Sending your smartphone for repair can be nerve racking, particularly considering that smartphones carry so much personal information. They often have everything we value from private photographs and OTPs to banking apps and identity documents. Knowing this, it is simply common sense that before giving your device to a technician, you should adequately protect your privacy. Here are seven vital steps to ensure your data remains private and avoid misuse.

1. Back Up Your Data
First and foremost, make sure you back up everything that is important to you. All photos, videos, contacts, chats, and documents should be backed up somewhere such as on the cloud, Google Drive, or iCloud, or some other hard drive or laptop. In the event your phone needs a complete reset or parts replaced, you at least have secured your data and files.

2. Sign out of all Accounts
It is a good idea to sign out of all major and minor accounts, apps, and options before turning over your phone for repair. Please make sure that you sign out of important accounts and apps such as: Gmail, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, any banking Apps, and any UPI apps. You should also ensure that you remove saved passwords and clear history within browsers if possible, and it is always best practice to disable biometric login, i.e. fingerprint or face unlock etc.

3. Enable Guest Mode or a Second Space
Android devices have the option to use Guest Mode or create a Second Space, which is like a separate user profile on the same device. The profile won’t have any of your apps or personal data. Instead, it will offer limited access and ensures that the technician is viewing a basic experience of your phone.

4. Remove SIM and Memory Cards
Always remove your SIM card and your microSD card before handing your phone to a repairperson for service. These cards can contain your contacts, SMS, private files, and other sensitive content, so keep them in a safe place for when you get your phone back.

5. Encrypt Your Data (optional; but recommended)
If your phone has this capability, go to security settings to enable data encryption on your phone. Temporary or intermediary access to your phone information is no match for a password-protected encrypted file. Even if someone connects that device to another device and factory resets the phone, they’ll have a hard time accessing your information without your password.

6. Factory Reset (if applicable)
If the problem with your phone is in the hardware (like a screen or battery issue), and doesn’t require the technician to access your apps or files, you can consider performing a factory reset on your phone. Before doing so, however, you should backup your phone sensitive files. A factory reset will erase everything on the device, which guarantees that your personal information is being kept private.

7. Obtain a Job Sheet or Go to Authorised Centre
If you are going to get your phone repaired by a repair centre, always make sure you get a job sheet at that repair centre, especially if it is a local repair shop. The job sheet should include your phone model, issue, technician’s details. If at all possible, use an authorised service centre to minimise the chances of your data being misused or stolen.

Also Read: Mango Season Never Ends: Preserve The King Of Fruits For 12 Months

If you can follow these tips and guidelines, that will help you protect your data as well as put your mind at ease while your phone is being repaired. Just think of it this way, keeping your data safe is just as important and fixing your device, and equally important.

Share

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•