It’s safe to say smartphones are commonplace in society. Wherever you look, you’ll find people glued to their screen. In fact, many of us can’t even remember what life was like before Android and Apple devices launched onto the scene. If you’re an avid smartphone user, it’s natural you’ll want to get the most out of your device.
If you take extra care and caution with your device, it could stay in good working nick for much longer, meaning you can keep hold of it for years to come. Here is a brief guide on how to prolong the life of your smartphone.
Remove Unnecessary Apps
We get it, smartphones and apps go hand in hand. Whether you download all the social media apps or you like playing games, you may end up having too many apps on your phone (yes, this is a thing!). You will only have so much storage place, so rather than littering your phone with countless apps, now may be the time to get rid of those you barely use. When you swipe right a few times you’re bound to see apps that you haven’t clicked on in years. You’re best removing them which will free up storage space and potentially boost performance.
Declutter Your Camera Roll
Are you the type of person that likes to capture every moment? Whether it’s special occasions, photos of your dog, or taking snaps of what you’ve had for dinner, your camera roll can quickly become filled up with thousands of photos that you barely give a second glance to. The bad news is too many photos and videos can hog storage and cause your smartphone to go into overdrive to work. Like with your apps, it’s time to go through your camera roll and delete any media you don’t return to. If you can’t bear to say goodbye to some photos or videos, why not pay for extra storage in the cloud?
Use a Screen Protector
Some of us are clumsy, it is what it is. If you resonate with this, how many times have you dropped your smartphone? Be honest! There’s nothing that instils fear more than picking up your phone off the ground to check whether the screen has caved in. Thankfully, if you have a screen protector on, your chances of damage are much slimmer. No one wants to deal with a broken screen. They can make your device practically impossible to use. Therefore, if there’s one thing you should do today, it's to buy a screen protector. A tempered glass one is your best bet.
Take Out Insurance
Even if you’re incredibly careful with your smartphone, problems can arise out of your control. Whether you lose your device on a night out or you, unfortunately, have it stolen, it’s very important to have insurance in place to cover you. If you have an Android device, Gadget Cover offers Android phone insurance. They have a selection of policies to pick from which can cover you for all kinds of things, including theft and water damage.
Lower the Brightness
When you climb into bed after a busy day, are you the type to put your phone to its maximum brightness to see the screen? If the answer is yes, you could be limiting your device’s lifespan without even realising it. The reason for this is simple- brightness can affect battery life. To get the most out of your battery life, allow auto-brightness to work its magic. This can adjust your display or dim your screen. Should your device get too hot, the display may dim until your device cools down.
Avoid Charging Overnight
While charging your smartphone during the night is certainly convenient, this can do more damage to it than you think. When your phone is plugged in overnight, it will reach 100% capacity hours before you get your hands on it. Because smartphones obviously don’t take 7 or 8 hours to fully charge, most of the charging period is dangerous and futile. Overcharging your device can degrade battery performance. This means you will run out of charge in less time and end up having to reach your charger more regularly.
Invest In a Sturdy Case
Now you’ve got your screen protected, the next step is to be proactive with the rest of your device’s components. While no phone case is going to offer 100% protection, it will definitely help in reducing the severity of damage should you drop yours. Smartphone cases come in all colours and designs, so have a look at the different options on the market. A smartphone case can not only offer protection but allow you to express your personal style.
Avoid Software Updates
We’ve got an interesting fact for you. Did you know that phone manufacturers only provide support for roughly 2 generations? This is the reason why iOS updates are only compatible with certain models over time. While you may have the option to update even if your smartphone is older, doing so can cause an array of performance issues. To extend the life of your device, it’s wise to avoid software updates after 2 new generations have been released.
Power Down Regularly
You would never leave your computer running for weeks at a time, yet some smartphone users don’t turn off their devices for months! If your phone is about to run out of charge, rather than rushing to get it plugged in, it helps to power down from time to time. Allowing your smartphone to power down for a couple of minutes at least once a week will definitely help it to run more efficiently. What’s more, doing this can prolong its useful life.
When you factor in how expensive smartphones can cost, you’ll want to make sure you do everything possible to get the most use out of your own. There are numerous practices you can start doing today that will help to extend the life of your smartphone and mean you won’t have to upgrade every couple of years.