Studies show that we're spending half our waking hours with our smartphones, and it's clear that the devices have changed how we interact with our world. So why not optimize your device to get yourself a easier, more productive, more relaxing life? Below, tricks that'll keep your phone primed for any situation.
Switch phones without losing anything
A new smartphone model—from Google, Apple,
or another manufacturer—catches your eye, and all of a sudden, your old
device won't cut it. But don't leap into an upgrade without taking
precautions. After all, you store a lot of important information on your smartphone,
and you don't want to lose any of it during the excitement of a switch.
Luckily, upgrading from one phone to another is a lot easier than it
used to be, because we now store most of our digital possessions in the
cloud. Plus, you can find some key apps to help you switch from one
device to another. What you need to know. >>What to do before you sell or recycle your smartphone
If
you're getting rid of your old laptop, smartphone, tablet or other
gadget, you need to protect your private data before parting with your
unwanted hardware. Are all your photos stored somewhere safe? Are you
sure your laptop's new owner can't get at your banking spreadsheets?
Disposing of old hardware can be a privacy minefield, but staying safe
isn't difficult if you know what you're doing. What you need to do. >>
Check on all the app subscriptions you're still paying for
Do you know how much you're spending on app subscriptions?
Apple
Many
smartphone apps will ask you to pay a monthly or a yearly subscription,
and automatically deduct this payment from your financial account of
choice. From video-streaming services like Netflix
to weather-monitoring apps such as Dark Sky, this model lets you buy
into a program without worrying about making manual payments. The
problem is that, as these apps add up, it's easy to lose track of how
much cash you're shelling out each month. Add in all those free trials
you signed up for and then forgot to cancel before the first billing
date, and you can end up spending way more than you intended. Although
the task of sorting through all your subscriptions may seem daunting,
you can run an app audit in only a few minutes. The simplest ways to check. >>
Be in a healthier relationship with your smartphone
Sometimes you want to step away from it all.
Pexels
If you
find yourself checking Instagram during a meal out with friends, playing
Candy Crush as you walk down the street, or scrolling through your
Facebook feed in bed until you look up and realize it's 2 a.m., you may
have an unhealthy relationship with your smartphone. Tips, this way. >>
Control your app permissions
Your
smartphone wouldn't be all that useful without all the apps you've
downloaded. Even when you're not actively poking around within a
program, it can run in the background—updating your location, checking
your email, or playing music—to make life more convenient. But to do so,
it needs permission from your phone. Periodic permissions checks
protect you against potentially unscrupulous app developers and give you
more control over your privacy. As an added bonus, if fewer apps are
working away in the background, your phone can save on battery life. How to get check. >>
Tame your smartphone notifications
Having a
smartphone is a real catch-22. And the more apps you download, the more
notifications you receive, until the flurry of incoming alerts makes it
difficult to pick out the updates you actually care about—or to
concentrate on anything outside your phone. To balance staying in touch
with staying sane, you need to control the number of notifications you
see. How it's done. >>
Set phone reminders for anything
Don't forget an anniversary again.
Todoist
With
the frenetic pace of modern life, we've got more to remember than ever.
Help is at hand in the form of (what else) your smartphone. As well as a
digital camera, music player,
and all-round communications device, your phone can also act as a
combination of secretary and to-do list when it comes to reminding you
about what you need to get done. And your options are much more
sophisticated than that notebook or pile of Post-it notes that they will
replace. How to outsource your memory. >>
Extend your phone's battery life
Take charge.
David Nield/Popular Science
To own a smartphone is to know the frustration of having its battery
die right when you need it most—whether you're approaching your next
high score or need to call someone to let you into the building. While
modern-day displays and phone tech put a lot of strain on the battery pack inside your handset, you can follow these steps to eke out as much life as possible.
Quick-charge your phone during a busy day
How much juice can your phone absorb in five minutes?
David Nield/Popular Science
On
hectic days, charging time is minimal. If you're running from meeting to
meeting, for example, you may only have five minutes to plug in your
phone. To get the most battery power stored up in the shortest possible time, start here. >>
Fix the most common smartphone problems
No one
likes a faulty smartphone. Unfortunately, bugs, crashes, and other
issues are inevitable, especially as your phone gets older. On the
bright side, many of the most common issues have relatively simple fixes
you can perform yourself. Here's how to fix some of the most common
phone problems you'll encounter. Read on. >>
Protect your smartphone's lock screen
Are you revealing too much?
David Nield/Popular Science
The
lock screen on iOS and Android blocks access to all of your personal
information, but it can still reveal more than you might think. That's
because Google and Apple have tweaked the lock screen to allow easy
access to some of your phone's main features, including Siri and the
camera app. What you need to know. >>
Free up space on your smartphone
Avoid sights like this.
Google
You
pull out your phone to snap a spontaneous photo...and get an error
message because you have no space for the image. Running out of room on
your phone—with no memory left for photos, videos, or new apps—can feel
like a disaster. Avoid this scenario by reading these tips. >>
How to stay under your data limits
The data must flow.
David Nield/Popular Science
Smartphones
put a world of information, games, videos, and music at your
fingertips. That is, until you run out of data. It only takes a few
minutes of throttled, agonizingly slow speeds to realize how much you
rely on that cellular connection—and how important it is to stay within
your data allowance. The solution: Cut back on the amount of data your
phone chews through. Adjusting your settings to reduce data usage will
come in handy for those with limited data plans or travelers who plan to
spend time out of network. We've collected some tips for staying on the
right side of your data boundaries. What you need to know. >>
Upgrade your phone’s default apps
Expand your horizons.
David Nield/Popular Science
Settling
for the default email, messaging, and browsing apps on your phone? It's
understandable. But if you haven't at least tried some of the excellent
alternatives out there, you're missing out. Even if the default app
works as well as the alternative version, you may not want to trust every bit of your personal information
to just one tech behemoth—third-party apps let you distribute your data
more evenly. Is the grass really greener on the other side of
the...app fence? Only one way to find out. The best replacement apps for your phone.>>
Learn hidden iPhone features
Secret sauce.
Both
iPhones and Android devices have their pros and cons, but the general
consensus is that iOS is a little easier to pick up and use, while
Android offers more in the way of customization and configuration.
Still, as simple as Apple's operating system seems, you can find plenty
of advanced features hidden below its polished surface. Here are 10 of them to uncover. >>
Charge your smartphone the right way
Charge and charge again.
Without a battery, your expensive smartphone
becomes a hunk of dead electronics. And these rechargeable powerhouses
have a finite lifespan: Over time, they will start losing power faster
and taking longer to charge. To extend the battery's useful life for as
long as possible, you need to take care of your device properly. That
means adopting good charging habits and taking care with battery storage. What you need to know. >>
Pay for things with your smartphone
Welcome to the future.
Apple
Most of
us leave the house carrying three essentials: keys, wallet, and
smartphone. But over the past few years, more and more people are
combining the latter two objects. Your smartphone can store your
financial details and use them to make secure, instant payments in the
store. It may feel vaguely futuristic, but you can check out with a wave
of your mobile—as long as the place you're shopping has the necessary
hardware. If you're new to the world of app-based payments, but want to
upgrade from the old cash and cards approach, it's easier than you might
think to get set up. In fact, you have most of what you'll need already
installed on your phone. Here are your payment options. >>
Prepare your phone for travel
Away you go.
When
you're traveling, you rely on your phone to navigate, translate, and
stay in touch with friends. But on the road, you may face challenges
like insecure or nonexistent Wi-Fi and a scarce charging spots. Before
you head out the door, take a few steps to prepare your phone. These
tips will make your indispensable travel companion even more resilient
and useful. Read on. >>
The best travel apps to install on your phone
These apps will help you get more from your trip.
Lonely Planet
When in
a strange land, your phone's your way to clarity and familiarity. As
long as you've got the right apps installed, that is. You probably
already use a few common apps for getting from A to B and researching
the best local restaurants. We've picked out a few more that are
particularly suited to traveling. Install them now—while you still have
Wi-Fi. Get more out of your trip. >>
Plan a road trip using only your smartphone
Explore the open road.
Until self-driving cars
take over, the road trip will remain one of the most popular vacations.
It's liberating, offers flexible options, and can be as cheap or
expensive as you want it to be. However, to make sure you see everything
you want to see—and avoid spending half your time in traffic—a good road trip will need meticulous planning. Here's how your smartphone can help. >>
Essential apps for your commute
The right app can transform your commute.
You get
up in the morning, drink some coffee, and face your first challenge of
the day: the daily run to the office. Whether you drive or take public
transportation, you get to deal with all kinds of potential
unpleasantness, from road work to overcrowded subway trains. That's when
you should turn to your phone. These six apps will help you get through
your daily commute with your sanity intact—and you might even have fun
along the way. Download our picks. >>
Beach-proof your phone
Protect it from heat, water, and sand.
Pixabay
On a hot summer day, the ocean beckons. Just as you stretch out on the sand to soak up those sweet rays and scare up some vitamin D, your hand itches—you need to grab your smartphone. Maybe you want to snap a photo of the churning surf,
or blast the latest pop hit, or video-chat with your unlucky friend who
couldn't make it to the shore this weekend. But the things that make a
beach amazing—sun, sand, and ocean—can also wreak havoc on electronic
devices. To keep your phone safer at the shore, take these precautions. Protect it from sun, sand, and seawater. >>
Take the best smartphone photos of your life
Don't settle for shoddy smartphone snaps.
By now
we're all familiar with the basics of smartphone photography: You pull
out your phone and push a button. But if you really plan to preserve
those memories for posterity, you'll want your phone snaps to look their
best. Up your phone photo game with these nine tips and tricks. Read on. >>
Shoot the best video on your smartphone
Lights, camera, smartphone.
We all wield the miniature computers in our pockets to shoot endless photos,
but what about video? While many of us do capture clips—spurred by
improving camera quality, increased storage capacity, and the rise of
"stories" formats on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram—the
quality of these videos still tends to be low, with uneven lighting,
variable audio, and a shaky frame. However, a few smart tricks and
well-chosen accessories can make all the difference to your phone video.
Whether you're recording a few seconds of footage for your friends or
putting together a professional reel to share more widely, our advice
will have you shooting like a pro in no time. Release your inner Spielberg. >>
Shoot better nature photos with your smartphone
Do Mother Nature justice.
Stan Horaczek
National Geographic
photographer Jim Richardson is responsible for some of the best
photography advice ever given: “If you want to be a better photographer,
stand in front of more interesting stuff.” [Nature is full of
interesting stuff](Nature is full of interesting stuff), and, thanks to
smartphones, we’re almost never without a pretty-good-quality camera.
But even the most-beautiful, surprising location won’t be very
photogenic in the wrong circumstances. Here are seven tips to help you get the most out of your next nature photography adventure. >>
Photograph the night sky with your phone
Objects that look beautiful at night can feel impossible to photograph.
Illustration by Chris McVeigh
You
can’t stop gazing at the luminous full moon—you need to share this with
Instagram. So you pull out your phone, aim at the heavens, and capture
... a fuzzy white blob. The firmament is one of the hardest targets to
snap on a phone. Why? A smartphone’s camera lens is wide, and it
automatically sets the exposure to capture the dark sky instead of the
bright objects in it. To up your phone game, try adding some additional
technology. These tips will help you **photograph celestial bodies near and far. >> **
Find a new job on your smartphone
Do it on your lunch, even.
There
are lots of ways to go job hunting, including a plethora of apps and
services on the web designed to help discover the perfect way to make a
living. Your smartphone can definitely help, too. This way for a selection of our favorite mobile apps and tips for landing the job of your dreams.
>>
Share your location (without broadcasting it to the world)
Location-tracking apps can be useful so long as you use them with vigilance.
David Nield/Popular Science
Location-tracking
apps can be useful, but you need to be careful about who has access. In
addition to figuring out where to meet up, apps like these can let you
track your kids without telling every stranger where they are. The ones
we've collected are free to use, simple to set up, and can save you a
long series of calls or texts when you need to know where someone is. Check them out. >>
Protect your smartphone privacy
Many
people don't realize that the software in their phones can track their
every move. Whether you have an iOS or an Android device, Apple and
Google can collect data about how you use it: the places you go, the
apps you run, the search queries you type into the web browser, and so
on. Although this sounds unnecessarily invasive, the companies use a lot
of your data in helpful ways. So if your desire for privacy outweighs
these benefits, you can decide how much you trust these companies with
your data and how much information you're prepared to share with them.
Whatever you choose, it's important to be aware of what you're sharing,
and how you can limit it if you want to. Protect you privacy. >>
Save your text messages
Get your text messages backed up from your phone.
David Nield/Popular Science
While
cloud-based services can back up our emails and social media posts when
we lose an old phone or switch to a new one, our SMS (Short Message
Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) histories tend to
disappear. You've probably got some precious memories and a few
important nuggets of information tied up in your text message
conversations. Don't let those texts get lost. These solutions not only
preserve your text histories; they can also save any texts you send in
the future. How to back up your SMS history. >>
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