220-1101 Question 427
Single answer5.4 Given a scenario, troubleshoot common mobile device issues.A user brings in a smartphone and reports that the battery drops from 80% to 20% within two hours, even when the phone is in their pocket. The screen brightness is set to automatic, and the battery health screen does not indicate a failed battery. You notice the phone feels warm, and the battery usage screen shows one social media app with unusually high background activity. Which of the following is the BEST next step to resolve the issue?
- A
Replace the phone's battery immediately because rapid discharge always indicates battery failure
- B
Disable or restrict the app's background activity and verify whether battery drain returns to normal
- C
Perform a factory reset right away because software issues cannot be isolated at the app level
- D
Increase screen timeout settings so the display powers off more quickly during idle periods
- E
Place the phone in airplane mode permanently to prevent all wireless services from draining the battery
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
This question tests practical mobile device troubleshooting for abnormal battery drain, a common A+ Core 1 topic under mobile device issues. In a real support scenario, technicians should use built-in battery usage tools to identify whether drain is caused by hardware degradation, display usage, radio usage, or an individual app. Because the battery health information does not point to a failed battery and one app is consuming unusual background power, the best next step is to restrict or disable that app's background activity and confirm the result. This follows standard troubleshooting best practices: identify the likely cause, apply the least invasive fix first, and verify functionality before escalating to more disruptive actions such as a factory reset or hardware replacement. Major mobile platforms provide battery usage and app background activity controls specifically for this purpose.
- A. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. Rapid battery drain can be caused by battery failure, but in this scenario the battery health screen does not indicate a failed battery, and the device is warm with a specific app showing excessive background activity. Those symptoms point first to an application or configuration issue rather than immediate hardware replacement.
- B. Correct.
This is correct. Excessive background activity from a single app is a common real-world cause of battery drain and heat on mobile devices. The best next troubleshooting step is to limit that app's background refresh/background data, force stop it if appropriate, update or reinstall it, and then verify whether battery performance improves before taking more disruptive actions.
- C. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. A factory reset is a much more invasive troubleshooting step and should not be the first response when diagnostics already suggest a likely cause. Best practice is to start with the least disruptive corrective action, especially when one app is clearly identified as consuming abnormal power in the background.
- D. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. Reducing screen-on time can help battery life in general, but the scenario already indicates the phone is losing power while in the user's pocket and that a specific app has high background activity. That makes display timeout a secondary consideration, not the best next step.
- E. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. Airplane mode can reduce battery usage by disabling radios, but using it permanently is not a practical fix for a normal smartphone user. It also does not address the root cause identified in the battery usage data: excessive background activity by a specific application.