5 Surefire Ways to Ruin Your Smartphone
Want your smartphone to live a long, productive life? Great—don’t do any of the following. These are the surefire ways to ruin your smartphone and send it to an early grave.
Avoiding these mistakes will save you time, money, and frustration. But if you ignore them? Well, get ready to shop for a replacement.
1. Skip the Case
For many users, a protective case is an afterthought—something to get after the phone is already scratched, cracked, or shattered. But let’s be real: dropping your phone is inevitable, not hypothetical.
Skipping the case means zero protection. Even a cheap case is better than nothing. And for maximum defense against accidental drops and dings? Go for a military-grade case. It might not be glamorous, but neither is a $300 screen replacement.
Surefire way to ruin your smartphone: Walk around with a naked phone.
2. Expose It to Extreme Temperatures
Your smartphone is tough, but not invincible. It can overheat at just 113°F (like when you leave it in your car on a summer day) or shut down completely in freezing temps (below -40°F). Even direct sunlight for too long can cause damage.
Surefire way to ruin your smartphone: Use it as a thermometer in a heatwave or a hand warmer in a blizzard.
Quick tip: Keep your phone out of direct sunlight and avoid using it in harsh weather unless necessary.
3. Never Turn It Off
While some people leave their PCs on 24/7 without issue, smartphones aren’t built for constant uptime. Failing to reboot your phone regularly can result in slow performance, memory issues, and other system glitches.
According to TechRepublic, rebooting your smartphone at least once a week helps clear caches and restart critical subsystems, boosting performance and longevity.
Surefire way to ruin your smartphone: Treat it like a lightbulb and never power it down.
4. Carry It in Your Pocket
Sure, pockets are convenient. But they’re also dangerous. Your back pocket can crush your phone if you sit down too fast, side pockets offer little protection from falls, and shirt pockets? One lean forward and crack—gravity wins.
Also, while rare, there have been instances of phones overheating or even catching fire in pockets due to pressure or battery faults.
Better options: Use a purse, messenger bag, or belt clip for safer transport.
Surefire way to ruin your smartphone: Sit, bend, or jog with your phone precariously hanging out of your jeans.
5. Ignore Malware Threats
It’s a myth that smartphones don’t need protection. Malware on mobile devices is becoming more sophisticated, and bad actors are increasingly targeting Android and iOS platforms with phishing apps, spyware, and trojans.
The basics of mobile security:
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Install a trusted mobile antivirus app
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Run regular scans
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Only download apps from reputable sources (like the App Store or Google Play)
Surefire way to ruin your smartphone: Click “Install” on anything that looks free, fun, or fishy.
Don’t Shorten Your Smartphone’s Life
There are plenty of surefire ways to ruin your smartphone, but there are just as many smart habits that can keep it running like new. Take care of your device, and it will take care of you.
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