220-1101 Mobile Devices Practice Question
A user reports that their Android smartphone's battery drains much faster than normal, even when the phone is idle. The technician checks the battery usage statistics and sees that 'Android System' and 'Google Play Services' are the top consumers. The user has already restarted the phone. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT to resolve the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may jump to a hardware solution (replace battery) or a drastic software reset (factory reset) without first applying the simplest, least disruptive fix—updating the OS and apps—which directly addresses the most common cause of abnormal battery drain from system services.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Check for and install any available OS and app updates
The battery drain is likely caused by a software bug or incompatibility in the OS or Google Play Services. Checking for and installing available OS and app updates can patch known issues, such as wakelock loops or background service inefficiencies, that cause excessive CPU usage and battery drain even when the phone is idle.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Check for and install any available OS and app updates
Why this is correct
Android OS and Google Play Services updates routinely ship with battery-life fixes, such as improved Doze mode handling, reduced wake-lock frequency, and patches for misbehaving system components. App updates similarly address background CPU and network usage bugs that could be silently draining the battery. This is the safest, least disruptive next step after a simple reboot, as it targets the most common root cause without risking data loss.
- ✗
Perform a factory reset and restore from a backup
Why it's wrong here
A factory reset wipes all user data, apps, and settings, and restoring from a backup can reintroduce the very corrupted configuration or rogue app that caused the drain in the first place. CompTIA troubleshooting methodology explicitly reserves a reset for after software updates and app-level diagnosis have been attempted, because it is time-consuming and risky. Only if the problem persists after targeted troubleshooting should a reset be considered, as it is not a proportionate response to an issue that may be fixed with a simple update.
- ✗
Replace the battery with a new one
Why it's wrong here
Battery replacement is a hardware intervention that assumes physical degradation, but the usage statistics confirm a software process is consuming excessive power—a strong sign that the battery itself is still healthy. Android's battery usage screen differentiates between screen, cell standby, and specific app CPU/network usage, allowing you to pinpoint the culprit without opening the device. Replacing the battery before ruling out software faults violates the 'test-known-good-components' principle and wastes time and money on a component that is not proven faulty.
- ✗
Disable background data for all apps
Why it's wrong here
Disabling background data globally prevents all apps from syncing, fetching updates, or receiving push notifications in the background, crippling email, messaging, and cloud services that rely on it. Android's per-app battery optimization and data-saver features allow you to restrict only the specific app that is misbehaving, rather than taking a sledgehammer to the entire system. This tactic also does not address wake-lock or CPU-spike drain, which are often unrelated to data usage, leaving the true cause unresolved.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 220-1101 question from scratch — 896 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1101 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1101 exam.