

The most common tablet or iPad repair issue we see is a cracked or shattered screen, typically from dropping the tablet. Time is of the essence with this issue; the longer you wait to have your screen repaired, the more it could crack and break. Eventually, it might even become unresponsive to touch. Fortunately, cracked screens are relatively simple to repair or replace, so as long as you get to a repair shop as soon as it breaks, your tablet will likely recover.

iPad Repair

Broken Camera

Yes—tablet cameras take great photos too! That’s why it’s so frustrating when your tablet’s camera isn’t working. Whether your photos are coming out blurry or the camera is simply failing to start, the most efficient way to get it back up and running is by taking it to a professional tablet or iPad repair shop.

Sometimes turning the power on and off will do the trick, but if that doesn’t work, talking to a tablet repair expert is the most efficient next step.

Broken Home Button

If you own an older version of the iPad, you might run into the problem of a broken home button. If the home button is stuck, missing, or simply not working, it may be time to visit Cellular Magician to get it replaced.

Before stopping by our store, make sure you thoroughly clean on or around the home button in case the problem is just dirt or dust stuck in the button. If the home button still doesn’t work after cleaning it, bring it to us for a quick and affordable replacement! Don’t worry about iPad repair prices. We pride ourselves on our budget-friendly services.

Water Damage

Did you accidentally spill your drink on your tablet? Or drop it in the sink? Water damage is another time-sensitive issue because the longer your tablet soaks in moisture, the more internal and external damage it will face because of that moisture. So don’t hesitate to take it to an iPad repair shop ASAP!

To prevent future water damage, just remember that just because your tablet is water-resistant, that doesn’t mean it is waterproof!

Broken Battery

Old or broken batteries can be detrimental to your device. If your tablet won’t hold a charge or gets extremely hot when you use it, the battery should be replaced before it ruptures. Again, don’t wait to get your battery replaced, not just because of the inconvenience that a broken battery causes, but also because of the potential dangers of the battery leaking chemicals either into your device or outside of it.

iPad Repairll

Thankfully, a broken battery is easy to detect and, in the right technician’s hands, fairly easy to replace.

Luckily for you, Cellular Magician handles each of these common tablet issues and can have your device working like new in no time. So go ahead and google “iPad repair store near me” or “iPad repair near me” to find a professional technician today!

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samsung repair

Students: What to Do When Your Samsung Phone Won’t Charge

School is back in session – and you’re already exhausted. Chances are, your Samsung smartphone or tablet is too. Even if you’ve invested in a Samsung Galaxy S7 Tablet with up to 1 TB of storage, that space fills up quickly with Zoom Meetings, study guides, and PowerPoint slides. And when you’re not running out of storage, you’re dealing with a slowed down processor, maybe even apps that keep quitting on you. And now, with everything else going wrong, your Samsung tablet or smartphone refuses to charge. Full-time student with 5% battery? Not happening. So what do you do when you’ve already poured your life savings into textbooks and getting the smartphone or tablet in the first place? What are your most inexpensive options?

With so many Apple and other brand stores closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be challenging to find a reliable smartphone and tablet repair shop to handle your repairs. However, several tablet repair shops, such as Cellular Magician, are still open and serving their communities as essential businesses. So when you’re looking for “Samsung repair near me,” your local smartphone or tablet repair store will likely have some prime solutions for you.

Screen Replacement

A variety of mistakes can land you in need of a screen repair, or even screen replacement. For this type of repair, you’ll want to find the best local tablet repair shop near you. Once you’ve had the experts fix your screen, consider investing in some screen protection. Smartphone cases and tablet covers won’t cut it; we suggest buying a screen protector as well.

Liquid Damage Repair

When you knock your coffee over on your phone screen, quick action is in order. First, unplug the power cord and pull out any other cords. Sending juice to a wet phone or tablet is the last kind of problem you want on your hands. Lightly dab at the moisture on the phone, making sure none has seeped into any vent holes around the edges of the device. Finally, make sure to rush your device into a Cellular Magician local repair shop so the experts can quickly save the phone or tablet.

Charging Issues

That charging issue we mentioned earlier? It’s a common enough problem that multiple techies and repair shops have offered various solutions for it. But before you jump to conclusions and pay up for a tech telling you, “This isn’t actually broken,” try checking your charging cord. You might also test your wall socket to see if other devices work when plugged in. The charging port may in fact need a good cleaning, though, so head over to Cellular Magician to make sure your phone is handled carefully in the process. And finally, if everything else is running smoothly, your Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Samsung Tablet S5 E may be due for a software update.

Whether you decide to handle your repair on your own or you head to a local repair shop right away, consider stopping by Cellular Magician. We’ve got the expert tech resources to fix whatever Samsung phone issue you may have, but we’re also here to offer you quality customer service. You shouldn’t have to wait forever to get your precious device back, especially in the midst of the school semester! Drop by or give us a call today to start your essential repair.

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Screen Repair

Why You Should Fix Your Smartphone

If you own an iPhone and you’re a human being, chances are you need a screen repair! Either you dropped your phone on the kitchen floor, your kid got a hold of it, or it fell out of your pocket – no matter the amount of “UE”s, Apple iPhones are known for easily cracked screens.

Before you decide that you can live with your cracked iPhone 8 screen, consider these points.

It only gets worse

With one or two cracks in your screen, the problem will spread into a webbing of cracks that will soon hinder or halt the phone’s use altogether. At this point, it might even be more cost-effective to purchase a new phone.

Broken iPhone Screen

You might run into other problems

As the cracks in your screen widen, they allow for water and grit to slip in. At this point, not only will you struggle to read your screen, now you’ll also have to wrestle with water damage and malfunctioning beneath your screen. When you do take your phone into a repair shop, you could rack up quite the bill on a screen repair and a phone water damage repair.

It’ll be harder to sell the phone

While you may not be thinking about trading in your old iPhone 5S for a new iPhone 11 just yet, the overall appearance – and hence, vendibility –  of your phone should be important to you. Unfortunately, the accrued damage may cause the costs of a phone screen repair to outweigh the benefits. At that point, finding a buyer ready to accept your overwhelmingly damaged phone might be too much of a headache.

It looks unprofessional

You might also consider that using an obviously cracked iPhone or Samsung Galaxy actually leaves a negative impression with those around you. You can have the Maserati, the executive job, or even the perfect wardrobe. But a banged-up phone can still do some serious social damage.

Hopefully, you now understand how impactful your cracked screen can be. There are several ways you could protect your screen from further damage if it’s already suffered some bumps and bruises. Or maybe you’ve gone through a screen repair before, and you’re wondering what steps you can take to prevent it happening again. Let’s check out a couple of ways of doing that.

Tips on Safeguarding Your Smartphone

Screen Protector on iPhone

Use a screen protector

While a screen case is great (we’ll discuss that in the next section), investing in a screen protector is another one of the best ways you can safeguard your phone. You can avoid several coffees-worth of iPhone 8s screen repairs by simply purchasing a screen protector with your phone and having an experienced tech install it for you. Or, you can also install it yourself if you’re confident in your skills. (But we highly recommend coming out to Cellular Magician to have one of our guys give your phone the TLC it deserves.)

Invest in a quality screen case

Nothing says “fix my phone” like a cellphone without a case. Would you really purchase a brand new car and not park it safely in your garage? Similarly, a good quality phone screen case guarantees longer device life (and fewer heart attacks when you inevitably drop your phone again).

Make sure your phone repair shop offers a warranty

A long warranty for a repair is a vote of confidence for the repair shop’s expertise. The longer the warranty, the greater chance your phone will stay repaired (and that you won’t wake up with a different problem the next day). Besides what it says about your repair technician’s work, a warranty also means extra security for you, your device, and your wallet. That’s why Cellular Magician offers a guaranteed warranty for your peace of mind.

Expert Phone Repair Tech

Although we certainly hope you never run into this issue, you might be in need of a screen repair already. Do yourself a favor and stop by Cellular Magician for a fast, professional repair that won’t leave you with more damage than you started with. We’ll make sure you and your phone have a repaired, fresh start.

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protecting your smartphone

Keeping Your Phone and Computer Virus Free

Keeping your computer – and even your phone! – virus free has always been a priority for most device owners. [And of course we’re always happy to offer you Cellular Magician’s best mobile antivirus services.] But with the advent of COVID-19, malware protection has taken on a new meaning. As you navigate work and life during quarantine, cover both bases with these expert phone virus protection tips.

Sanitize

Debates have flown back and forth about how long COVID-19 can survive on your phone or computer. But anywhere from a few hours to a few days is a safe bet. Keeping anti-bacterial wipes on hand to clean any case you use is important. For the phone or computer itself, most cell phone manufacturers warn against using any type of liquid or moisture on your devices.
Sanitize phone
However, Apple actually recommends using a clean microfiber cloth dampened with a safe amount of moisture – a combo of 70% isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. Make sure you only dampen your cloth with this dilution; too much on or around portholes and other openings poses serious risk to your device. And as safe or convenient as they may seem, be sure to avoid using either towels or paper towels; such abrasive surfaces can certainly damage your phone or laptop.

Service

Keeping your phone free of technological “disease” also requires special attention and care. First, thought, it’s helpful to understand a few key terms in the industry. Malware broadly defines any harmful software, while viruses are a specific type of malware that duplicates itself on to your smartphone, laptop, or tablet. Let’s look at a few risky moves that make your phone vulnerable. Downloading multiple apps, changing various settings, and visiting unknown websites certainly puts any device at risk. You’ll want to make sure you always download your apps from secure locations, such as the Apple Store for iPhone and MacBook users, or the Google Play Store for Android users. And although Google does allow app downloads from non authorized groups, Android phones have a default setting that disables app downloads from anyone other than the official Google Play store. Make sure you keep this setting turned on!
Update Smartphones
A few other good antivirus habits include backing up your device and regularly updating your OS (operating system). Consistently backing up your computer or phone secures its information against future virus or spyware attacks. Another good rule of thumb is to avoid downloading SMS and email attachments. A linked recipe from Mom might be safe, but many viruses and harmful websites hide out in these attachments. Additionally, consider investing in a higher quality Wifi network at home, and avoid using other unknown (and generally, more public) networks elsewhere. While an afternoon at Starbucks working on a project sounds nice, using such an open network does come with risks. To prevent such dangers, consider having a firewall installed. This system operates on set rules and regulations to let in only the information that you allow. This anti-malware software is a proven way to keep out hackers and viruses.
Customers using public wifi
In the unfortunate case that you do contract a malware virus, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Cellular Magician offers top quality data recovery, so you can lose the faulty device but keep the precious information and data. Call us today with questions about keeping your device protected for the future!
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