With the rising cost of new phones, extending the life of your existing smartphone can save you a lot of money in the long run. Some steps are as simple as cleaning your phone regularly, while others require more attention. However, you don’t need to be tech-savvy to take advantage of these tips to extend the life of your phone. They’re all easy to understand, and you can start changing your habits today to extend the life of your phone.
Whether you’ve just upgraded your phone or are thinking about it, we’ll show you how to keep your phone looking like new with some quick and easy tips. Let’s take a look below!
Don’t skip app updates
To keep your phone running as fast and trouble-free as possible, it’s important to update the operating system and third-party applications. These updates don’t take long, and the benefits can be huge: From bug fixes and security fixes to changes that bring new features and improve overall performance, make your device work smoother and faster.
Both Android and iPhone offer automatic app updates and should be enabled by default. You can check your Android phone by opening the Play Store, sliding out the menu from the left side of the screen, tapping Settings and making sure to select the option to automatically update apps. If you have an iPhone, go to Settings > App Store and make sure the App Updates option is on. However, this feature does not work in low power mode.
For system updates on Android phones, you can check for updates by opening the Settings app and searching for software updates. Google releases Android security updates around the first day of every month, so checking your phone mid-month for updates isn’t a bad habit.
For iPhone users, you can choose to have your phone automatically install any new updates. To install updates or turn on automatic updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is available, follow the prompts to install it. If not, tap Automatic Updates to turn them on or off.
Deleting apps can help restore a slow phone
Phone storage and memory are limited, which is why it’s important to keep the number of unused apps to a minimum. Removing apps you don’t use from your phone regularly will save storage space and prevent apps from running in the background, using precious resources and making your phone feel slower and closer to its end of life than it really is.
Deleting apps on the iPhone is easy – just long press until the app is selected. You’ll see a drop-down menu from the app icon. Just select Remove App. You can then choose to delete the app from your phone, or just delete it from your home screen. Android users have more options, but a similar approach can be used: long press, select the “i” that appears in the App Info, and select Uninstall.
Keep the screen and ports clean
Even if you’re using a case, take a few minutes occasionally to remove any lint or dirt from the charging port, microphone area, speaker grill, and headphone jack. You can use a toothpick to get in there and coax out anything.
Avoid overwork and phone battery overheating
There are several myths involving cell phone batteries and keeping them healthy. We’ve looked at several battery myths recently and uncovered the truth about each.
Your phone will also last longer if you avoid putting your device in situations where the battery could overheat, such as if you’re sitting outside on a hot day, out of direct sunlight. If it gets too hot, it will shut itself off, but that puts a strain on the battery, which can lead to a shorter overall lifespan.
Replacing a damaged battery instead of a phone
Even if you’ve done everything by the book, you may still find yourself dealing with a battery that refuses to charge over time. Instead of replacing the entire phone, try replacing the battery.
Often this simple and cost-effective maintenance can add months or even years to the life of your phone. It would be easier if most phones were still made with removable batteries as they used to be, but most phones have embedded batteries that can’t be replaced without taking the phone apart. iPhone users can make an appointment at the Apple Store, or Android users can use a certified third-party repair service.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Phone battery
