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Phonefix has compiled these ten common mistakes to help more people stop doing this and extend the life of their phones. Are you wondering how you can increase your smartphone's lifespan? Let's start with the common mistakes you might be making that damage your smartphone.
1. Downloading Malicious Apps
When you can't find an app on the Play Store or App Store, you might be tempted to explore other sources. However, downloading apps from unofficial sources or third-party app stores can put your device at risk for malware.
Malicious apps can infect your device with viruses and spyware that can steal your personal information, passwords, and even banking information. What's more, they can give cybercriminals access to your device’s camera and microphone. In most cases, it's safer to download apps from official stores because they have a screening process to prevent malicious apps from appearing in their lists, giving you a better chance of avoiding them.
2. Let Your Phone Charge When It's Hot
Allowing your phone to overheat while charging can permanently damage the battery, so make sure your phone isn't exposed to excessive temperatures. To prevent your device from overheating, always remove any cases or accessories before charging to ensure that extra heat doesn't build up in the device.
When charging your phone, find a cool, moisture-free environment that's below 32℃ (90F).
3. Ignore Updates
You may not like those notifications telling you that there is a new software update for your phone or a specific app. However, these are necessary updates that help keep your device running smoothly and securely.
Generally speaking, these updates not only focus on improving the user experience, but also often include security patches to address newly discovered vulnerabilities. If you ignore them, you are actually exposing your phone to malware attacks. In addition to this, updates usually fix bugs that may cause your phone to malfunction or run slowly. So, don't block notifications, and download and install updates as soon as possible.
4. Use Public Wi-Fi
Even more tempting than ignoring software updates is to use free public Wi-Fi whenever you visit some of your favorite stores. However, this convenience also comes with some risks.
It is well known that public Wi-Fi hotspots are not secure as they are usually unencrypted or have weak security measures. If you connect to one of these networks, it is easy for malicious actors to steal personal information such as passwords and bank details. In addition to this, your phone may be infected with malware, which can cause apps to frequently crash for no reason, overheat, and shorten battery life.
If you must use public Wi-Fi, connect only to password-protected and encrypted networks. You should also avoid visiting sensitive websites that can compromise your device and personal information.
5. Using the wrong charger
You might think that all chargers are the same and as long as the cable's connector fits your phone, it will work fine. Yes, it might charge your phone, but it might not charge as efficiently as the charger that came with your device. What's more, an incompatible charger can shorten the life of your battery and even damage your phone's charging port.
Not all chargers deliver the same amount of power, and some are better quality than others. However, this doesn't mean you have to use the original charger for your device. You can buy chargers from reputable brands and check that they are safe to use. You just have to make sure they are certified by the manufacturer and have the right output for your device. But if you don't know the manufacturer, you can go for the Magico Restore Easy Cable from phonefix.
6. Putting Wet Phones In Rice
You shouldn't put wet phones in rice, doing so can mean that small particles of rice enter your phone and damage it. Instead, dry it with a towel, and pay attention to all ports such as headphone ports to remove as much water as possible.
If water does get on a phone, don't panic - place it in a dry place and lightly tap the device with the connection port facing downwards to dislodge any moisture. Avoid using a hair dryer, excessive heat can harm sensitive electronics. Instead, gently wipe the uncovered phone with a clean towel, taking care to prevent water from entering its charging port, SIM or MicroSD slots, or headphone jack.
7. Leaving Your Phone In Direct Sunlight
Leaving your phone in direct sunlight can seriously damage it, anything over 35 degrees celsius is too hot. We've all probably played with our phones in the sun, but it's really important to keep them away from direct sunlight or extreme temperatures.
Leaving your phone in the sun can damage the battery. Warning signs that your phone is overheating include a dimmed display, a completely black screen, or a disabled camera flash. For Android devices, go to Settings > Google > Backup. Below that, you may see an option with a toggle next to it that says Back up to Google Drive. (If you have Google One installed, it may say Back up by Google One.) Make sure it's turned on. Select Back up now.
8. Manually Clean Up Background Apps
Do you often close all the apps running in the background of your phone to improve its performance? This is not necessary and can even do more harm than good. It is easy to believe that having multiple apps running in the background when you are not actively using them will slow down your device.
However, most modern smartphones are designed to handle this kind of workload, keeping them in a low-power state until they are needed. It is better to leave them running in the background rather than force closing them, because your phone will consume less power when switching from active apps to background apps, allowing you to resume from where you left off faster and reducing the stress on your device.
On the other hand, your smartphone will require more power to restart an app from scratch than to resume it from a low-power state. This is similar to your heater, which requires more energy to heat up than to maintain the desired temperature.
9. Crumbs or Trash Left In The Port
Cleaning your phone carefully can prevent long-term problems, including overheating, when it's often in your pants pocket. It's worth doing this if your phone has come into contact with any dust or debris. The first thing to do before Cleaning the Port when any device is to turn it off. Then, shine a light on the device to see how much dust is there. Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth to wipe the area around the charging port.
To remove debris from the port, use a toothpick and move it from one side to the other, making sure to be gentle as this area can be easily damaged. Once the debris is out, wipe it off with a cloth and insert a clean toothpick. Don't forget to keep your phone case clean! You should clean your device case once a week as these can also accumulate unnecessary dust and grit.
10. Bad Charging Habits
Although your battery’s capacity will degrade over time, some bad charging habits can speed up this process. For example, allowing your battery to run down or fully charge to 100% is not ideal for its long-term health. This is so because your battery has a limited number of charge cycles, and repeating this process over time reduces its performance.
Ideally, aim to keep your phone charged between 30%-80%, as you will use fewer charge cycles and improve your battery’s lifespan. In addition to this, your phone typically heats up when charging, which is okay to some extent. However, if it gets too hot, this can cause permanent damage to your battery. So, try to charge your phone in a cool or well-ventilated place and avoid putting it under your pillow or in direct sunlight.
Conculsion:
Improve your smartphone’s lifespan by avoiding these mistakes.
While it is not always easy to keep your phone in top condition, doing so is necessary if you want to get the most from your device and enjoy using it for as long as possible. By avoiding the mistakes mentioned above, you can keep your phone running smoothly while prolonging its lifespan.
The above is the way that Phonefix has summarized that it always seems to protect the phone but actually damages the phone. We are professional in Mobile Phone Repair. If you want to know more about mobile phone repair and maintenance, please contact phonefix and we will answer them one by one.
