What care should you take with your smartphone?

1 – Place cover and film

What care should you take with your smartphone? Your cell phone probably didn't cost cheap, as the price of devices is increasingly rising in Brazil. Therefore, a scratch or a broken screen means a considerable loss for the smartphone owner, and no one likes to go through that.

Therefore, use a protective case and film on your cell phone to avoid accidents. There are different types of films, such as translucent, frosted and glass.

A first, usually cheaper, protects against small scratches, but tends to be fragile when it comes to impacts and larger scratches. The same happens with matte film, which normally wins over consumers because it does not accumulate finger marks, is anti-reflective and make it easier to slide your fingers across the screen.

However, to avoid as many problems with scratches and cracks on the screen as possible, the most recommended is glass film, which offers an extra layer of protection and can make a difference when your phone accidentally falls to the floor.

It is possible to find glass films for approximately 30 to 40 reais, including application – which is a much more affordable price than repairing a screen.

2 – Use a pocket just for your cell phone

We all need to carry a lot of things in our pockets or bags when we leave the house: cell phone, wallet, keys, accessories, charger, etc. However, imagine all of this hitting at the same time inside your pocket.

No It wouldn't be surprising if your cell phone came out with a collection of scratches, right? Therefore, reserve some space just to carry your smartphone – a specific pocket in your pants, or in your bag, or inside a case that is closed on the front and back – as long as its material does not get scratched.

3 – Turn off Bluetooth and other applications that are not useful all the time

Now leaving aside the physical part of the device and thinking about its internal aspects, an interesting tip is to leave functions that are not essential all the time turned off.

Why, for example, would you leave your Bluetooth on all day? All this would offer you would be a less durable battery in addition to vulnerabilities even to attacks from malicious people. That's why, disconnect everything you won't need, and leave these functions to be activated when it's really necessary.

4 – Be careful when leaving your cell phone charging overnight

To load using your smartphone all night is a common thing for many users. And there really is no problem doing this if your cell phone is working without any problems.

Most modern batteries are protected with systems that interrupt the power supply when the charge reaches 100%, preventing damage to the device. However, if any problem occurs with this protection system, the damage could be great. Without protection, your cell phone could overheat and suffer serious internal damage.

5 – Consider using anti-theft applications

Unfortunately, cell phone theft statistics are increasing. Mainly in large cities and capitals, smartphones are quickly resold, financing the criminal market and generating easy income for criminals.

Therefore, installing anti-theft apps can be a good way to give your device extra protection. Some applications, for example, allow you to manage important files remotely, as well as sound alarms, show location, lock the device and other features.

With an application of this type installed, along with the good will of the police, you can even recover your cell phone – although, unfortunately, this is uncommon. It is always good to remember that in cases of theft it is essential that you file a police report at the nearest police station and have your cell phone's IMEI number on hand.

6 – Don’t let your cell phone completely discharge

Older people probably still believe that the old adage of letting the phone completely discharge to avoid 'addicting' the battery still applies to modern smartphones. However, this is not true.

Current batteries are much more technologically advanced, and promise not to be addictive. On the other hand, letting the device completely discharge is a practice condemned by practically all experts in the field, who say that this can shorten its useful life.

The devices themselves are programmed to turn off when they reach 5% of charge, even if they show that there is no more battery available. However, it is dangerous to let your cell phone reach such low levels.

7 – Avoid accumulating too many unnecessary applications

The large number of applications and games available for download can cause you to accumulate a large number of unnecessary applications on your device.

This will take up your memory, which can slow down your phone and cause the famous “choking”, as many applications can continue running in the background.

Therefore, try to only keep what you actually use in your daily life.

8 – Do not store confidential files

Last but not least, as ridiculous as this may seem to some, do not store sensitive files on your cell phone.

Even though it appears to be super protected, with passwords, protection standards, etc., you never know which hands it could end up in, or the threats that could reach your device. It is not uncommon for a cell phone to stop working and, when sent for technical assistance, its owners end up having intimate photos and other confidential documents stolen by the technicians themselves.

Furthermore, cell phones are also not free from hackers, who can steal banking information and other personal data without you even realizing it.

Therefore, take security measures but try not to keep stored what you cannot lose under any circumstances.