Top Tips Every Smartphone Owner Forgets About

Owning a smartphone is something essential these days. Everyone does have one and everyone enjoys the comfort and convenience of using it, whenever and wherever. Since we are all using our smartphones on a daily basis, naturally the question of how to take better care of our smartphones in order to ensure we will be able to enjoy them for longer is popping up. Therefore, in this article, we share with you some of the top tips on how to take care of your smartphone and maintain it in good condition that you probably already know but often forget about.

Lock with a Password

Locking your smartphone with a password is a basic, but very efficient layer of security. Many people forget to do it or simply don’t do it because it is one extra thing you should do in order to access your phone. However, if you set a password for your phone that only you know, you can make sure that you are the only ones who has access to your apps, information, data, images, etc. Some devices also offer the “touch ID” verification method instead of a password, which means your phone will open in response to your unique fingerprint, or a “face ID” option when the phone will open once the camera recognises your face.

Avoiding Suspicious Links

By now you probably know how to determine whether one link looks suspicious or not. This means that all links you receive on your e-mail or as a message should be looked at under suspicion. Chances are these links are spam or even some more serious fraud. If the link is sent to you by someone you don’t know – make sure to not open it. If it is sent by someone you know, however, it still looks suspicious, make sure to confirm with the sender that they have actually sent the link before you open it.

Immediate Software Updates

Whenever you are notified or you notice that there is an update released for your smartphone, make sure to install it as soon as you can. These updates are important and good for your smartphone as they usually include security fixes, vulnerability patches, and other necessary and important maintenance.

Unique Passwords for Every Account

Using the same password for all your accounts makes it easier to be hacked and for unauthorized access to your accounts, information and data. Therefore, specialists recommend using a different password for each of your online accounts as this decreases the risk. Of course, many different passwords are harder to remember. In order to help you use and remember the right password for every account, there are password manager apps available for download. Alternatively, you can write all your passwords down on paper, however, make sure you are storing this piece of paper somewhere safely.

Use a VPN when Connecting to Open Wi-Fi Networks

At the café or on the train, we often connect to public Wi-Fi networks when we are out, however, do we all understand how many risks for our data, information and online safety this poses. In general, avoid making money transactions and purchasing online when you are using a public network. However, if you really have to or in general, whenever you are using public Wi-Fi, make sure you are using a VPN app for your smartphone. VPN pretty much works by making you anonymous when you are online, camouflaging your IP address or showing it as you are connecting from another country.

Download Only from Reputable Online Stores

With so many apps to choose from, it can be easy to clutter your smartphone with a ton of applications. While this is not bad if you enjoy it, make sure you are purchasing apps and games only from reputable and renowned online stores. In general, make sure to only use the official online stores depending on the operating system of your smartphone – Apple App Store for iPhones and iPads, Google Play for Android smartphones.

Backup Your Data

It happens at least once in a lifetime – your smartphone suddenly breaks down and you need to replace it with a new one as the old one is beyond repair. However, with the old phone, you are losing all your information, photos, videos, passwords and so many memories in general. In order to avoid losing all this information and data, make sure to keep an ongoing backup of your smartphone.