Avoid sun exposure and stay away from water and sand: how to take care of your smartphone in summer

MADRID (Portaltic/EP).- With the arrival of summer, water, sand and sun become the favorite allies of users, however, these can also put electronic devices at risk, especially smartphones, which are present in any activity, so care must be taken not to expose them directly to the sun, avoid contact with sand or charge them without a case.

The long sunny days and high temperatures that prevail in summer encourage outdoor activities. In these, the smartphone becomes an indispensable device for users, as it is part of their daily lives, helping them to collect data on their sports activities, capture photos of experiences with friends or share these moments with other people.

However, these contexts can subject smartphones to inappropriate conditions of use and cause serious damage, as they need certain conditions to ensure proper operation and prolong their useful life. In this context, there are a number of issues to take into account when looking after your smartphone during the summer.

One of the main risks that mobile devices face is high temperatures, which can be especially harmful to them. In fact, overheating can cause various problems in their operation, damage components such as the battery, or even cause them to stop working.

This is what the technology company OnePlus has said, sharing a series of tips that users should follow to ensure that their cell phone does not suffer during summer activities.

To avoid “technological heat strokes”, the company has pointed out the importance of not leaving the smartphone in places with direct exposure to the sun, in order to prevent it from overheating, as happens if it is left on a towel at the beach or pool.

On the other hand, in situations of high temperature and exposure to sunlight, it is also advisable to reduce the brightness of the screen or even activate airplane mode. In this way, the technology company ensures that it helps control the temperature of the device by reducing the workload.

The same goes for closing all unused background apps or disabling Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. OnePlus claims that all of these actions can lower the temperature by 5 to 10 degrees.

Despite all this, if you are distracted and, for example, leave your phone on a towel, causing it to overheat, you should “turn it off quickly and remove the protective case.”

Keep your smartphone away from water and sand

Another of the main risks associated with using a smartphone in summer is water. Whether in the pool or on the beach, users often go to cool off with their mobile phone, which can cause the device to end up getting wet.

In this regard, OnePlus has pointed out that, although many smartphone models have protection against water, they do not have protection against salt water. Therefore, if a device gets wet, it can cause irreparable damage to its internal components, which can become damp or affected by salt.

To avoid these problems, the technology company recommends that users use waterproof cases and keep the device away from water whenever possible. However, if the smartphone gets wet, OnePlus has reminded users that traditional methods should be avoided, such as covering it with rice to absorb the moisture.

Instead, users are better off turning off the device and contacting their specialized technical service, who will check the components, identify the damage and offer a customized solution.

Sand is another factor to take into account when preventing risks, since if the smartphone is in direct contact, it can end up scratching the screen or causing small grains of sand to get into the device’s ports.

OnePlus has indicated that it is advisable to wipe the entire smartphone with a cloth to ensure that there are no traces of sand left in the case that it has been used on the beach or similar places, and to prevent these problems.

Be careful with sunscreen

Along with water, salt and sand, beach and pool areas also bring with them the use of sunscreen, which is necessary to protect the skin and avoid burns. However, OnePlus has pointed out that sunscreen is not a good ally for smartphones.

As explained, using a mobile device without cleaning your hands after using sunscreen can cause the product to come into contact with the device, affecting the materials used to make it work and even its functionality.

This is because the cream is a product that sticks to surfaces and stains the product, leaving it impregnated. For example, it can affect the touch sensitivity of the screen when you hold it with your hands and there are still traces of cream on it.

Charging your smartphone without a case

Finally, OnePlus has also pointed out that the cover of mobile devices can act as a thermal insulator, preventing the escape of the heat generated while the device is charging connected to a socket.

For this reason, charging the phone with a case, combined with high temperatures, can cause excessive temperatures and damage the device. In this context, the company has recommended removing this extra layer when charging and, thus, facilitating the smartphone’s ventilation to prevent the internal components from being affected, OnePlus has stated.