Sony Xperia Tips & Tricks – Part I
I’m a computer engineer but my hobby (for more than 17 years) is mobile / smart phone repair. This article is not about the latest news in the world of technology. Instead, I will share some of my knowledge and experience, as well as some interesting facts and tricks for our lovely Xperia phones. Let’s see if I can keep your attention.
Sony Xperia smartphones are Android based devices. I will show you some hidden options (similar for other Android devices). Let's start with:
SAFE MODE
You guessed it. Safe mode for the Android devices is similar to Safe mode for you computer. Here you can fix problematic apps. Android will close all installed applications. The reason for this is to provide the user an opportunity to clean the device from the app which is causing system crashes.
Theoretically, Safe mode is available for all Android devices. For the owners of Xperia, there are two ways to enter Safe mode. One is from the Power Off menu and the other is with hardware keys.
How to boot into Safe mode: Press and hold the Power button. In the box that opens, touch hold Power off. You’ll see a “Reboot to safe mode” box. Touch OK. Your device will start and enter safe mode. Try using your device normally. Remember, you won’t be able to use any installed apps.
To exit Safe mode, simply restart the phone.
HIDDEN TEST MENU
Test menu lets you troubleshoot hardware issues and check your phone's functionality. You can access by dialing a specific code *#*#7378423#*#* from the dealer app. From here you can test Cameras, Microphones, Loudspeakers, Earpiece, Touchscreen, Display, GPS, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Pressure sensor, Compass, Gyroscope, etc. You can also find information about the Firmware, SIM lock status, Working bands, etc., and do a Factory reset (Reset customization).
*#*#7378423#*#* to enter the phone into the Service menu. From here you can test Cameras, Microphones, Loudspeakers, Earpiece...
...Touchscreen, Display, GPS, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Pressure sensor, Compass, Gyroscope, etc.
Many of these tests you can do from the Diagnostics menu (Settings > Abot phone > Diagnostics > Test). For Android versions before 4.2 from this menu you can do a factory reset (in case you forgot your screen password) but in the newest version this bug is closed.
FORCE SHUT DOWN
You have to force your device to restart or shut down in cases where it stops responding, freezes or won't restart normally. In this situation, the settings or personal data will not be deleted. If you can't do this from the shut down menu you have to use the OFF button (in many places you can see it like reset button). Physical reset button is present in models that have to be disassembled to remove the battery (like the Xperia Z series). Most often it is a small button below the cap of the SIM card. Use the tip of a pen or a similar object and press the OFF button. After a series of quick vibrations, your device will turn off automatically.
Click on the the links below to see the place of the OFF button for the different XPERIA models:
Sony XPERIA Z Ultra
Sony XPERIA Z2
Sony XPERIA Z3
Sony XPERIA Z3 Compact
Sony XPERIA Z5
Another way to force shut down your device - press and hold the Volume Up and the Power buttons at the same time. After a while you will feel the vibration and the phone will be turned off.
