5 Tips for Making Your Tech Last Longer

Finnegan Pierson

From laptops to smart watches, most people have technology they use in their daily lives that have become necessary for their lifestyle. But these devices can be expensive, and replacing them becomes impractical over time. Use the tips in this article to extend the life of your devices and save yourself a lot of money and inconvenience.

1. Use the Right Charger

One of the biggest mistakes people can make when using devices like cellphones and tablets is trying to use unapproved chargers. A lot of the time, buying a knockoff product online will be cheaper than the manufacturer's recommended charger. But these knockoffs or unapproved chargers, even if they fit your device and charge it successfully, may have the incorrect voltage and amperage. Aside from using DCIM software for surge protection, the best way to protect your device's inner workings from being fried is to know the right voltage and use the corresponding charger.

2. Extend Battery Life

An easy way to extend the life of your device is by extending the life of the battery. Over time, you might notice your device charges more slowly or doesn't hold its charge as long. This is because batteries can wear out over time, especially with poor charging habits. New devices are made with lithium-ion batteries, and these types of batteries can be worn down by charging from 0% charge to 100% charge on a frequent basis. It's better to plug in your phone when there's still a small amount of battery left, rather than waiting until the last minute.

3. Avoid Extreme Temperatures

A fast way to wreck your devices is by taking them out in the extreme cold, particularly if you intend to take the device out of your pocket to snap pictures in these temperatures. Most of your usual devices are engineered for use in average temperatures, from 32 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Taking your phone into extreme temperatures outside of this range can result in a drained battery, damage to the touchscreen, and in some cases condensation built up on the inside of the screen.

At hotter temperatures, hard drives on computers can fail, screens can crack, and battery life can be permanently decreased. It's best to avoid taking your devices with you in these temperatures, but if you must, have fans available for cooling or keep your device in a pocket with a hot pack in freezing temps.

4. Update the Software

Particularly for phones and laptops, software updates can be a pain and can interrupt your day. Even when the devices offer scheduled updates, it can be tough finding the time and patience, and it seems unnecessary a lot of the time. But keeping your device's software up to date is a great way to extend its life. An update being available means that the software developers have found and fixed bugs, and updating makes sure you're as safe as you can be from things like hacking, data theft, and malware. Take the time to update now to avoid accidental damage to your device, or even your privacy, later on.

5. Defrag the Drive

"Defrag" is shorthand for "defragment". Essentially, the data you store on your computer can end up becoming "fragmented" over an extended period of use, and might be the cause of it slowing down to a snail's pace. Before you start looking for a new computer, if you have a spinning hard drive, look into how to "defrag" it and try that first. However, if your hard drive is solid-state this won't be applicable to you. If your spinning hard drive becomes a pain to defrag, you may want to switch over to the simpler solid-state drive and avoid this problem coming up again.

There are hundreds of other ways to keep your device safe and ensure its longevity, but these five tips are a great place to start for taking better care of your devices today.