Vacation-Proof Your Phone: How To Protect Your Smartphone From Heat, Cold And Water

With two months on the calendar till the blissful summer time, there is lots to get excited about. You are probably already picturing yourself at the beach, your worries and troubles left behind, a cool breeze in your hair and a dinner of exotic delicacies to look forward to. We wouldn’t want your vacation to be spoilt by anything, like phone damage, for instance. So, we have rounded up a nice and simple collection of summer phone tips. Just keep these few rules in mind – and your phone will have as nice of a time as you will.

Protect Your Phone From Heat

We assume that for your summer vacation you have chosen a location that is, well, sunny. So if you are dreaming of a ski resort in the Swiss Alps, you may want to skip over this one and head over to the next part. Here we will just cover a few tips on making your phone work well and safely while the sun is shining.

So, how do you go about protecting your phone from the sun?

Get an anti- glare screen. This will save you from turning your phone’s brightness all the way up and, as a result, save your device from overheating.

Do not leave your phone in direct sunlight. This can cause overheating and make your battery get low faster than usual – and that’s never good.

Do not leave your phone in a hot vehicle – and if you do – make sure it’s turned off.

If you feel that your phone is overheated – turn it off and avoid changing temperatures sharply. Most phones do come with a temperature sensor and will turn off automatically if the gadget gets too hot. If that happens, just let the device cool down and try turning it back on in some time. Do not try to speed up the cool-down of your phone – putting it into the fridge is a very bad idea.

Protect Your Phone From Cold

Let’s get back to that vacation in the Alps scenario. If you prefer to get into the cold this summer – your phone will also need to be ready for it.

Once again, the first component that will suffer when your phone gets cold is the battery and you will notice its performance deteriorating. Screens can also be a problem as extreme cold gets them more sensitive and prone to cracks and other gadgets.

Here are a few precautions to take.

Keep your phone close to your body – as your body temperature is high, the phone will get heat from it and be in a better functioning position.

Cases will also help the phone stay warm and it may be worth investing in a special winter case, especially if you plan to take your phone skiing.

Carry a spare battery or a portable charger. If your phone does have to be in the cold for some time, the battery may suffer and you may see it hold the charge worse than before.

If your phone gets too cold, it will turn off automatically. In this case, do not turn it back on immediately. Get it inside and let it warm up a bit before switching it back on.

Protect Your Phone From Water And Sand

If you bring your phone along as you are headed to the beach or swimming pool – avoiding at least a few drops of water hitting the screen will be difficult. Water damage can cause a lot of troubles for your phone – especially, if the water gets inside the device. So let’s go over a few damage-preventing tips.

Think ahead. If experience tells you that you will probably not be able to prevent your phone from getting wet – get a water-proof case or even keep a rugged phone, specifically for trips to the beach.

If you are not up for a case, at least make sure that all the crevices of your phone are closed to prevent the water from getting into the device.

If the worst has happened and your phone does suffer from water damage – turn it off, take out the battery and let the device dry out. For a more detailed recap on what to do when your phone is damaged by water, read out post on I Dropped My Cellphone In Water! How To Save A Wet Phone.

Don’t forget that in addition to water damage, sand damage is also dangerous. So make sure your phone is not lying around on the sand or is not in the same bags with sandy towels.