How Not To Break Your Phone

Jan 29, 2020

You’ve just bought a shiny new phone, it’s so perfect and sleek looking, but oops you dropped it, and now it’s an expensive problem. Many phones have glass on both the back and on the screen, making them extra breakable (and more expensive to fix). Your phone is basically a piece of glass filled with delicate electronic components, and yet you take it to the bathroom, and the beach and hold it one-handed while walking on a tiled floor. It's no wonder that so many people break their phones every year. So how do you take your phone everywhere and keep it in one uncracked piece? Follow the three rules of phone care:

1.Don’t sit on it

2.Avoid water at all costs

3.Prevent drops/ protect from inevitable drops

Let’s take these one by one.


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Don’t Sit on Your Phone

Your back pocket might seem like a great place to stash your phone, especially if you bought jeans with no front pockets, but sitting on your phone is a great way to break it. Even if it’s in a case, the pressure can build and cause cracks. Put your phone in a front pocket by itself, not with keys or other things that could scratch it. Better yet put it in a laptop bag or your purse. But make sure it's in its own pocket.

An extension of this rule is thinking more generally about where you are putting your phone. Extreme temperatures can damage your battery and the inside components, so don’t leave your phone in sunlight or your car. If you are camping and it's really cold, try to insulate it with something.


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Don’t Get It Wet

If you have one of the fancy waterproof inside and out phones, then you can (somewhat) ignore this rule. Otherwise, don’t take your phone in the bathroom. Ever. Period. Not only can it get dropped in toilets, sinks, etc. The steam from hot water use can get inside your phone and cause component failure over time. And also, germs.

Likewise, be extra careful when handling your phone in the kitchen, at the pool, on the beach or in the rain. Don’t handle it with wet hands and keep it out of the splash zone. Many people like to exercise with their phones, but don’t think about the impact that sweat can have on their phone’s health. If you are going to exercise with your phone, invest in a good quality strap that fits right and keeps your phone away from your skin or sweat-soaked clothing.


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Don't Drop Your Phone (and also Protect It)

Some people brag that they rarely drop their phone, while others are serial offenders. Regardless of which category you fall into, you need to take some common-sense steps to avoid impact damage to your phone. An essential thing that everyone should do is buy a good case. It should have a soft inner lining for shock absorption and a hard outer shell. Ideally, the case should also be easy to grip. Textured plastic or silicon is especially good for this. A phone that’s easier to grip is harder to drop. Be sure to use a tempered glass screen protector. Even a good case won’t fully protect your screen all by itself.

Circling around a bit to rule one, think about where you are putting your phone. If you are running or otherwise being active with your phone in your pocket, it’s likely to slip out and fall. You should also have a secure designated spot in your car for your phone, where it won’t get thrown around or distract you while you’re driving.

If you are especially prone to dropping your phone, you might want to consider a phone strap. These come in several varieties and can be used to secure your phone to you so it won’t hit the floor if it slips out of your hands. You will be less likely to drop your phone if you are using two hands to hold it. You might also benefit from arranging your apps to make them easier to reach with one-handed operation when necessary. This will allow you to keep a better grip on your phone.