220-1101 Mobile Devices Practice Question
A user reports that their smartphone's Bluetooth will not enable. When the user taps the Bluetooth toggle in the Quick Settings panel, it briefly turns blue and then immediately turns gray. The phone did not get wet and was not dropped recently. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is jumping to disruptive fixes (battery replacement, network reset) before applying the CompTIA troubleshooting principle of trying the simplest, least invasive step first — a reboot.
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
✓
Restart the smartphone
A Bluetooth toggle that briefly turns on then immediately reverts to gray typically indicates a software or firmware state issue, and the first, least invasive troubleshooting step is to restart the smartphone. A reboot clears stuck Bluetooth stack states, resets the radio, and resolves most transient toggle failures. CompTIA's troubleshooting methodology prioritizes simple, non-destructive steps first.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Replace the battery
Why it's wrong here
A failing battery typically manifests as sudden power-offs, thermal throttling, or inability to hold a charge, not as a Bluetooth toggle that immediately reverts to grey. The radio module is powered through voltage rails regulated by the PMIC; if the battery could not sustain that rail, the whole device would shut down rather than selectively disabling one wireless radio. Replacing the battery does nothing to repair a corrupted Bluetooth driver or a faulty WLAN/BT combo chip, so this is not a valid corrective action.
- ✓
Restart the smartphone
Why this is correct
Restarting the smartphone forces a clean boot, which terminates stuck system processes, reinitializes the Bluetooth stack, and reloads the radio firmware. Many toggle failures stem from a transient software glitch, such as a crashed com.android.bluetooth process or a stale binder transaction, and a reboot clears that state. It is the fastest, least invasive diagnostic step, and if the toggle still fails after a restart, the fault is likely hardware-level.
- ✗
Check for operating system updates
Why it's wrong here
Checking for operating system updates is incorrect because the immediate failure of the Bluetooth toggle to stay enabled, briefly turning blue then instantly gray, points to a hardware fault or a deeply corrupted driver preventing the radio from initialising. An OS update typically addresses broader software bugs, security vulnerabilities, or feature enhancements, not a direct hardware initialisation failure. This option is tempting as updates often resolve general software glitches or known connectivity issues, and would be appropriate if Bluetooth was intermittently failing or missing entirely due to a software bug.
- ✗
Reset network settings
Why it's wrong here
Resetting network settings clears saved Wi-Fi networks, cellular data configurations, and VPN profiles, but does not address the Bluetooth radio’s hardware-level failure to maintain an enabled state. The symptom—the toggle briefly turning blue then reverting to grey—indicates a firmware or hardware fault in the Bluetooth controller, not a corrupted network configuration. This option is tempting because network resets often resolve connectivity issues, and it would be correct if the problem involved Bluetooth pairing failures or Wi-Fi interference, not a persistent toggle malfunction.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.