We are all guilty of mishandling our smartphones. Once the battery deteriorates or the phone starts to feel a bit sluggish, we decide once and for all that it is time for a replacement.
But with so many people out of work in this pandemic-induced recession, it is not a good time to buy new tech right now. That being said, we should learn how to make our smartphones last longer. Here's how:
Deep clean your phone
All gadgets need to be cleaned thoroughly. Dirt and debris on your smartphone can cause it to overheat, which will shorten its life.
Do a quick check of your phone's ports regularly. Food crumbs and dust can easily get lodged inside, which could be the reason why your phone is charging slowly. Simply use a sewing needle or canned aerosol to remove any dirt.
Check your battery
Batteries are like car tires -- they need regular replacement. If you haven't known already, your phone's battery can only be charged a finite number of times before it gives up on you.
If you own an Apple device, check your battery's health by opening the Settings, tapping Battery, and selecting Battery Health. For Android users, you can use third-party apps like AccuBattery to check the health of your smartphone.
The general consensus is that you should check up on the remaining capacity of your battery. If the capacity falls less than 60%, it's time to replace it.
Do a data purge
Your smartphone gets slower the more storage you use up, so do declutter your data at least once a year.
Android users can do this using Files, which can help you pinpoint apps that haven't been used in a while. iOS users can use the iPhone Storage, which shows a list of apps that hogs a lot of data, and when they were last used.
You can do the same for your computers as well. Simply open a folder and sort the files by when you last used them. Check those you haven't opened in years and get rid of them.
Use a protective case
Whether you like it or not, your smartphone needs a protective case. Your goal here is to prolong the life of your phone, so you must protect it from bumps, scratches, and especially drops. Consider a smartphone case like a car bumper. You wouldn't want to drive a car without one, would you?
