Summer smartphone care: Protect your device from sun, sea and sand


High temperatures can soon cause your smartphone to overheat. — AFP Relaxnews

Between the heat, the sand, and pool or seawater, summer can be a hazardous time for smartphones. Care should be taken to ensure that your device makes it through to fall without coming to harm.

Beware of the sun

In warm weather, your smartphone can heat up to dangerous levels. To avoid the risk of overheating, which could damage the device, it's essential to avoid exposing your smartphone to too much sunlight. To cool it down quickly, simply place it in the shade, or in a cool place, for a few minutes, and momentarily remove its protective cover or case. You could also place it near a fan, but never in the refrigerator. In the car, when it's hot, place your phone in the glove compartment rather than on a seat or near the windshield.

As a general rule, it's best to switch off WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS when you don't need them, so as not to overheat the battery. If this doesn't work, simply switch your smartphone off and on again a few minutes later, and it should return to a normal temperature. Fortunately, most models now switch off automatically when they exceed a certain temperature. Finally, it's a good idea to choose a shady spot in which to recharge your smartphone.

Smartphones and sand

It's probably best to avoid using your smartphone at the beach. Sand is a risk for many reasons. Large grains can scratch the screen quite easily, while smaller ones can get into the ports and cause damage to the inside of the device itself. Before taking your smartphone on vacation, remember to equip it with a case and a protective film on the display. When you're not using it, place it in a waterproof pouch, such as a zip-lock freezer bag. If your smartphone comes into contact with sand or seawater, wipe it carefully with clean water and a soft cloth.

Water risks

Finally, if your phone falls into the water, don't try to dry it out by putting in rice. As with sand, small particles could get into the device and damage it internally. In fact, it's better to switch off the device immediately, then place it in a dry, well-ventilated area. You can then start tapping it gently, with the connector at the bottom, to get out most of the water.

You can also wipe it with a paper towel or soft cloth, taking care not to insert any foreign objects (tissue, cloth, etc) into the connectors. Under no circumstances should you use a hairdryer or microwave oven to remove the last traces of moisture. – AFP Relaxnews

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Tech News

A safety report card ranks AI company efforts to protect humanity
Bitcoin hoarding company Strategy remains in Nasdaq 100
Opinion: Everyone complains about 'AI slop,' but no one can define it
Google faces $129 million French asset freeze after Russian ruling, documents show
Netflix’s $72 billion Warner Bros deal faces skepticism over YouTube rivalry claim
Pakistan to allow Binance to explore 'tokenisation' of up to $2 billion of assets
Analysis-Musk's Mars mission adds risk to red-hot SpaceX IPO
Analysis-Oracle-Broadcom one-two punch hits AI trade, but investor optimism persists
Unicef welcomes Malaysia's commitment, says age bans alone won't protect children
Analysts flag risks for Strategy at Nasdaq 100 index reshuffle

Others Also Read