Describe your device and the screen you can see. Ask for one safe step at a time and wait before continuing.
You do not need to know technical vocabulary to ask for help. AI can explain a term or help you understand a screen, but instructions should match your device and the task you want to complete.
A practical workflow.
Name the device and task
Say whether you use Android or iPhone and describe the goal: making a call, changing text size or finding a setting. If you know the model or software version, include it.
Describe the actual screen
Read out the relevant button labels or share a screenshot with names, numbers and other private details removed. Avoid asking AI to guess a menu it cannot see.
Take one step
Ask what the step does before tapping. Tell the AI the result and wait for the next instruction. If the screen differs, stop and describe the difference.
Use official help when needed
For an unfamiliar setting, account issue or uncertain instruction, compare with your device maker’s guidance. Pause before actions that erase data, change payments or alter account access.
READY TO MAKE YOURS
Start with this prompt.
Help me do [task] on my [phone model and operating system]. I am new to this. Ask what I can see on the screen, explain one step in plain language and wait for my response before continuing. Avoid jargon and do not guess exact menu names when unsure. Direct me to the official support page if the steps differ. Never ask for a password, PIN or one-time code.
Replace the brackets. Leave out private details. Check the response.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
A clearer request.
A VAGUE STARTMy phone is broken.
A CLEARER BRIEFI use an Android phone and want larger text. I am on a screen with these labels: [labels]. Give me one step, explain what it changes and wait for me to say what happens.
The helper has a goal and observable screen information.
Before you use the result.
- The instructions match your screen.
- Private information is removed.
- You understand what a setting changes.
- You stop before an unexpected or destructive action.
A few useful answers.
What if I do not know my phone model?
Start with the brand and the labels you can see. Ask how to find the model without changing settings.
Should I share my password to get help?
No. Leave out passwords, verification codes, recovery codes and payment details. A general explanation does not need them.
PUT THE GUIDE TO WORK
Phone-help prompts that start with what you can see
When a phone behaves differently, a precise description is more useful than “it is broken.” Tell the helper which device you use, what you were trying to do and the exact message on the screen. Start with observations and small reversible checks. These prompts help organise troubleshooting; they do not inspect your device or replace the manufacturer’s instructions.
Make a small record before changing anything
Write down the phone model, operating-system version if you know it, app name, what happened and when the problem started. Separate the symptom from your theory. “The photo app closes when I open this album” is an observation; “the update damaged my photos” is a hypothesis. Note whether the issue affects one app or several and whether it happens every time. Remove account names, private notifications and codes from any screenshot you share. A useful troubleshooting record lets you compare before and after without repeatedly trying the same step.
Check the meaning of an action before tapping it
Read your device’s own help before a change that could remove data. On Android, clearing cache and clearing app storage have different effects: the latter removes app data. On iPhone, offloading an app preserves its documents and data, while deleting it removes related data. Labels and available options can vary. First inspect storage information and confirm your backup; do not treat deleting as the automatic next step. The official Android and Apple storage instructions are linked below. If the suggested menu is absent, describe what is visible instead of guessing.
Change one thing and record the result
Ask for one check at a time, with the reason for it and a way to recognise success. After trying it, report what changed, what stayed the same and any new message. That makes the next suggestion depend on evidence. If the device is managed by work or school, check with its administrator before changing settings. Stop a troubleshooting chain that asks for account passwords, one-time codes, payment or unknown software. When the problem needs account recovery or hardware service, collect the symptom record and use the provider’s genuine support route.
Open a card, copy the prompt and replace the brackets with your own details. Each card includes a follow-up and a check before you use the answer.
SITUATION 01 ↗
Describe the problem without guessing its cause
Give a helper enough detail to ask the right question.
Open the prompt +
Help me write a clear troubleshooting description. My phone is [model], the app is [app], and I was trying to [task]. I saw [exact message or behaviour]. It started [when], and I have tried [checks and results]. Separate observations from possible causes. Ask up to three useful questions. Do not diagnose a hardware fault or recommend a reset from this description alone.
Refine the next draft
My answers are [answers]. Produce a short symptom record I can send through the manufacturer’s official support channel, with missing facts marked unknown.
Before you use it
Do not include passwords, account recovery codes, payment details or private notifications in the description.
SITUATION 02 ↗
Ask for one reversible check
Keep troubleshooting understandable and easy to track.
Open the prompt +
Using this symptom record [record], suggest one low-risk, reversible observation or check appropriate for [device and system version]. Explain why it is useful, what result to record and how to return to the previous setting if a setting changes. Do not suggest deletion, factory reset, unknown downloads or changes to account security. If you need an official device instruction, tell me what to look up before acting.
Refine the next draft
I tried [check] and observed [result]. What does that observation tell us, and what remains uncertain? Suggest at most one next check.
Before you use it
Verify menu instructions with the manufacturer’s current help. If your screen differs, stop and describe the difference.
SITUATION 03 ↗
Understand a storage option before using it
Translate an unfamiliar label without deleting anything.
Open the prompt +
Explain this storage option in plain language: [exact label]. My device is [device], and this is the relevant official help text [text]. Explain what the action changes, what data could be removed, and what I should verify first. Distinguish viewing storage information from removing data. Do not tell me to tap the action until I understand the effect and have checked any needed backup.
Refine the next draft
Compare [option A] and [option B] using only the supplied official descriptions. Mark any effect the source does not explain as unknown.
Before you use it
An AI explanation is not confirmation of your backup. Verify that important files are actually recoverable before removing local copies.
SITUATION 04 ↗
Explain a setting to someone else patiently
Make a short guide without overwhelming the reader.
Open the prompt +
Turn these confirmed instructions [official steps] into patient help for someone starting on [screen]. The goal is [one task]. Use one action per line and ordinary words. Describe what they should see after each step. Include a stop point if the screen looks different. Do not add menus or buttons not present in the source.
Refine the next draft
Make the first two steps clearer for someone who does not recognise technical labels. Keep the same actions and the same stop point.
Before you use it
Use the exact device version where possible. Do not ask the person to reveal a password or code while helping them.
The examples below are original, illustrative edits using fictional situations. They show the checks to make, rather than promising what an AI tool will produce.
A phone troubleshooting log
Device model: [model] System version, if known: [version] App and version, if known: [app] What I was trying to do: [task] What I actually saw: [message / behaviour] Started after: [observed change, or unknown] Affects: [one app / several apps / whole phone] Checks already tried: [step → result] Data or settings I must preserve: [items] Backup status: [verified / not checked] Next reversible check: [step] Result after that check: [observation] Official support page used: [source]
WORKED EXAMPLE
A symptom is more useful than a dramatic diagnosis
An original fictional example: a notes app closes while opening one long note. The rest of the phone still works.
FIRST DRAFTMy phone is broken. The latest update probably deleted everything. Tell me how to reset it.
AFTER CHECKINGMy notes app closes when I open one long note. Other apps still open. I first noticed this yesterday. I do not know the cause, and I have not verified a backup. Help me record the symptom and find the appropriate official support instructions before changing data.
What changed
The revised request gives an observable problem and a preservation need. It does not turn a suspected cause into a fact or jump from one app failure to resetting the whole phone.
WORKED EXAMPLE
Ask what a button does before deciding to press it
An original fictional example: Taylor sees a storage screen but is unsure about an option’s effect.
FIRST DRAFTI need space. Which button should I press to clear everything?
AFTER CHECKINGI see [exact option label] on my [device] storage screen. Before changing anything, help me understand the manufacturer’s description. What would this remove or keep, and what backup should I verify? I will choose whether to act after checking.
What changed
The prompt separates explanation from action. It leaves the decision with the owner and avoids treating every storage option as a harmless cleanup command.
Try it with your own task.
Use the symptom record for one current problem. Ask for one reversible check, record the actual result and keep the log if you need official support. If your device’s screen differs from an instruction, that difference is useful information.
Check the official instructions.
For settings and safety guidance, use the original provider's current help. Menus and account options can change.
Original sources & further reading.
Check current product guidance when a feature or setting matters to your task.
GO DEEPER / 1 FREE TEMPLATES
Prompts for this part of the task.
Use a template for the step you are working on. Add the required inputs, then check the result against your source material.
Browse the task-guide directory ↗
Use a small workflow that you can repeat.
- Describe the task and the limits that make it difficult.
- Give only the personal details needed; use placeholders for names and addresses.
- Ask for options and a small first step, not an overwhelming plan.
- Verify current facts, costs and safety information before making a commitment.
Keep in mind: Never share passwords, payment details or one-time codes. Treat help with a device or suspicious message as guidance to check, not proof that a link is safe.
Phone help one screen at a time
Follow instructions for the screen you can see.You get: One-screen-at-a-time phone instructions+
COPY. PERSONALISE. CHECK.
I use [device and operating system, if known]. I want to [task]. On my screen I can see [labels]. Give one reversible step, wait for my response and then continue. Use the labels I provide; do not assume another version of the app. Explain what the step should do. Stop before deleting data, changing security settings or starting a payment. Never ask for passwords or verification codes.
Example input
An Android user wants to increase text size and can describe the settings menu.
Illustrative scenario, not a generated or verified AI result.
Then ask
I do not see that option. Ask what labels are visible instead of repeating the step.
Before using the answer
Check the device version and pause if the action has consequences you do not understand.
Keep learning from original sources.
These sources inform the workflow and checks; the templates above are original LifestyleGlide prompts.
