Justin Drake Carroll Apple

7 Common Apple Watch Problems and How to Fix Them

Around 43 million people purchased Apple Watches in 2020. Owning an Apple Watch offers many great perks, including the ability to receive your phone notifications on your wrist. These watches also track your heart rate, play music, and assist with navigation services. 

While owning an Apple Watch is great, these watches experience problems from time to time. 

Here are seven common Apple Watch problems that you might experience, along with tips on fixing these issues.

1. It Keeps Asking for Your Passcode

You shouldn’t have to keep entering your passcode on your Apple Watch, yet some owners find that this annoying problem happens to them.

Their phones keep asking for their passcodes, and no matter what they do, they can’t get it to stop. If this happens to your watch, you can try several things. 

First, make sure you update your phone and watch with the latest software updates. After that, check your phone to ensure that it’s logged in and paired with your watch. You might even want to pair it again.

You can also turn the watch off and then on again to see if this clears the issue. If not, you might need to talk to a shop that fixes watches and offers Apple Watch maintenance. 

2. Your Apple Watch Won’t Unlock

You might also need Apple Watch repair if your watch doesn’t unlock. You can try several methods to unlock it before taking it to a shop. 

Many Apple Watch owners experienced this problem after the iOS 14.7 update. Fortunately, Apple issued the iOS 14.7.1 update to correct it. If you don’t have this update yet, download it to see if it fixes the problem.

You can also try two other methods if your watch doesn’t unlock. First, you can shut off your watch and phone and turn them back on. Secondly, you can unpair them and pair them again. 

3. The Watch Doesn’t Turn on When Your Lift Your Wrist

One common annoyance with the Apple Watch is when it doesn’t turn on when you lift your wrist. Of course, the phone should turn on when you do this, but specific issues can prevent it from turning on. 

When a watch malfunctions like this, you might need to adjust the settings in your phone. The main setting to look at is the Wake Screen setting, located in the General section. 

You might also want to read through Apple’s Support Communities. You can find forums there with posts from users who’ve experienced problems with their watches. You can learn a lot from reading these.

Your phone might also need some electronic maintenance or repairs. If you can’t get it to work, bring it to a shop that offers Apple Watch repairs. 

4. The Screen Comes Loose

Another common problem people experience with their Apple Watches is with the screens. The screen on the watch might come loose or even fall out. If it falls out, you might lose it and need a new one.

If your screen is loose or falls out, you can try pushing it back in place. However, this doesn’t typically fix the problem. 

When the screen falls out, it typically happens from a battery problem. For example, the battery in the watch might swell up, which means it expands. As a result, the screen pops off. 

If you have problems involving the screen coming loose, you’ll need professional help to fix it. You can find a shop that offers repairs for all models. 

5. Your Watch Won’t Pair With Your Phone

Some Apple Watch users face problems when pairing their watches with their phones. You might get yours paired at first, but you might lose it. 

The first solution for this is going through the pairing process again. If you try to pair it again, it might solve the problem. 

Next, you might want to reboot your watch and phone to see if this makes a difference. To do this, press on the digital crown and sidebar simultaneously and hold for 20 seconds. 

When trying to pair the two devices, make sure they’re close enough together. If they’re too far away, you’ll experience difficulties. 

6. It Won’t Turn On

When your Apple Watch no longer turns on, you might have a problem that requires professional help. The Apple Watch battery might need to be replaced, or there might be another issue causing this to happen. 

The battery might be fine in some cases, but the charging unit might not work. If you think you’re charging the watch but aren’t really, the watch might not be charged. As a result, it won’t turn on.

If you troubleshoot this issue, you might find the resolution. However, if your watch still won’t work, you’ll need to take it to a shop for repairs. 

7. The Screen Breaks 

While Apple Watches are highly durable, the screens can still break. A broken screen is not a problem you should attempt to repair yourself. 

To fix a broken screen, you must remove the current one. Next, you must install a new one on the phone. Unfortunately, you’ll need the right tools to do this, and you’ll need to know what you’re doing.

If you make any mistakes while replacing it, you could damage the internal parts of the watch. Additionally, replacing a screen requires buying the right parts. 

If you want an easy solution for a broken screen, find a shop that offers Apple Watch repairs. They’ll give you a quote for replacing the screen, and the watch will be as good as new when they complete the services. 

Get Repairs When You Experience Any Apple Watch Problems 

You might be able to fix some Apple Watch problems you experience, but others might require the help of a professional. You can get the electronic repair you need by contacting us.

We offer numerous locations in Virginia and can fix any problem you have with our low price guarantee. Use the contact feature on our website to get in touch with us at Fruit Fixed if you want to learn more about our services.

Justin Drake Carroll Apple, Broken Screen, iPhone

How Much Does iPhone Screen Repair Cost on Average?

In the modern world, we’re more connected than we ever have been before. It’s easy to rest some of that responsibility at the feet of a company like Apple. According to the tech giant, over one billion people around the world would consider themselves active iPhone owners.

There’s a very good chance, considering the size of that number, that you are one among that bunch. However, just because iPhones are popular doesn’t mean they are perfect. The devices are somewhat fragile and it’s easy to drop your phone and break that sleek screen anytime.

How much is iPhone screen repair cost when this sort of thing occurs? It’s something that will no doubt be on your mind the second your phone hits the ground. What do you need to budget and what do you need to be concerned about? Read on and we’ll walk you through the details.

Warranty and Apple Care

It’s no fun to be put into a situation where you need iPhone cracked screen repair. A big crack across the screen can ruin the visual appeal of your phone and possibly render it unusable. If you find yourself in this kind of situation, you’ll no doubt want a quick solution. 

What are your options? The most affordable option at this juncture would have required you to pay some money upfront to protect your phone at the point of purchase.

If your phone is new enough to be under warranty, or if you paid for the special Apple Care coverage, you might be able to get your screen fixed by Apple free of charge. 

However, most iPhone users don’t invest in the Apple Care program due to the high cost. Many prefer to risk it and hope that tragedy doesn’t occur. You’re left thinking of how best to budget your needs when it comes to your phone.

Average iPhone Screen Repair Cost

So, you’re out on your own and you’re going to have to finance the cost of repairing your phone all on your own. What should you expect to spend? Having an expectation of cost can help to budget properly and set the needed funds aside.

The average cost of an iPhone or iPad screen replacement will vary depending on a number of factors, however. There isn’t one catch-all price that will be the same for every make and model. The age and design of your phone will play a big role in how much you might have to pay for a repair.

The newer a phone is, the more expensive the cost of repair is going to be. There could be hundreds of dollars of difference between an iPhone 6 and an iPhone 12, for example. It’s important to take into account what model iPhone you have when planning your budget for repairs.

The extent of damage to your phone might also contribute to the overall asking price. While most cases will likely require a complete screen replacement, in some instances a cheaper form of repair might be able to take place.

Overall, the average cost for an iPhone screen repair hovers somewhere between $150-$400 depending on the specific factors involved. It’s important to look into the details and see how much you want to spend to get your phone back up and running.

In some instances, it might make more sense to invest in a new phone as opposed to fixing the old one, but in many cases, a repair will be the path you should take.

You should be able to reach out and get an estimate for the work that needs to be done prior to paying for your phone repair. This way, you won’t be surprised when the bill comes and it ends up being much higher than you initially expected.

Protecting Your iPhone

Once you get your screen fixed, you won’t want to be put back in the same situation once again. For this reason, you’ll want to take some extra steps to ensure that your iPhone is safe and sound.

Even if the iPhone is made of durable glass, it doesn’t mean that incident can’t still occur. 

The best way to protect your phone is to invest in some sort of case or screen protector. There are many available and all of these can help to cushion the blow when your iPhone inevitably goes tumbling out of your hands.

The more durable a case, the more your phone is going to be able to handle a tricky fall. There are also cases and devices that help you to better grip your phone and make it less likely for you to drop it. 

These are good sources of investment as they can lower the chance of you dropping your own phone.

A glass screen protector is also worth investing in. This is a layer of glass that goes over the original glass of the screen. Should a fall occur, this new layer should take most of the shock and damage as opposed to the screen itself.

If you’re prone to being a bit clumsy, you might actually want to consider investing in insurance or Apple Care to protect your phone in the odds that something goes wrong with it.

 iPhone Screen Repair + Near Me

If you’ve dropped your phone, you’re likely interested in learning more about some much-needed repair. However, how much does iPhone screen repair cost? The above information breaks down what you need to know about affording such a fix and how to avoid such a situation in the future.

Need immediate assistance with your damaged iPhone? Give us a call anytime for help. 

Justin Drake Carroll Apple

How to Improve Apple Watch Battery Life in 7 Easy Steps

The Apple Watch is an incredibly popular device. Ever since it was first released back in 2015, the smartwatch has become more and more well-known and well-loved. It’s got to the point that Apple now sells more watches than the Swiss watch industry.

However, if you use your Apple Watch a lot, you might have noticed the battery draining pretty fast. You need your watch to last you all day, so how can you boost your Apple Watch battery life? 

In this guide, we’re going to take a look at what you should and shouldn’t do if you want to make your smartwatch’s battery life last you all day, every day. Put these tips into use, and you’ll be able to enjoy your watch without ever having to second guess the battery again.

Are you ready to learn more? Then read on!

1. Limit Your Cellular Use

Ever since the Apple Watch Series 3, cellular data has been available on the Apple Watch. While this is a massive boon for many users, overusing this feature can quickly drain the battery life.

The same logic applies to this as to your smartphone battery. Using 4G, 5G, or even 3G will drain your battery faster than using wifi. It’s a lot more efficient to connect your watch to your iPhone via Bluetooth or wifi.

If you notice that your battery is draining abnormally fast, you should consider whether you’re making the Apple Watch use cellular technology to communicate with the phone. If you are, then you should try to avoid this if at all possible.

2. Stick to a Minimalist Face for Longer Battery Life

The ability to change your Apple Watch’s face is one of the coolest features that the device has to offer. You can decide exactly what you want the watch to look like, and tweak it daily to suit your mood if you like.

The only issue with this is that some faces use more battery life than others, just as some smartphone wallpapers use more battery life. 

If you’re not going to be near a charger for a while and want to preserve the battery life, you should switch to a minimalist face that uses fewer colors and animated elements. While the animated watch faces look great, they can chug your battery like there’s no tomorrow.

3. Turn Off the Wrist Raise Function

The Apple Watch comes with a feature that can turn the watch on when you raise your wrist. While this works great in theory (after all, who doesn’t raise their wrist to look at their watch), in practice it can lead to a much more pronounced drain on your battery.

Think about all the times that you raise your wrist and it’s not to look at your watch: driving, drinking tea or coffee, eating, gesturing. All of these can lead to a drained battery and, ultimately, a battery replacement.

To turn this feature off, grab your iPhone and go to the Watch app. From here, follow these instructions:

  • Open the “my watch” tab
  • Go to general
  • Go to “wake screen”
  • Turn it off with the slider

When you’ve turned this setting off, you’ll need to tap your watch to view the face.

4. Update watchOS

While it’s not a definitive answer to battery drain issues, sometimes updating watchOS can solve your problems. There’s always the possibility that a new update has stymied battery life.

If this is the case, then Apple almost certainly knows about the issue and will release an update in no short order to solve it. If you’ve recently noticed that your battery is draining faster than it used to, you should check for a watchOS update.

If there is one, install it, and see if that solves your problem.

5. Remove Unused Apps

We’re willing to bet that you don’t regularly use every app that’s on your Apple Watch. If that’s the case, then removing them should be one of your top priorities. Most apps will still run in the background and communicate with your iPhone, which can lead to a draining battery.

Think about the apps that you actually use on your watch. Which ones could you do without?

Then uninstall the ones that you rarely use. You can always put them back on if you change your mind, so why not give it a try?

6. Disable Siri on Your Watch

The “Hey Siri” feature on the Apple Watch can be pretty handy, but if you’ve got your iPhone with you, it’s not something that you can’t live without. Having this feature enabled will mean that your watch is listening to hear those magic words and spring into action.

Turning the feature off will mean that your watch is a little less active when you’re not using it. To turn this feature off, get your iPhone and follow these instructions:

  • Go to the Watch app
  • Open the Siri section
  • Turn off “listen for ‘hey Siri'”

7. Turn Off Haptic Alerts

Haptic alerts use a whole lot of your Apple Watch’s battery. Vibrations use a lot of battery due to the relative size and weight of the device versus the motor, so turning these off can really help.

To do this, you’ll need to grab your iPhone again and follow these steps:

  • Go to the Watch app
  • Open the “my watch” tab
  • Go to “sounds and haptics”
  • Turn off haptic alerts

Use These Tips to Improve Your Apple Watch Battery Life

If your Apple Watch battery life isn’t what it once was, these tips can help you get it back into peak condition. If you’ve tried these tips and your battery is still draining fast, you should consider having one of our expert staff take a look at your watch battery to see whether it needs to be replaced.

We have several locations and will be happy to see you at any of them. If you have any questions for us, please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling 804-698-0004.

Justin Drake Carroll Apple

Do You Need an Apple Watch Battery Replacement? 5 Signs to Look For

If you’re a fan of Apple products, then you may or may not know that it was founded on April 1st, 1976. The 3 founders were Steven Gary Wozniak, Ronald Gerald Wayne, and Steven Paul Jobs. As an Apple enthusiast, then you expect your Apple Watch to be in tip-top shape for all of your watch needs. You might wonder when it’s time for an Apple Watch battery replacement. 

This article will answer this question plus signs to look out for. Read on to explore more about the Apple Watch and know when it’s time for a replacement. 

1. Check Your Battery’s Health

Did you know that during the first 30 years, Apple was known as Apple Computer, Inc.? In order to check your battery’s health, first head to the Battery Health Page. You can get here from System, Battery, and then Battery Health. Make sure that the maximum capacity is greater than 80%. 

Check to ensure that the optimized battery charging is enabled as well. If you notice that the maximum is under 80%, or there’s a message under the peak performance capability, then you’ll want it looked at by an Apple Watch repairs professional. 

2. Exploring the Activities Draining Your Apple Watch Batteries

When you head to your battery level, you’ll see activity underneath. It’ll tell you what’s consuming your battery the most. It’ll show you what apps are running as well. 

You can also check to see how long apps are running. It’ll also show you the background time. To get to this, head to activity/show battery usage. 

3. Your Watch Has Stopped

When your watch has stopped, the number one reason is that the battery is dead. Most watches will have a battery that lasts for only a couple of years. 

Certain factors will determine the longevity of your battery such as how often you expose it to temperatures and the size of it. Also, how often you use extra functions. 

4. Moisture in the Case

While moisture in the case doesn’t necessarily mean a dead battery, there’s a good chance it’s going to lead to one. Since watches are mechanical, moisture getting in can destroy the different components. 

Even a small amount of moisture can enter and destroy the internal mechanisms of the watch. When you’re out and notice moisture, keep the back of your watch warm. This will move the moisture away from the moving parts of your watch. 

5. It’s Difficult To Adjust the Time

If you notice that your Apple Watch Series 1 isn’t setting the correct date and time adjustments, there might be a problem with the battery. Pay attention to the crown being loose or stiff. 

The crown is the tiny dial that connects to a stem inside the watch allowing movement. When your watch doesn’t have battery life left, it won’t be able to keep or adjust the time. 

How To Extend the Battery Life

In order to increase your battery’s life, you’ll first want to adjust the screen’s brightness. This is one of the top causes of battery drainage. 

Similar to iPhones, you’ll have 3 types of brightness, low, medium, and high. You can also open the brightness and text size as well. 

Remove Notifications

Remove any notifications that aren’t necessary. Head into your notifications menu and disable all notifications that you don’t use. 

Disable Wrist Detection

This is when your watch senses every movement you make when you stop to look at it. It’ll automatically pull up at the time when you flick your wrist. This will help since it’ll decrease the number of times that you’re turning on your watch. 

Restart Your Watch

If you notice that the battery is draining fast on your Apple Watch, then try restarting it. In order to restart it, you’ll press and hold the side button along with the digital crown. When the Apple logo appears, you can let go. 

Pair

Try pairing your device again. While it might take time, it might help you avoid having to do a full reset. 

In order to pair it, make sure that you back up your old iPhone. When you do this, it also backs up your Apple Watch data. 

If it’s a new iPhone, make sure that you restore your iTunes or iCloud backup. First, bring your Apple Watch to your iPhone.

Once you see the prompt, click continue. Choose the restore option from backup. Follow the instructions that it tells you to. 

You can also manually pair it as well. Click the icon button on your Apple Watch. 

When the name pops up, tap on it. Enter the 6-digit code that appears on your watch. 

From here, you can choose whether you’re starting it completely new, or restoring a backup. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish pairing your device. 

Delete Apps

Any unused apps you’ll want to go ahead and delete. Keep in mind that when you first set up your Apple Watch, you might have included all of the apps that it automatically came with. 

If an app is having problems, it can also impact the quality and performance of the battery. In order to delete apps, open up the watch app and head to where you see all of the installed apps. From here, you can decide what you want to disable or remove. 

Exploring the Signs That You Need an Apple Watch Battery Replacement

Now that you’ve explored this guide on the signs that you need an Apple Watch battery replacement, you should have a better idea of what to expect. Are you worried that your Apple Watch isn’t performing the best that it can? Are you nervous that the battery might be experiencing problems? 

We can help! Contact us today.

We specialize in Apple Watch repairs. Find your nearest store today, and make sure that your Apple Watch is in tip-top shape.

Justin Drake Carroll Apple

Send These Secret Codewords to Create Cool iMessage Effects

A whopping 200,000 iMessages are sent every second. So, it may seem hard to make yours stand out from the fray.  Luckily, some secret iMessage effects can spruce up even the simplest of texts. These little tricks can make someone laugh or smile — and they will certainly make your message memorable. 

For iMessage Effects, Type the Right Phrase

To trigger an exciting iMessage effect, you have to know which phrases to type. Your iPhone is called a smartphone for a reason. It’s smart enough to recognize when you’re saying something exciting or congratulatory, and it’ll send the screen effects all on its own. 

You can probably guess what a few of these might be. But some surprising keywords will trigger a light show – think along the lines of “pew pew.”  

1. Happy Birthday

Here’s one of the more obvious ones. If you type and send the words “Happy Birthday,” your iMessage screen will celebrate accordingly. 

Once you press send on a “Happy Birthday” text, balloons will fly up from the bottom of the screen all the way to the top. In other words, your iPhone knows that it’s party time.

2. Congratulations

Similarly, your phone knows what to do when congratulations are in order. 

If you send the word “Congratulations” or even “Congrats,” your phone will blast some confetti – on screen, of course – when the recipient reads their message. 

3. Happy New Year

Here’s another phrase that makes us all think of celebrating. If you’re iMessaging your loved ones at midnight to say “Happy New Year,” then expect a display on your phone screen. 

You can probably guess what the screen effect will be here: these three words trigger a fireworks show in your iMessage. 

4. Happy Chinese New Year!

iPhones don’t just celebrate the holidays of the Western world. If you text someone to say “Happy Chinese New Year!,” your phone will give you another light show. But this time, the fireworks show has a red-and-gold motif to match the celebration’s colors. 

Just make sure you include the exclamation point, as the complete phrase is what triggers the iMessage effect.

5. Selamat

On that note, your iPhone recognizes an Indonesian word, as well. Selamat is part of the phrase said when people break their Ramadan fast — certainly a cause for celebration. 

If you text someone the word “Selamat,” they will get the same confetti shower that comes with the word “Congratulations.” 

6. Pew Pew

Not all secret screen effects have to do with holidays, though. You may just want to make someone laugh with an iMessage display. 

Well, that’s where this iMessage trick comes in. If you type “pew pew” on your iPhone and press send, your screen will see some colorful lasers darting across it.

This trick’s a great one for impressing your friends – send “pew pew” to the group chat and see who is impressed by your cool iMessage trick. 

Pick Your Own iMessage Screen Effects

If none of the above fits what you’re trying to say, you’re in luck. You can still send iMessage with effects, you just have to know where to find them. 

You’ll start by typing your message in the text box as you normally would. When you finish, don’t tap the arrow as you normally would. Press it and hold it. 

When you do, you’ll be sent to another screen, one full of text effects. At the top, you’ll see two options: bubble and screen. 

Bubble Effects

The first set, the bubble effects, will change the way your text bubble looks it arrives in the recipient’s inbox. Your options are: 

  • Slam, which makes your text into a giant bubble that drops dramatically into place and creates a dust cloud before returning to its traditional size
  • Loud, which also makes your text bubble larger and shakes it so that the reader really pays attention to it
  • Gentle, which maintains the same bubble size, but makes your text slightly smaller
  • Invisible ink, which turns your text into a bubble full of floating particles until the recipient taps it to reveal the message inside

You can get great use out of these text effects, but they’re not the only ones you can have up your sleeve. 

Screen Effects

You can also swipe over to the Screen Effects tab to find some more options. As you can probably guess, these fill the screen, rather than simply changing up the text bubble itself. 

These are your choices under the screen effects tab: 

  • Echo, which fills the screen with a flurry of text bubbles to make sure the reader really sees your message
  • Spotlight, which turns the screen black, then places an orb of bright white light over your text
  • Balloons, the same ones that float up when you send the words “Happy Birthday”
  • Confetti, the colorful shower that you see if you text someone and say “Congratulations”
  • Love, during which a giant, red, heart-shaped balloon inflates and floats away from behind your text
  • Lasers, which creates a light show from behind your text bubble, just as the words “pew pew” do
  • Fireworks, which turns the screen black and sets off a virtual fireworks show, just like sending “Happy New Year” does
  • Celebration, another fireworks show, but with golden fireworks — the same you see if you send “Happy Chinese New Year!”

Once you select your effect, all you have to do is press the arrow next to it to send your message. 

Send Messages With Flair

Now that you know these iMessage effects — some more secret than others — it’s time to send some messages with flair. 

You can’t do that if your iPhone is broken, though. Click here to learn more about our repair services, then call us to see how we can help restore your device and get you back to texting ASAP. 

Justin Drake Carroll Apple, iPhone

7 iPhone Maintenance Tips to Implement

Want to know how to keep your trusty iPhone by your side ’til the end of time?

Well, you don’t have to be a certified Apple Genius to learn how to do maintenance on an iPhone. As long as you follow basic tips to keep your phone in great shape, you can prolong its life and keep its performance high. Your iPhone won’t last forever, but it can definitely last longer than you’d expect it to.

Keep reading for some key iPhone maintenance tips you can put to use today!

1. Charge Your Phone!

Are you the kind of person who gets distracted and lets your phone die before recharging?

Well, now might be the time to change that habit. Keeping your phone within the middle range of charging levels will help keep your battery as healthy as possible.

2. Close What You’re Not Using

Your iPhone likely has multiple applications and browser pages open in the background whenever you use it. So every so often, do your phone a favor and exit all the apps you won’t need to use for a while.

And close any Safari tabs you don’t need to use anymore. It might not seem like a big deal to have these “dormant” pages open, but it can affect your phone’s performance. Once you close those extra applications and tabs, you might notice your phone running better than before.

3. Delete What You’re Really Not Using

If you don’t think you’ll need to use an app ever again (or for the foreseeable future), go ahead and take it off your phone. This might feel scary, but it’s not a big deal. Once you’ve bought or downloaded an app, you can always re-download it even after deleting it from your phone.

There’s even an iPhone setting that will do this for you. If you go to “Settings” on your phone, you can find an option that will offload apps you haven’t used in a while. You’ll still see them on your screen, just offloaded—so don’t worry, you won’t forget about them completely if you don’t want to.

4. Try Not to Strain Your Phone’s Storage

Every iPhone comes with a certain storage limit, but this doesn’t mean you should use up all that capacity when you get a chance.

When you get to the limits of your storage capacity, you might start to notice problems with your phone’s performance. This goes beyond the app cleaning of the previous step. If you’re like most people, the main things taking up space on your phone will be photos, videos, audio content (like podcasts), and messages.

So if you want to get a head start on managing your storage, you can practice downloading the important things on a computer or hard drive every so often. You can also upload them to an online storage service or cloud, like Apple’s iCloud.

Once you’ve got your photos and other items backed up, you can delete them from your phone. Doing this regularly will ensure that you’re not making your phone strain to keep all your media.

5. Get a Case

This is more of a physical way to protect your phone.

A simple case can help prevent damage from falls and other accidents. If you want another layer of protection, you might be interested in a waterproof or shockproof case. These are usually clunkier, though, so there’s a bit of an aesthetic trade-off.

For the screen itself, you can get a screen protector. This will protect your phone from scratches and breakage. And if the screen protector gets damaged over time, you can just replace it (rather than going for expensive screen repairs).

6. Temperature and iPhone Maintenance

Have you ever noticed your phone struggling in hot or cold weather? That’s not your imagination.

iPhones, like most pieces of technology, are designed to operate at a certain optimal temperature. If you subject your phone to very hot or cold conditions, you could be messing with its proper functioning.

The good news is that you can make a big difference just by making simple decisions. No one’s saying you need to keep your phone in a temperature-controlled glass case all day. But what will help is keeping it in the shade rather than in the path of direct sunlight.

And when it’s super cold out, you might want to cut down on the outdoor texting and scrolling if you can. Your iPhone will likely be happier in your warm pocket until you get to an indoor spot with heating.

Another tip for cold weather is to warm up your iPhone before trying to charge it. If you plug it in while it’s cold, you might end up doing damage to the phone’s battery.

7. Do Your Regular Updates

What’s the point of iOS updates?

The flashiest thing about them is their new features. From cool emojis to new settings, iOS updates give iPhone users new things to play with every time a new update comes out.

This might lead you to think you can just opt out if you don’t want those new features. Maybe you’re afraid of change! That’s alright, but you should know that iOS updates are about more than just the fun parts.

The team at Apple is constantly searching for bugs in the operating system. If they find anything, they’ll correct it in the next iOS update. So if you want to keep your phone in tip-top shape, do your updates when they roll out!

The nice thing about iOS updates is that they keep any iPhone model up to date even if the hardware is older. So whether you’re doing iPhone 6 battery maintenance or working with the new iPhone 12, operating system updates can keep everything running smoothly.

…And If All Else Fails, Call Us!

iPhone maintenance is something you can work on every day as a responsible and savvy user. Remember to back up and delete photos, close unnecessary things running in the background, and do your updates.

But at the end of the day, things happen. If your phone goes haywire or starts slowing down out of nowhere, just give us a call—our number’s (804) 698-0004, or you can call us right from our website.

Our team is ready to help you out! You don’t even need an appointment.

Justin Drake Carroll Apple, iPhone

7 iPhone Warning Sounds to Be Aware Of

Is your iPhone making a weird sound? Are you worried your phone might be broken? Are you just annoyed by all of the loud warning sounds waking you up?

You’re not alone. About one-third of Americans break their phone each year, and a portion of these breakages will cause weird iPhone warning sounds.

Let’s go through iPhone warning sounds so you can identify them when they come up.

1. Government Alerts

Sometimes, you may get a loud, annoying alert that you just can’t turn off. There’s a good reason for these. Your local government may have sent out an alert, to notify you of something urgent. This can be an Amber Alert, a weather event, pandemic-related, or another emergency activity.

These alerts may be irritating, but they’re important to keep us safe. However, you can turn them off, should you feel the need. In the notifications settings in your phone, go to Government Alerts and switch them off. 

2. Emphasis Notifications

Sometimes, Apple adds new sounds to its phone repertoire. That may startle you when you’re not used to these sounds. For example, with the iOS 13 update, Apple added new sounds for Tapback notifications (so, when some reacts to one of your iMessages).

Unfortunately, these notifications can’t be turned off just yet, but hopefully Apple will add that functionality in the near future. 

3. Random Chirping Noises

It happens, sometimes your phone will get buggy. Some users have experienced random noises erupting from your phone, for no discernable reasons. To stop the noise, try clearing your browser history and cache in the Safari application.

If that doesn’t work, try updating your iPhone to the newest iOS. You might simply be getting feedback from an outdated application. 

4. No Sounds

Are you simply getting no sounds at all from your iPhone? This is a common bug, and there are a few ways to correct it easily. First, try restarting your phone. You can also try turning your ringer sounds all the way on and all the way off again a few times, which can help reset the issue.

Reset all of the settings on your phone to make sure you haven’t accidentally turned all of the sound on your phone.

Next, make sure that the Do Not Disturb function a few times. Disable Bluetooth, which can cause interference with other aspects of your phone’s performance. Make sure that there’s not a third-party application interfering with the sound on your phone.

You can restore a backup version of your iPhone information, just in case there is a software issue with your cell phone.

Double-check and make sure that there’s no garbage or other debris stuck in any of the connectors in your cell phone. If none of these things work, try plugging your headphones into your phone; you may be having an issue with your phone’s speaker.

Unfortunately, if you’ve damaged your phone’s speaker (for example, with water damage), you may need a replacement. There are many places to get replacement iPhones for a low cost.

5. Phone Sound Interference

Sometimes, you might just be getting interference when you’re making phone calls. This is actually a pretty common problem, that happens to a lot of people. The phone Noise Cancellation feature on your iPhone can cause interference which makes it hard for you to hear people on the other side of your phone calls.

This is a pretty simple problem to resolve – just turn this feature off! Go to the settings section in your phone, and click the Accessibility section. Once there, scroll down to Phone Noise Cancellation and turn it off. Voila!

6. Static Noise Coming From Your iPhone

On occasion, software issues can cause static noises to come out of your phone. In order to solve this problem, you’ll have to restore your iPhone. You can get a phone repair technician to do this for you, or you can try it out for yourself. 

First, make sure you create a backup of everything on your phone. This is very important, since the restore process will wipe all of the information out of your phone. Connect your iPhone to a computer with iTunes installed. You can then try out a soft restore, a hard restore, or a DFU restore. 

If you suspect your phone may be physically damaged, especially if you think it may have water damage, do not attempt a DFU restore. This can cause your phone to fail entirely, and make it impossible for your phone to start again. Instead, stick with a soft restore and contact a phone repair company if the problem persists.

If none of these restores solve your problem, the static is likely the result of a hardware problem rather than a software problem.

7. None of the Above

Are you getting weird noises on your phone that don’t fall into the categories on this list? You might be getting notifications for an app you don’t regularly use, and you might have turned off the banner notifications but not the sound. Go through your notification settings, and keep your eye out for anything that looks unusual. 

These iPhone Warning Sounds Are Just the Beginning

Now that you know about iPhone warning sounds, it’s important to be aware of other technical issues surrounding your phone.

Does your phone need to be repaired? Are you looking for a new device? Make sure that you contact us today.

Our low-price guarantee will get you the best deal in town!

Justin Drake Carroll Apple, iPhone

The Ultimate Guide to Apple iPhone Troubleshooting

Apple sold 15 million iPhones in the second quarter of 2020, giving it nearly a 50 percent share of the smartphone market in the U.S.

While many of those buyers were people upgrading from old models or buying their first iPhone, some of them were people who were having trouble with their current phone and bought a new one to “fix” the problem.

That seems like an expensive solution, doesn’t it? Let’s look at some Apple iPhone troubleshooting tips that can help you avoid the cost of a new phone sooner than necessary.

The First Step for Apple iPhone Troubleshooting

An iPhone is ultimately a computer like the one sitting on your desk at home or the office. It looks and operates differently but when you boil it down to the components inside, it’s not as different as it seems.

If you’ve used a computer for any length of time, you likely know that sometimes the best way to fix a problem is to reboot it. That same tip applies to iPhones.

If something isn’t working quite right, sometimes all it takes is a restart to get everything sorted out. The process varies depending on the model of iPhone but every generation has a simple way to restart the phone.

Your iPhone Isn’t Charging

There’s nothing worse than grabbing your phone when you head out the door in the morning and seeing that it didn’t charge overnight, even though you had it plugged in.

If your iPhone isn’t charging, try a different cable. With the cable getting plugged and unplugged so often, they do eventually break down. If a new cable still doesn’t charge the phone, try swapping the power block or USB port it’s plugged into as well, just to be safe.

If you still have trouble after those steps, it could be a problem with either the battery or the charging port on the phone. Fruit Fixed’s iPhone repair service can help with either problem.

Short Battery Life

iPhone batteries wear out over time. The most obvious side-effect of this wear and tear is shorter battery life.

If your phone isn’t lasting as long on a charge as it used to, you can check the battery health in Settings to see how worn down it is. Open the Settings app then tap on Battery > Battery Health.

You’ll see the maximum capacity of the battery, relative to when it was brand new. You’ll also see the current performance capability based on the battery health. Once the capacity drops below a certain point, iOS starts to throttle (slow down) your phone to help extend the battery life.

If your battery is getting a bit long in the tooth, Fruit Fixed can help. We can replace the battery on all models from the iPhone 5 forward so it will hold a charge like the day you took it out of the box.

iPhone Won’t Turn On or Extremely Short Battery Life

There are a couple of unique situations that we should mention related to the first two Apple iPhone troubleshooting steps — charging problems and battery life.

If your iPhone won’t turn on at all or the battery life is extremely short, as in only a couple of minutes before shutting down, it could be a temperature problem. If you use your phone in extremely hot or cold environments, it can temporarily affect the battery.

If that’s the case, take your phone to somewhere with a more normal temperature. Once it adjusts to the new environment, it will likely work fine again.

Cracked or Shattered Screen

A cracked or shattered display is one of the most common iPhone problems. This is one problem that a simple restart isn’t going to fix though.

If you drop your iPhone or do something else that cracks the screen it may or may not still be usable. Sometimes you can still tap and swipe but the crack makes it hard to read the display. Other times, nothing works at all.

You should consider replacing the screen even if it seems to be working fine though, especially if it’s more than a simple crack. Piece of the glass can fall out and expose sharp edges which can be dangerous when you’re swiping your finger across them.

Fruit Fixed offers screen replacement services for models from the iPhone 5 forward for much less than it would cost to buy a new phone.

Can’t Install the Latest Version of iOS

Apple typically releases a major update to iOS (the iPhone operating system) every year when new models of the phone come out. They also release minor updates throughout the year.

It’s a good idea to keep your phone up to date so you have the latest security patches and you get any new features they add. Sometimes you’ll run into trouble installing a new version of iOS though.

There are two common reasons for this:

  • Your phone doesn’t have enough storage available
  • The new version doesn’t work on your phone

If you don’t have enough storage available for the iOS update to install itself, you’ll get a message during the update process. The only solution here is to delete some apps and data to free up enough space. Sometimes restarting your phone will also help since it deletes some temporary data during the restart.

Apple is one of the best smartphone companies for supporting older models. They usually support iPhones going back 4 or 5 generations with each new major iOS release.

Eventually, they have to drop support for older phones because they don’t have enough processing power, memory, or some other feature needed to run the new version.

If that’s the case, there’s nothing you can do besides upgrading to a newer phone. That doesn’t mean you have to buy the latest model though.

Fruit Fixed sells a range of older models of iPhone, letting you upgrade to a better device for a much lower cost than the latest flagship model.

Affordable Help for iPhone Problems

Once you go through these Apple iPhone troubleshooting steps, you’ll know if it’s something you can sort out yourself or if you need some professional assistance.

If the problem goes beyond a do-it-yourself fix, Fruit Fixed can help. We offer a range of affordable iPhone repair services to get your iPhone back in top working condition.

Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help.

Justin Drake Carroll Apple

These Are the Most Common Apple Watch Problems

If you have ever considered purchasing an Apple Watch, we recommend you to do so. It’s a great product not just for telling time, but also for accomplishing many tasks. If you are an Apple user, you will love the seamless integration that it has with your other Apple products. But, of course, the Apple Watch isn’t perfect. If you purchase an Apple Watch, you can expect that there will be a few Apple Watch problems.

But you shouldn’t worry, many of these problems can be easily fixed. If you are worried about facing any problems with your Apple Watch, this guide will lay out the most common problems and how to fix them.

The Guide to The Most Common Apple Watch Problems

The first thing to do when you buy your Apple Watch is to set it up properly. Often, new Apple Watch users don’t set up their Apple Watch in the proper manner, and find that they have issues working with the watch.

If you already own an Apple Watch and it’s been damaged, make sure you take it for a repair.

Once it’s set up, here are the issues you may face and how to fix them:

1. Wake Screen

The wake screen is often disabled by default on an Apple Watch. As a result, many users panic thinking that their watch needs repair. 

Enabling the wake screen is simple:

  • Go to the Settings area and press General
  • Select the ‘Wake Screen’ option
  • Ensure that ‘Wake Screen on Wrist Raise’ is toggled on

As simple as that! If you have an iPhone and have connected your Apple Watch with the iPhone, you can also check the wake screen. From your iPhone’s General settings, go to Wake Screen and you can toggle the wake screen on wrist raise directly from there!

2. Bluetooth

Some users complain that the Bluetooth connectivity on the Apple Watch with the iPhone isn’t always reliable. You should disable Bluetooth on your iPhone, wait for a few minutes, and then reactivate it. If this still doesn’t work, you might need to disconnect your iPhone and Apple Watch and then pair them again.

You might also find that your Apple Watch doesn’t sync well with Bluetooth headphones. Usually, you might have to turn off Bluetooth on your iPhone and make sure that the audio source is coming solely from your Apple Watch.

3. Glitches/Instability

If you ever find that your Apple Watch is facing many glitches, bugs, or is behaving slowly, you might just need to update the software. If you neglect updating the software then your Apple Watch will likely malfunction more often.

Go to the Watch App on your iPhone. Select ‘Software Update’ to update the software. Make sure that your Apple Watch is connected to the charger while it’s updating. Updating might take a while so it’s best to do it overnight.

4. Sending Messages

One of the best advantages of an Apple Watch is that you can send messages, just as you would with your iPhone. If the sending messages option isn’t working there is a process you have to go through. The first thing is to always turn off the Apple Watch and wait a few minutes to turn it on again. This alone might solve the issue.

If it doesn’t, here’s what you need to do:

  • Make sure that your iPhone and your Apple Watch are paired
  • Make sure that both have a high battery or are connected to their respective chargers
  • Go to the Watch App on your iPhone and navigate to General
  • Select the ‘Apple ID’ option
  • Make sure you have signed in to your Apple ID on your Apple Watch

If you weren’t signed in, all you have to do is sign in to start sending messages. If this doesn’t work, here’s the next option:

  • Go to the Settings on your iPhone
  • Select the ‘Messages’ option
  • Go to ‘Send and Receive’ and select ‘Sign Out’
  • Then, go to ‘Settings and Messages’
  • Turn the iMessage option off
  • After a few seconds, turn the iMessage option on again
  • Navigate back to ‘Send and Receive’ and sign in to your Apple ID again

5. Battery Life

The battery life on an Apple Watch is excellent. But, even still, you might have a few issues here and there. You want to prolong your Apple Watch’s battery life as much as possible.

The simplest way is to turn on Power Saving Mode. This will conserve your battery by lowering your brightness, disabling battery-consuming services such as Siri, etc. This service does the work for you.

There are also ways to conserve battery life on your own. If you limit or disable notifications from your app, this will significantly prolong your battery life. You can also lower your brightness on your Apple Watch. If you hardly use Siri, you can disable the service altogether.

You can also turn off Bluetooth when you aren’t using it. You can also turn off the heart rate monitoring feature when you are not exercising. You also want to ensure that you don’t leave your Apple Watch charging when it has reached 100% battery life. You should never leave it charging overnight.

When your Apple Watch is not in use, you should turn it off. Keeping it off overnight is also ideal.

6. Charging Issues

If you find that your Apple Watch is not charging when connected to the charger, this is likely a hardware issue.

The first step is to turn off the watch. Then, you have to reset the watch. To do this, hold down the Digital Crown button and the side button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears you should be able to charge your Apple Watch without any issues.

Another option is to go to your iPhone and access the Apple Watch app. Go to General and then access the Reset option. Select ‘erase all content and settings’ and then set up your watch all over again. 

Take Care of Your Apple Watch Problems

If your Apple Watch is facing any issues, make sure you address them as soon as possible. If you cannot make any changes yourself, then bring it in for a repair.

If you want to buy any Apple products at a great discount, check out our catalog.

Justin Drake Carroll Apple, iPhone

How Long Does an iPhone Last on Average?

What’s the most expensive iPhone you ever bought?  

If you plan to purchase the latest one with all the fancy cameras and the 500+ GB of storage, you’re looking at a price tag of $1,450 for the new iPhone 11 Pro Max.

That number might make you want to stick to your old iPhone.

Even though buying the latest iPhone is trendy, many consumers struggle to justify the cost with the benefits. It’s a nice phone, but how many years can it actually hold up?

Or, if you want to cling to the iPhone you already have, how long does an iPhone last when you’ve had it for a while?  

Whichever iPhone you’re looking to buy or hold onto, here are some factors that’ll help you understand how long your iPhone will actually last.

1. Active Users and iPhone Lifespan

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, reported that there were 1.3 billion active devices in 2018.   

In the fourth quarter investor conference call, Cook reported that this number was the most important metric of Apple’s business stability. 

Understanding how many Apple devices are currently active is the most direct answer to how long consumers have used those devices.

In 2019, those 1.3 billion active devices rose to 1.4 billion. Of these active devices, 900 million are iPhones. This number has only grown because in 2020, there are currently 1.5 billion active users.

Since 70% of the iPhones included in this number run on iOS 13, many of them could be as old as the 2015 iPhone 6s. This is the oldest phone that is compatible with the iOS 13 software. 

So, looking at these numbers, is it even possible for the 2015 iPhone 6s to last 5 years?  

2. So, How Long Does an iPhone Last? 

Apple uses lifespan assessment models to determine the service life of their products. The “years of use” that determine service life vary depending on the product.

Apple states that three years is the standard period of time that constitutes “years of use” for iOS models, such as iPhones.  

OS devices such as Macbooks, on the other hand, serve an expected four years.   

Remember, these are only model-based assessments. While they attempt to simulate real customer use, results can vary depending on your personal use. 

In fact, Apple asserts that most of their products last longer than these expected service lifespans since they’re primarily used as models. 

So could your iPhone actually last 5 years? 

The short answer is yes, but it depends. 

3. What Trade-Ins Tell You About iPhone Lifespan

When you look at the mobile phone trade-in industry, customers exchanged older phones for newer ones after just a few years of use. 

In 2017, the average age of a traded-in device was a little over 2.5 years. Then, in 2018, that number climbed to 2.8 years.  

So you could say that most iPhones last at least 2 years, but start to decline towards the end of those two years.

As of 2018, iPhones are still the most traded mobile devices. While the top five traded devices have all been various iPhone generations, the iPhone 6 ad 6s, have topped the list.  

Since their 2014 and 2015 market debut, the iPhone 6 and 6s series are the oldest iPhones with the most trade-in activity.     

4. iPhone Performance Decline 

Apple’s market cycle introduces new devices more frequently than consumers upgrade to a new Apple device. 

This means that although it’s trendy to sport the latest iPhone, Apple consistently refreshes its market to compensate for the demand. 

But here are the telltale signs of performance decline that are commonly seen in iPhones.

Battery/Taking Charges

Declining battery is one of the most common iPhone problems that users experience. After all, if you can’t carry your iPhone around without worrying if it will die in the next couple hours, it’s not exactly a mobile phone anymore.

Battery life is determined by the operating system efficiency, the chip’s competence, and the actual battery hardware installed within the phone.  

Apple newly introduced a new battery life reporting model that uses video playback to measure the charged lifespan. 

The iPhone 6s is one of the older models used for this reporting and shows 11 hours of video playback. Note that this is internally stored content, not streamed content from the internet, which significantly consumes more battery. 

Apple battery is designed to retain up to 80 percent of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles. 

You’re probably not counting your charging cycles up to 500, but once you’ve had your iPhone for about a year, it’s more than possible that you’re starting to lose charging capacity.  

This is why frequent charging slowly contributes to the decline of your iPhone. 

Storage

Many iPhone consumers use Apple’s iCloud services to back up phone data to a cloud and open up more space on the phone. 

If most of your storage is mostly composed of apps or operating system updates with data that doesn’t transfer to the cloud, and you still don’t have space, then you’ve probably maxed out your storage space. 

The solution is often to get the newest iPhone, which Apple almost always packs with increased memory capabilities. 

Lack of storage is an indication that you need to upgrade. If you can’t install the latest iOS update, then you probably don’t even have 1-2 GBs of space left. 

Operating system updates are meant to be small but if you have limited space, they can seem large. 

Sometimes these updates are required for basic functions like using certain apps or iCloud services. If you’re unable to install OS updates, you may not have access to some basic features on your phone that you could access before.

Spontaneous Shutdowns

Sometimes phones automatically shutdown without even prompting it with the off/on button. If your battery life and your phone’s hardware is decent, you may be wondering why spontaneous shutdowns happen at all. 

In 2017, Apple asserted that random shutdowns were still somewhat tied to battery-related issues. Even if your older iPhone still takes a decent charge, the battery itself is not sophisticated enough to operate with the efficiency that matches the software.  

This means that while software updates are intended to improve the operating system, new software strains older batteries. To preserve its electronic components and keep from catching fire, the phone may shut down altogether. 

How Long Does an iPhone Last? Can You Get More Service Life?

If you’re still asking how long does an iPhone last, the answer may be a little more complicated than you thought. 

iPhones are built to last, but like any piece of technological hardware, they can deteriorate and face performance decline.  

However, sometimes they just need a bit of maintenance to get them up and running again, and we can help with that.  

Whether you need internal, hardware, or battery repair, we can help you get more service life out of your iPhone.

To get started, choose your iPhone generation and find one of our service locations in your area!