Whether you’re an iPhone or Android fan, Mac or PC user, we all share the same fear: Our beloved devices will get damaged, and we’ll have to start over without our pictures, music, bookmarks, and documents. It’s the stuff of nightmares.
We can’t protect your devices from every potential pitfall, but we can help you with internet service and avoid some of the biggest issues. Here are five tips for keeping electronic devices safe.
1. Avoid Extreme Temperatures
Electronic devices don’t like extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold. They’re generally OK at temperatures between 32 degrees and 90 degrees Fahrenheit; operate or store devices outside of that range and you risk ruining them. First and foremost, don’t leave your electronics inside your car during the summer or winter. If you must leave your devices in the car during the summer, put them inside a neoprene cover (which blocks some of the heat) and stow them in the trunk or underneath the seat, where the sun can’t reach them and they’ll stay cooler.
If you do expose your device to extreme temperatures, let it warm up or cool down gradually before you attempt to use it.
2. Charge Wisely
Disconnect chargers and devices with rechargeable batteries after the battery reaches full charge to avoid overcharging. Overcharging decreases battery life, and in some situations, can cause a fire.
3. Encase Everything
Everything from your phone to your tablet to your Kindle should have its own protective case to cushion it against accidental drops. How protective a case you choose will depend on how often you’re on the move with your device and how accident-prone you are. You can go with anything from a simple neoprene sleeve to full-on OtterBox protection. Just make sure you have something.
4. Clean Gently
All that touching means your screens, keys, and buttons will get dirty. But don’t be too gung-ho about cleaning them or you’ll inflict permanent damage.
Clean screens with a lightly moistened microfiber cloth wiped gently across the surface – no heavy pressure. Use another microfiber to dry the surface and polish it. Use compressed air to blast crumbs and gunk out of keyboards. You can use a toothpick – carefully – to unwedge anything that remains.
5. Safeguard Your Data
Losing or breaking a device is costly and painful, but not as painful as losing your irreplaceable photos and documents. To avoid that, make sure your data (which includes contacts, texts, media, and documents) exists in the cloud, as well as on your device. Back up your data regularly, using whatever tools your device provides and verify that the backup was successful. You can also save important documents and media to a cloud service, like Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. That way, you have a copy of your files that can be restored to your new device or old one once it’s repaired.
With a little planning and care, you should be able to keep your devices safe for a long time.