Tilt 2 Soft Reset Button Modification

I sure hope that most everyone who owns a Tilt2 has already done this mod, but for the few of you out there who have not, keep reading. For whatever insane reason (what were they thinking) HTC decided to “hide” the soft reset button under the battery cover of this otherwise well designed device. Did they really believe that Windows Mobile had suddenly undergone some form of transformation that would no longer require soft resets. I think not.

While I have several soft and hard button options to soft reset my phone, none of those options help much when the device is frozen solid. The thought of popping the back cover every time I needed to soft reset was not something I ever considered and constructed the fixture pictured in preparation even before I had received my first Tilt2. I was amazed that at least a third of negative comments posted on the AT&T website regarding the Tilt2 had to do with frequent soft resetting and most especially having to take the phone apart to do so.

The soft reset button is on the upper right side of the phone just below the microphone. You can try to measure or just eye things up, but I prefer to use a fixture for accuracy. The phone and back cover are almost flush along the upper edge, so you start by placing the phone, minus the back cover, into the fixture facing down. Simply transfer the location of the reset button onto the fixture using a pen. Now apply an address label to your back cover (don’t worry it peels right off) almost flush with the front edge and making sure to keep the microphone hole uncovered. Place your back cover in the fixture facing down and transfer the mark you made on the fixture onto your back cover. Remove the back cover and complete the vertical line down to the front edge. Using the microphone hole as reference, and referencing the microphone and soft reset button on your phone, make a horizontal mark about 3/32″ from the front edge of the cover. Now you are almost ready to drill your hole. As the back cover is slightly shorter (the chrome bezel around the phone protrudes a bit) you will need to make your hole just slightly (about 1/32″) to the left of your mark. I used a 3/32″ drill bit in my Dremel to make my hole. You can use a 1/16″ drill bit but you will need to be really accurate with your hole. After making the hole, remove the label and wipe around the hole with your finger to remove any burrs. Reassemble your phone and check to see if the hole aligns properly. As the point of the stylus is pretty small you don’t have to be dead on. Think I am 1 for 3 on DNP (damn near perfect), but that’s close enough for me.

I have already drilled out the standard covers on my Tilt2 and backup 1 cent Tilt2 (thank you AT&T) as well as the new back cover that came with my extended battery (use the exact same instructions as above) so the fixture has really come in handy. Sure, now I can inadvertently introduce foreign matter or moisture through my modified back cover, but I stopped playing in mud puddles quite a long time ago so I am not too worried. I don’t need to hit the physical soft reset button often, maybe once or twice a week, usually when testing new software, but I am sure glad I can do it without a hassle.

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