A Cautionary Tale …

This week's column is a cautionary tale of problems and mishaps that could easily happen to your smart phone (or tablet), and some advice on prevention. 

Earlier this week one of my neighbors knocked on my door to ask if I might be able to help with her smart phone, an older model iPhone 4. She had no idea how it happened, but when she turned the phone on, she was presented with a screen requiring a four-digit numeric passcode — without the code the phone remained locked and unusable. She arrived at my door after futile visits to both a Verizon store, where the phone had been purchased, and to a local Radio Shack. Both stores provided no help in resolving her dilemma. My only clue as to how this passcode lock might have occurred was that another neighbor had recently updated her iPhone operating system. I recalled that built into the newest iPhone/iPad operating system, iOS 7, is a feature that requires entering a four-digit passcode when it is first set up. The passcode can be disabled, but only after it has been entered for the first time. When asked, the neighbor did not remember entering a passcode of any kind during the install.

The only way to access the phone would be to connect it to a computer running Apple's iTunes software and preform a reset, which would wipe all data from its memory, including photographs, and return it to factory default. By connecting to iTunes you can also backup an iPhone (or iPad), and a backup can later be used to restore the device after a reset. Unfortunately in this case, the iPhone had never been backed up. 

Apple also provides all users free access to its iCloud remote storage, and when an iPhone is first set up, the user creates a unique Apple ID and password (not to be confused with the passcode). iCloud can be accessed from any computer, and photos taken with the iPhone are automatically uploaded to the iCloud. However, as my neighbor did not remember her user ID or password, and none of the possible combinations we tired worked, her photos were not retrievable on iCloud.

While we were sitting at a table on my concrete patio, I proceeded to perform an Internet search for possible answers to this dilemma. The phone was on the table between us. I reached to pick up the phone and it slipped out of my hand, landing glass first on the concrete. I wasn't initially concerned, as I have dropped my iPhone numerous times, even on concrete, and it has always been unscathed. Not this time; the front screen of the phone was covered with a series of hairline cracks. The phone was functioning, still locked, and now it was also in need of cosmetic repair. 

My neighbor finally decided that a visit to the Apple Store Genius Bar was her best option. After spending over an hour with one of the Apple technicians, she came home with her phone reset, the passcode inactivated, and an Apple ID and password for future use. She has also promised that she will backup the phone to iTunes on a regular basis. 

And my advice?

Whatever model of smart phone or tablet you use, make sure you back it up on a regular basis, because you never know what can happen. As soon as you bring it home, connect it to your computer for the first backup. 

Make sure you know your phone's user ID and password, and be sure to keep a copy in a safe location. And if the phone has a passcode (even if it is deactivated), write it down in case you need to use it sometime in the future.

As for preventing accidental breakage, when you buy a case for your mobile device, choose one with a bumper around the edges. The case on my neighbors phone did not have edge bumpers, and offered no protection in a fall. While there is no guarantee that a different case would have prevented the screen from cracking, it certainly would have provided better protection. 

In next week's column look for a review of backup procedures and advice on what can be done if you experience a cracked screen or any other accidental damage to your mobile devices. Visit onmouseclick.blogspot.com for the online version of OnMouseClick

note: while Password and Passcode have similar dictionary definitions, the word passcode is most often used when the code is solely numeric.