Calling all butterfingers! If you’re constantly gripped with the anxiety that you are going to drop your most expensive tech and shatter the screen, you can take a deep breath out. There are ways to keep your smartphone safe, secure and fully functional. Follow all of these practical tips to make sure that you don’t have to buy a brand-new phone:
Get the Best Case
One of the bad smartphone habits that usually results in broken screens and lighter wallets is opting out of protective accessories. A good screen protector and a durable case can give your smartphone a fighting chance when it slips through your fingers. When your device is completely naked, the odds are set against it.
You shouldn’t get just any case you find online. You should get the phone case with the most grip to keep your fingers attached to the device and to avoid any form of damage. A case with shock-absorbing polymers and tactile buttons will be perfect for the job.
Improve Reachability
Smartphones are big nowadays. Using a large device one-handed can be awkward ‘ this is especially true for people with smaller hands. The size and layout of the phone can also make it easier to lose your grip and fumble the device.
One of the ways to avoid this clumsy scenario is to stop using your smartphone one-handed. Use one hand to hold the back and the other to scroll through the apps. It’s a little old-school, but it’s much safer.
If that method doesn’t work for you, you can increase your phone’s reachability to make it easier to go through the applications with one hand. The setting will move the icons further down the home screen, so you don’t have to overextend your thumb trying to open and close them.
Get the Right Exercise Gear
Your smartphone has fitness apps, tutorial videos, step trackers, music and podcasts to get you through a workout. If you want to use it at the gym or bring it to your next run outside, you should get a high-quality armband to keep it secure during the entire session. If you don’t like the look or feel of the armband, you could always put it inside of a sport-belt.
Change Your Charging Spot
Resting your smartphone on a high tabletop when it’s charging could be a bad idea. If someone trips over the cord or bumps into the table, your phone will jerk off of the edge and plummet to the floor.
One of the most effective ways to avoid dropping your phone is to pick a secure charging spot that won’t put it at risk of falling. Pick a spot that’s lower to the ground, but not enough to get stepped on or kicked. Don’t stretch out the cord so that it becomes a tripping hazard. If your device allows it, consider wireless charging from now on.
Stop Multitasking
You can scroll through your Twitter feed and swipe through Tinder matches with the flick of your thumb, while your other hand grabs a freshly brewed cup of coffee or searches your pocket for house keys. You’re playing a risky game whenever you do this. One wrong move will send the phone plummeting to the ground, and your other hand will be too busy to catch it. Instead of multitasking, put the device in a safe spot like a pocket or tabletop until the other activity is finished.
Practice these other good smartphone habits to avoid a spiderwebbed screen:
- Don’t rest it on precarious table/desk/furniture edges
- Don’t toss, throw or slide it across the table
- Don’t keep it in your back pocket
- Don’t put it in shallow pockets
- If you put it in a pocket, make sure the pocket stays zipped or buttoned shut
- Be gentle with your device at all times
You don’t have to accept that you’ll eventually do the walk of shame back to the store to get a smartphone replacement after breaking it. If you take these simple steps to keep your phone secure, you won’t drop it. The screen will stay smooth and pristine until you decide to buy an upgrade, just because you want to.