Make your smartphone last longer!
Cellphone battery die just when you need to make a call? Accidentally drop your phone in the toilet? We’ve all been there! That’s why we asked the pros for the easy insider secrets that’ll make your phone last longer—and save you a bundle! 1 Boost battery life!
Charge it smarter
The best way to amp your phone’s battery life? “Just keep your phone charged between 50% and 80% capacity,” urges cellphone engineer Brad Cox of Ventev Mobile. “One of the biggest killers of cellphone batteries is letting them go below 20%— and even worse is draining the battery completely! Shorter ‘mini charges’ during the day will help your battery maintain its maximum charging capacity.”
■ Tip! “If you can, avoid those super-cheap chargers from the convenience store,” says Nina Brentlinger of cellphone repair company Puls. “They’re not calibrated correctly and can damage your battery—it’s worth it to buy your charger from your phone’s manufacturer.”
Carry it “cooler”
Turns out, your phone is a bit of a vampire: “Avoid exposing your phone to direct sunlight or high heat, which can really shorten the life span of your battery,” cautions Cox. That’s because heat speeds up the chemical reactions in the battery, which can damage and age it over time. In fact, even storing your phone in your pocket can shorten the battery life due to body heat. The best bet? Keep your phone in your purse.
2 Save your phone from soggy disasters!
The most dangerous place in your home for your cellphone? Your bathroom! “Believe it or not, that’s where one in every four cases of phone damage occurs, according to research, because it’s easy to knock or drop our phone into the toilet or bath,” says Brentlinger. Can’t live without your phone during your morning routine? Consider a cellphone holder and put it somewhere safe in your bathroom away from water. Those made for your desk or car work great, or consider the House Ur Home Bathtub & Shower Cell Phone Case Stand, $13 at Amazon.com.
Dropped it in water?
Rice bath to the rescue! “Placing your smartphone in a bag of uncooked rice is one of the most effective ways to remove water from the device,” says Holly Zink of Safeguarde. com, a mobile phone blog. “Blot your phone with a towel before putting it in the rice and leave it in for about 24 hours.” Why it works: Rice attracts and absorbs water (that’s how it cooks!), so the dry kernels can actually magnetically pull the water right out of your phone.