{"id":6979,"date":"2022-04-26T14:55:42","date_gmt":"2022-04-26T21:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/?p=6979"},"modified":"2023-01-11T13:28:19","modified_gmt":"2023-01-11T21:28:19","slug":"top-tips-for-lengthening-the-life-of-your-phone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/top-tips-for-lengthening-the-life-of-your-phone\/","title":{"rendered":"TOP TIPS FOR LENGTHENING THE LIFE OF YOUR PHONE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whether you rely on an iPhone<\/a> or Android<\/a> device, we can all agree that our phones are investments worth protecting. However, you may be surprised to learn that some of your habits inadvertently shorten your smartphone\u2019s life span!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, with a little bit of awareness, you can take immediate steps to preserve your phone\u2019s longevity and prevent it from breaking down before its time. Here are a few essential tips to help make your phone last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protect your device from physical damage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once considered mandatory, advances in glass and screen coatings have rendered screen protectors unnecessary for most phones. To guard against drops and scratches, use a cell phone case made from a shock-absorbent material\u2014usually silicone or rubber\u2014with protection for the corners of your phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ITSKINS<\/a> is a popular brand offering a range of stylish and functional phone and tablet cases, including antimicrobial and impact-absorbing HEXOTEK options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Limit reliance on vibrations for notifications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more demands you place on your phone, the quicker you wear it down. Vibrating notifications require a lot of energy and constant vigilance, forcing your phone to run at full capacity when it\u2019s not really warranted or helpful.  Bottom line? Only use vibrations for notifications when you absolutely must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Close apps not in use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This one is simple but worth emphasizing: Close out of apps when you\u2019re done with them! It\u2019s an easy but often overlooked step to not only preserve the battery life of your iPhone<\/a> or Android<\/a> device but free up memory as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you open an app and never use it again but fail to close out of it, the app may continue to run in the background and cause your battery to drain faster. With that in mind, if your phone ever becomes sluggish, check for any open but unused apps and swipe accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only allow permissions that are really needed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all apps need to know your location. Ride-sharing apps, sure\u2014but they\u2019re the exception. Only grant location-sharing permissions when necessary, and remember to take away permissions when unnecessary. It\u2019s worth checking your settings and rectifying any pointless and draining activity that comes from oversharing your location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be mindful of battery-draining apps<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to battery life, be aware that some apps are greedier than others. Google Maps, Netflix, and Amazon are leading offenders. In fact, The Guardian<\/a> reported that by uninstalling the Facebook app from Android<\/a> phones, people saved up to 20 percent of their battery life. It\u2019s also been found that deletion of the Facebook Messenger app causes load times for other apps to speed up by around 15 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep screen brightness in check<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that our phone screens are so beautifully large, they demand much more from our phone batteries than the tiny-screened phones of decades past. The solution is to go to the display menu and turn on adaptive brightness, allowing the brightness of your screen to be automatically adjusted to accommodate the level of light in your environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid exposure to extreme temperatures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold, take a real toll on the life of your phone. According to Time, you risk data loss and corruption or battery leakage when you expose your phone to intense heat\u2014whether baking on the sunny beach or smoldering under your pillow at night. On scorching days, it’s wise to remove the case and keep your phone in the shade, off the warm ground, and at a distance from your body heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, in frigid weather, the performance of your phone\u2019s liquid lithium-ion battery slows way down, and its power drains at lightning speed. When the mercury takes a dive, insulate your phone with a case and keep it in your pocket to take advantage of body heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unplug your phone when fully charged<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may seem counterintuitive, but it\u2019s not a good idea to keep your phone plugged in after it reaches 100%\u2014and yes, that includes leaving your phone to charge overnight while you sleep. Heat buildup occurs when a fully charged battery is left plugged in, which can cause real damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprisingly, lithium-ion batteries should avoid being fully charged because a high voltage stresses the battery and eventually wears it down. In any case, resist the temptation to plug in your phone constantly. Only do so when needed, and unplug once your phone is fully charged or close to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep software up to date<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re all guilty of putting off updates to our devices, but this poses unnecessary risks to our phones. Updates are regularly pushed out, by makers of both iPhone<\/a> and Android<\/a> smartphones, for a good reason\u2014to fix bugs, improve battery function, or even boost security. Software updates could even solve issues you\u2019ve noticed with your device, so skipping them is a missed opportunity. The same idea applies to apps, so stay on top of those updates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether you rely on an iPhone or Android device, we can all agree that our phones are investments worth protecting. However, you may be surprised to learn that some of your habits inadvertently shorten your smartphone\u2019s life span! Thankfully, with a little bit of awareness, you can take immediate steps to preserve your phone\u2019s longevity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":6980,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nTOP TIPS FOR LENGTHENING THE LIFE OF YOUR PHONE - Our Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to lengthen the life of your iPhone or Android phone and preserve your battery with essential tips you can put into practice immediately.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/top-tips-for-lengthening-the-life-of-your-phone\/\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Susan Thomas\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"TOP TIPS FOR LENGTHENING THE LIFE OF YOUR PHONE - 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