Quick takeaways
- Back up important data before repair whenever the device is still usable.
- Do not send banking PINs, account passwords or one-time codes with the device.
- Describe the fault and when it happens instead of only saying the device is 'bad'.
- Package waybilled devices securely and keep the courier tracking information.
Back up what matters first
If the phone or computer still works, make a current backup of important photos, documents, contacts and other information before repair. Some software procedures, storage faults or board-level failures can make data inaccessible.
A backup is especially important before operating-system restoration, flashing, storage work or repairs where the device may need to be reset as part of testing.
