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    Drop, crack, d’oh! My broken Android phone epiphany

    Man, I had one hell of a streak.All these years — roughly 7,967 since I first began utilizing and writing about Android — and in some way, quite miraculously, I’d by no means outright damaged a cellphone.Impressive, I do know. But do not let your self get wrapped in awe but, my fellow drop-dreading denizen: My streak of impeccable Android cellphone safety has formally come to a crashing halt.Now, I didn’t technically drop my cellphone, thoughts you. And I didn’t technically break it myself, both. But it was positively damaged. And it occurred on my watch.While the expertise is not one I’d suggest to anybody, it offered a robust reminder that even probably the most obsessively cautious Android-appreciating animals amongst us are certain to slide up and run into an unlucky state of affairs like this in the end. (For some Android cellphone house owners — hello, honey! — these kinds of butter-fingered mishaps appear to occur with nearly surprising frequency.)And greater than something, it compelled me to suppose via some sensible steps we should always all be mindful to maintain our data secure each time our treasured Android companions crash and tumble. My damaged Android cellphone backstoryFirst issues first, it is price mentioning that these steps are principally related in an occasion when your cellphone both will not energy on or cannot be utilized in any regular manner — however continues to be technically operating.That’s precisely what occurred to me. Long story quick, a 45-pound dumbbell rolled off the (allegedly) flat bench the place I had it resting throughout a exercise and rolled proper onto my poor Pixel 6. Seriously — what are the chances?! Amazingly sufficient, the cellphone didn’t shatter. You needed to look actually intently to even discover any outward indicators of harm, the truth is. But, as I shortly found, the display screen would not activate — in any respect. And apart from permitting my pretty stream of obscure 80s energy ballads to proceed entertaining my ear holes, that meant the cellphone was principally ineffective.Luckily, I had nonetheless insurance coverage energetic from my unique Google Store buy, and I used to be in a position to get a alternative gadget inside a few days. But that additionally meant I needed to ship the damaged previous cellphone again as a part of the method.And that, in flip, meant all of my private and work-related data might have ended up in another person’s arms — since I had no technique to get into the cellphone and carry out a typical manufacturing unit reset.So here is what I did — and what I’d strongly recommend doing your self, if/when you end up in an identical state of affairs. It’s a three-step course of that’ll shield your knowledge and your sanity when your cellphone is inconceivable to work together with: Step 1: Force a manufacturing unit resetLittle-known truth: Even when you possibly can’t swipe and faucet your manner via your cellphone’s on-screen menus, you possibly can nonetheless reset the factor and take away all your accounts and knowledge. It’s simply as much as you to comprehend it is potential after which keep in mind learn how to do it.It’s fairly forkin’ simple, although: Just sort discover my cellphone into the Chrome handle bar on any pc the place you are signed into the identical Google account that is linked to your cellphone. That’ll pull up the official Google Find My Device software.From there, it takes only a couple extra clicks to pick the broken gadget, find it, after which use the “Recover” choice to completely erase each final morsel of information from the factor and reset it remotely.Now, in case your cellphone had been utterly useless, this wouldn’t work, after all. But so long as it’s nonetheless powered up and operating — even when you can’t really get into it — this can be a nice technique to get all of your information off of it earlier than placing it in another person’s grubby paws. Step 2: Confirm your Google account disconnectionEven after resetting your cellphone, it is price taking an additional few seconds to move over to the “Your Devices” part of the Google Account web site. That’s the place you possibly can be certain that the cellphone has no lingering connection to any Google account you’d had linked.Just search for the cellphone’s title on that web page, and when you see it, click on it after which click on the “Sign out” choice on the display screen that comes up subsequent.If you had multiple Google account related to the gadget — like, y’know, a private account and a piece one — you should definitely signal into every account individually on that Google Account website and repeat the method.Step 3: Sign your self out of MessagesIf you employ Google’s Android Messages app, this remaining step is each one of the crucial vital and one of many best to miss.Messages, as it’s possible you’ll know, depends on a next-gen messaging customary known as RCS to energy its next-gen “Chat” characteristic. That’s what lets you have up to date messaging options like encryption, typing indicators, and read-message alerts anytime you are chatting with somebody who’s additionally utilizing the service (or utilizing one other RCS-compatible app).That’s typically a very good factor — proper? Of course proper. But the presence of that customary does add one further wrinkle into our broken-Android-phone conundrum: When you cease utilizing one Android gadget and transfer into one other, your Messages account can usually keep linked to the previous gadget — and which means (a) any messages despatched to you through that system will nonetheless arrive on that cellphone, and (b) you may seemingly run into hassle when making an attempt to signal into the Messages “Chat” system on any new gadget.Once extra, the repair right here is straightforward, as long as about it: Just pull up this official Google Messages assist web page within the browser of any cellphone or pc the place you are signed in. Scroll all the way down to the underside, and you will find a type the place you possibly can enter your cellphone quantity to remotely disable and signal out of all linked gadgets.The system will ship you a textual content message to verify the sign-out. So lengthy as your damaged Android cellphone is technically powered on and operating, you must be capable to see it and duplicate the code by opening the common Messages net app in your pc.And with that, your busted previous clunker needs to be utterly away from all connections and delicate information — and you may safely proceed with transport it again to the producer, bringing it right into a restore store, or doing no matter you see match.Now . And now you possibly can transfer on out of your subsequent damaged Android cellphone with none further fear — and focus as an alternative on beginning your subsequent record-setting streak of damage-free delight.Want much more Googley information? 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