The common holiday mistakes that can destroy your phone, according to a tech expert
Phones now often hold virtual wallets for payments, travel documents and boarding passes, along with aeroplane apps needed for check-in.
Smartphones have become essential to all holidays to help us get around, capture memories and find new places to visit - but this all comes with the increased risk of breaking them while far away from home.
With one in five of us having lost or damaged a phone on holiday, according to research by StaySure, it’s also become a potential disaster due to the amount of information and apps travellers rely on from their smartphones. Phones now often hold virtual wallets for payments, travel documents and boarding passes, along with aeroplane apps needed for check-in.
Yahoo News spoke to phone repair expert Kewin Charron about the risks which lead to our phones' untimely demise - and what to do to keep your's safe.
Leaving your phone charging while hot
Letting your phone get too hot while charging can damage its battery permanently, and it’s crucial to ensure it’s not still hot from the beach.
Charron said: "To avoid the device overheating, it’s important to remove any phone cases or accessories before charging to ensure additional heat isn’t being held in the device.
"Whilst charging the phone, find a cool, moisture-free environment that’s less than 32C (90F)."
Putting wet phones in rice
You shouldn’t put wet phones in rice, explains Charron - doing so can mean that small particles of rice enter your phone and damage it.
Instead, dry it with a towel, and pay attention to all ports such as headphone ports to remove as much water as possible.
If water does get on a phone, don't panic - place it in a dry place and lightly tap the device with the connection port facing downwards to dislodge any moisture.
"Avoid using a hair dryer," warns Charron. "Excessive heat can harm sensitive electronics. Instead, gently wipe the uncovered phone with a clean towel, taking care to prevent water from entering its charging port, SIM or MicroSD slots, or headphone jack."
Leaving a phone in direct sunlight
Leaving phones in direct sunlight can seriously damage them: anything over 35C is too hot.
"We can all be guilty of scrolling on our phones while basking in the sunshine, but it’s really important to keep your phones out of direct sunlight or extreme temperatures," Charron says.
Leaving a phone in sunlight can damage the battery. Warning signs that your phone is getting too hot include the display dimming, the screen going completely black, or the camera flash being disabled.
Failing to backup your devices
Failing to back up your devices could spell the difference between losing your travel information and precious photographs and being able to restore them instantly from the cloud, explains Charron.
"Before stepping on the plane, ensure that your phone is backed up either on iCloud, Google Cloud or your computer. This means that whatever happens to your hardware, you’ll always have a version of the phone’s software saved safely.
"To do this, go to your phone's system settings and find the backup option. On Apple devices, this will be located under ‘iCloud > iCloud Backup > Backup Now. On Androids you should be able to access backup by going to Settings > System > Backup > Backup Now.
"For Androids; Go to Settings > Google > Backup. Below that, you will likely see an option that says Backup to Google Drive with a toggle next to it. (If you have Google One installed, it might say Backup by Google One.) Make sure it is toggled on. Select ‘Back up now."
Leaving sand in the ports
Carefully cleaning your phone after a day at the beach can avoid long-term problems including overheating. This is worth doing if your phone is exposed to any kind of dust or crumbs.
Charron said: "The first thing to do before cleaning any device is to switch it off. Then, shine a light on the device to see how much dust you’re dealing with. Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth to wipe around the area of the charging port.
"To remove the debris within the port, use a toothpick, moving it from side to side, making sure you’re gentle as this area is very susceptible to damage. As debris comes out, wipe it away with your cloth and go in again with a clean toothpick.
"Don’t forget to keep phone cases clean as well! You should be looking to clean your device cases about once a week as these too can accumulate unwanted dirt and grit."
