What Does It Mean to Brick a Phone | How Does a Device Become Bricked?
What Does It Mean to Brick a Phone ~ “Bricking a phone” refers to significantly damaging a smartphone’s operating system to the point that it no longer functions, rendering the device useless.
In widespread usage, the word refers to phones that are fully broken beyond repair at times and phones that may be fixed by reinstalling the operating system at other times.
For conducting the reinstall, both iOS and Android have recovery modes: iOS uses iTunes, while Android employs a built-in system reset tool.
Causes of Bricks ~ What Does It Mean to Brick a Phone
Bricks can be caused by a variety of factors. Modern phones require a large number of system files to start up. When one or more of these files fails to load, the phone may behave strangely or, in the worst-case scenario, stop working entirely, rendering the phone a brick.
Intentionally changing or deleting system files, such as when attempting to unlock, jailbreak, or root a phone, can result in a brick, but the most common cause is unintentional: accidentally turning off a phone during a system update can destroy the system files.
A valid OS upgrade may have an undetected flaw that will brick some phones until it is corrected. After a theft, cell providers can remotely activate a brick, prohibiting the thief from using or reselling the device.
Types of Bricks ~ What Does It Mean to Brick a Phone
Soft-bricked phones have a repairable system issue that prevents the phone from booting up. Hard bricks, on the other hand, are used to describe circumstances when all attempts at repair have failed, the only other alternative is to send the phone in for repair or replacement by an expert.
You have a hard brick if your phone does not respond at all when you touch the power button. If it responds, even if it won’t boot, you may have a soft brick that can be repaired.
Effects of Bricks ~ What Does It Mean to Brick a Phone
Bricking can result in a variety of symptoms, in addition to phones that are entirely dead. A bricked iPhone, for example, might display the Apple logo before freezing and never powering up.
Other times, the message “Connect to iTunes” appears on iPhones, signaling that the phone’s operating system has to be reinstalled. A symbol depicting the Android mascot lying down with a red triangle may appear on Android phones.
A phone can also get caught in a boot loop, which means it turns on normally, but then switches off and restarts as soon as the boot routine is completed.
Repairing iPhone Bricks: How to Unbrick Your Android Phone | What Does It Mean to Brick a Phone
Reformatting and restoring your phone’s operating system is your best hope for most bricks. To enter recovery mode on an iPhone, turn it off and connect it to your computer while holding the “Home” button.
Open iTunes on your computer and select Restore Phone from the menu. If recovery mode doesn’t work, try the Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) mode, which is more intense.
Connect the phone to your computer, switch it off, and then press and hold the “Sleep/Wake” and “Home” buttons simultaneously for exactly 10 seconds. Continue holding “Home” while releasing “Sleep/Wake” until your computer identifies the device and allows you to restore the system.
If any graphics appear on the phone’s screen, the button hold was not timed correctly, so turn it off and try again.
Repairing Android Bricks | What Does It Mean to Brick a Phone
Repairing Android Bricks Android phones include a hidden recovery mode that allows you to reinstall the operating system without using a computer.
Hold the “Volume Down” and “Power” buttons together until you see the boot menu with your phone turned off. Other buttons, such as “Power” and “Volume Up,” are used on some phones.
To navigate the menu, use the “Volume Down” button and “Power” to pick options. Look for a “Wipe Data” or “Factory Reset” option and pick it.
The exact things in the menu differ per model. If this option isn’t available, such as on a Nexus 4, use “Recovery Mode” and then press “Power” and “Volume Up” to access the menu with the reset button.
