Locked out

Nearly two weeks ago I upgraded my iPhone to the latest model, 14. Now I face the prospect of losing my files in my old phone, including important notes, messages, photos and video from the past years, a number of them with my partner who died two years ago.

I bought the new iPhone at Switch and asked the guys to transfer my files, since I’m low-tech. There was no other customer at the shop and they said transferring files would be quick, so I thought they would do it. But no, they claimed the internet connection was weak, although there was nothing wrong with the signal on my phone.

So I went to a PowerMac center in another shopping mall to buy the iPhone 14 charger, in hopes that they would transfer my files. They told me it would take too long.

For the premium prices of iPhones, I expected premium service. I expected too much. Even the genius of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs can do little about service that sucks at Apple product dealerships and service centers.

I then turned to the IT guys at our office, where all our computers are Macs, to transfer my files. They’ve done it before on my older iPhones without trouble, but maybe the iPhone 14 is markedly different.

They studied the instructions on the Apple website and decided to transfer through iCloud. At the end of four hours the transfer was not yet complete, and even after about eight hours when I was already home at past midnight.

Worried about the batteries, I switched off both phones and decided I would resume the transfer the next day. So I powered up the next morning, and accessed iCloud. It wanted two-factor authentication and sent a passcode. I don’t use such authentication on my cell phone and I wanted to get rid of the passcode that was provided on the phone. But my finger must have hit something on the screen and it locked, before I could write down the passcode provided.

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I went to a PowerMac service center last Sunday and was told that they could unlock and restart the disabled phone, but all the files would be lost.

The memories alone that would be lost in the photos are worth many times more than the price of the phone.

I’ve stowed the old phone together with printed photos of my departed partner, and I’ve promised myself the model 14 will be my last iPhone. I’m shifting to Samsung.

Or better yet, my next phone will be a cheap android that I can easily smash on the wall if I go through similar aggravation again and feel homicidal. Also, I’m going to use my Canon digital camera again.

I acknowledge that my predicament is also due to my own stupidity, but I’m sure there are millions of other tech-challenged morons like me out there, especially among my generation and older, who can use better tech support from Apple.

In fact one of them, a senior lawyer, had a similar problem only recently, with the same lament: you can’t put a price tag on lost memories captured in photos and videos. Being much older than me, the files the lawyers lost are even more extensive.

The lawyer is currently considering filing a lawsuit, just to test the extent of consumer protection in the Philippines. Even if the case is dismissed, the lawyer hopes it might inspire similar complaints in other countries, also to test their laws or inspire appropriate legislation.

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Those of us with dual citizenship (Filipino and senior) are not digital natives and adapting to new technology is a constant challenge. We understand that we can’t hide in a cave and daily existence becomes easier if we learn what’s new in the tech universe as quickly as we can. But tech companies must also exert effort to make adaptation as painless as possible.

In our lower middle-income country, dual citizens aren’t the only ones needing assistance. There are still too many Filipinos who are new to information and communications technology gadgetry, who lack internet access or who still don’t own a cell phone, much less a computer.

We saw this difficulty with ICT even among teachers during the pandemic lockdowns and forced shift to distance learning.

Transferring files even within the same product brands can be complicated. Certain files can disappear or be degraded, as always happens every time I upgrade my Mac desktops and laptops.

Marcos 2.0’s objective of 95 percent digitalization of government services must be accompanied by an aggressive campaign for digital inclusion. But beyond providing near-universal internet access plus the means to buy cell phones and computers, such a campaign must also promote cyber literacy, which includes instilling a strong awareness of data privacy laws and cybersecurity threats.

And yes, it would help to know how to properly store, save and transfer files. Or else the gadget dealer must provide such services; they can charge a fee if they want. If a user accidentally touches a phone screen or computer key and deletes files or locks out the user, the person must know how to retrieve the files or safely unlock the device.

If this can’t be done, one option for those with time on their hands and the legal and financial capabilities is to seek clarity from the courts on consumers’ rights.