With the amount of devices that most people use in a day, having an issue with one can really throw a wrench in your life. However, most people don’t actually know what to do if and when something does go wrong with their devices, especially if they’re older people living in assisted living communities who may not be as used to growing up with newer technology. Luckily, there are a few things you can try to get things back on track.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three things to do when you’re having issues with one of your devices. 

Try Starting Over Fresh

If something starts to go wrong on your device, the best thing you can try first is to start the process over fresh.

If you think that the issue might be coming from the specific app that you’re using, closing out that app and then reopening it might help. Additionally, you can check to see if there are any updates available for the app that you were using, as outdated versions of an app can have more issues than the most current version. And if you think that the issues you’re having are a result of your actual phone, restarting your phone or shutting it down completely and giving it some time before restarting it could do the trick. 

Ask A Professional

For those who try the above-mentioned solutions but still aren’t getting the results that you want, it might be time for you to ask a professional.

As a good first stop, consider asking someone that you know personally who’s good with tech. They might have some more intense solutions that they can try on your device. And if this doesn’t work or you don’t have anyone that you can reach out to, calling in an actual professional, like someone who works for the manufacturer or at a tech repair store, could be beneficial. 

Consider If You Might Be Dealing With Malware

When things start to go wrong with one of your devices, an option you should consider is that you might be dealing with malware of some kind.

To know if this is the issue, you should be on the lookout for things like error messages, programs or devices that won’t shut down, new ads or icons that you don’t recognize, sent messages or emails that you didn’t send, and other weird things. If you do notice these kinds of issues, you’ll want to be very careful with what you use your device to do until you’re able to get rid of this malware, either by yourself or with professional help. 

If you’ve just started to have some issues with one of your devices, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find some solutions that might work for you.