Your smartphone is a big investment, and because of that, you’re probably doing your best to take good care of it. But as careful as you might think you are, there are plenty of ways that you might be damaging your smartphone without even realizing it. Read on to learn more about things to avoid in order to keep your phone in peak condition.
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Using your phone in extreme temperatures.
Did you know that your smartphone was designed to function within a specific temperature range? Generally speaking, smartphones are at their best between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Using your phone outside in temperatures lower or higher than these two extremes can be hard on the system, causing the battery to run down or the phone to simply shut off.
In order to avoid permanent damage, it’s best to avoid using your phone altogether in extremely hot or extremely cold environments. In addition, it’s particularly important to be on the alert for overheating. This is a major problem for smartphones, and it can be caused not only by high exterior temperatures, but by bad owner habits like leaving the phone in full sunshine, in a hot car, or overworking the system by using too many apps and features at once.
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Ignoring malware.
If you’ve always thought of malware as something that only affects desktop computers, it’s time to think again. Because of things like unsecure or improperly-vetted apps, malware is quickly becoming a big smartphone problem, causing security breaches, snatching sensitive data, and even tracking a phone’s (and consequently its owner’s) location.
Unfortunately, however, malware is one of those things that most smartphone owners either ignore or don’t know how to deal with. The first step in addressing this issue is to use caution when installing new apps on your smartphone. Only download from trusted sites, and never from unverified or unsecured third-party sites.
Another precaution is to install anti-malware technology on your phone (Malwarebytes or similar apps are good choices for Android devices). But whatever you do, don’t ignore the risk of malware. You might end up paying the high price of having to replace your phone.
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Never turning your phone off.
Of course, you want to be able to receive calls and notifications on your smartphone at all times. But did you realize that you could be causing damage to your phone by never turning it off? Like most electronic devices, smartphones need a break every once in a while. This gives the system a chance to rest and reboot (and incidentally, clear caches and reset subsystem bugs or kinks that might have appeared). Otherwise, they can quite literally collapse from overwork.
To take care of your phone, get into the habit of shutting it down for 30 minutes around once a week. This will help boost the longevity of your device’s RAM and allow critical diagnostics to be run when the phone restarts.
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Maxing out your storage.
You might not think you’re hurting your phone by using it to store every single photo you’ve taken with it. However, the fact is that filling up your smartphone’s storage capacity can significantly impact its performance. Full phones tend to run more slowly and this can diminish the performance of apps and features. Additionally, full phones have to work harder and are therefore more likely to overheat. Show your phone some love by finding alternate storage space (like an external hard drive or a cloud storage option) for files that you don’t really need to keep permanently on your phone.
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Not updating your software.
If you’re not regularly updating your system software, you could be exposing your phone to some serious problems. System and other software updates not only correct bugs and problems that appeared in earlier versions. They also have the latest security measures in place that are essential in keeping your phone protected from hackers and other threats. If you don’t keep your software updated, it’s a bit like keeping your door unlocked: you can’t really be surprised when something unpleasant gets inside.
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Failing to clean your phone properly.
Cleaning your smartphone regularly is a great way to show it that you care, but it’s important to be sure you’re doing it properly. Otherwise, you might inadvertently be doing more harm than good. Make sure you turn the phone off before cleaning it, never use chemical or abrasive cleaning solutions on your device, and avoid damaging sensitive electronic parts with cleaning tools.
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Exposing your phone to water.
As a responsible smartphone owner, of course you know that water and electronics don’t mix. However, you might not be aware that any form of moisture at all is bad for your phone. Additionally, it’s much easier to expose your phone to moisture than you might think. Activities on the “do not do” list include the following: talking on your phone in the rain, taking your phone to the swimming pool (even if you leave it in the change rooms), and using your phone with wet hands.