As smartphones continue to become the industry standard, it is increasingly important for users to know the little hacks they can use to get them the most functionality out of their device. Improve your battery life, pay less on your data bill, and keep your phone for longer with these ideas.
Waterproof Your Phone (Kind Of)
An overly-simple, yet effective way to protect your phone from water damage while on the go, is to place it into any plastic storage bag such as a Ziploc while in your purse or backpack. Nothing is foolproof, but double up for an added level of certainty. This hack can proof to be most useful on vacations, if something unexpected spills, or in a sudden downpour.
The No Charger Hack
A funny trick many may not think about, is most modern televisions have a USB port somewhere on their side or back. This USB port provides the 5 volts needed to recharge most smartphones. This hack is particularly useful if you’re running out of battery life but don’t have a wall charger, or if you are overseas and don’t have an outlet converter. Be aware, though that images stored on the phone may be accessible by whoever has the TV remote!
Battery Conservation
This one is a favorite among experienced smartphone hackers, and can save you having to charge it daily. Use airplane mode to shutoff all wireless signals from your phone to extend the battery life, especially if you are on the go and traveling a lot. This turns off cell coverage, data, and Wi-Fi, but Wi-Fi can be turned back on without cell coverage to effectively turn a smartphone into a mini-tablet.
Another way to save money on your Wi-Fi is to make sure you have the best coverage in your home. A spotty connection often causes your phone to use up more battery life. Choose a fast internet service like Reserve Telecommunications, who can hook up everything from your TV and tablet.
Turn off Notifications
Disabling notifications is often done in two different ways. On some models you’ll have to disable notifications within the app’s settings themselves, and on others you can disable via your phone’s own settings.
To disable notifications on iPhone:
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone
- Look for the Notification Center (there is Notification Center and Not In Notification Center—the latter of which lists apps you are not receiving notifications from)
- Tap on Notification Center
- Scroll down and find the app you’d like to disable
- Tap on the app you would like to disable.
To disable notifications on Android:
- Launch the Settings app on your Android
- Scroll down until you find Sound & Notification
- Scroll down to App Notifications
- From there you can tap on a list of your apps to disable notifications
There are countless more smartphone life hacks out there that can help a first-time phone owner to get the most out of their device. However, these few will be enough to get someone started and help you get limitless functions out of the smartphone you chose.
