It’s highly unlikely that you would ever dare leave your home without a phone.
Now, think of your last five purchases (not counting your grocery runs). Were all of them online, or just most of them?
Remember your last conversation with your best friend? It was via an IM, wasn’t it?
In other words, smartphones have a focal point in your life. Here’s how you can use them more effectively.
Organize your apps
First, you need to start by decluttering your phone. You need to list all the apps you need and those you haven’t used.
You may already have a decluttering tool (by default) that you’re just ignoring. Here, you’ll probably get relevant data, like when you used this tool or how long you’ve used it. This way, your decision-making process will be a lot easier. Most of the time, you’re keeping some apps for one of two reasons:
- You’re overestimating the amount of time you’ve spent using it
- You’ve already forgotten that you even have them
Then, you want to get the shortcuts out there and organize the screen in the way you see the most fit. These two tasks alone will already help you with app organization. Aside from this, standard technical issues like updating your apps are in order.
Customize notifications
The process of customizing notifications varies on your OS. Are you using an Android or iOS? The in both cases, you can go to settings and look for notifications (or “Apps and notifications” on Android) to set up your preferred settings. All you need to do is scroll through the list of installed apps and pick the one you want to customize the notifications for.
Also, keep in mind that a sensible notification policy is in order. You can turn them off at any moment, but you have to agree to them. Why not just think twice before agreeing?
The right notifications may completely change your accuracy of use of the device in question, but without control, they become a major hindrance. This is why it’s so important that you customize notifications.
Use antivirus
Your phone is also susceptible to viruses, not just your computer. This is why it’s so important that you download antivirus software. This is especially true for those who use private devices for work-related issues (like checking their worn emails, etc.).
A good antivirus will provide you with outstanding protection from malware and safe browsing, as well as protect you from phishing. It doesn’t mean you’ll be 100% immune to phishing attempts, only that you’ll have an extra layer of protection, and it will be harder to make this mistake.
The best part about using antivirus is that, like with traditional antivirus, it just works passively in the background. This means you won’t know you have it on outside of an occasional notification.
Use mobile VPN
Anonymity during online browsing is important regardless of the device. This is why you should go through the list of top mobile VPN picks and download one of the choices. This way, you’ll get enhanced security, data protection, and a ton of utility.
With a VPN, you get the privilege of bypassing geo-restrictions. You would be surprised at how many apps and how much content is locked behind this invisible wall. This way, you’ll get access to more content than you ever dreamed existed and change how you see the internet’s use as a whole.
Now, remember that one can discover your physical location via IP. This means a great VPN keeps you safe even in the physical world.
Use how to charge it properly
Charging your phone is technically simple, but there are a lot of tips and tricks that could make your life easier and prolong your battery’s useful life.
First, you need the original charger. Sure, getting a cheap or counterfeit charger may look the same, feel the same, or even recharge your phone at the same rate, but this is not the same.
Another potential problem is the overcharging. This will strain the battery and reduce its useful life quite drastically. The best way to mitigate this is by partially charging your phone. You don’t want to overcharge, so charging your phone to about 80% can be great for its long-term health.
You also want to avoid charging your home during extreme temperatures. Room temperature is always preferable.
Use voice commands
Voice commands are more practical, convenient, and a superior option to the conventional alternative. First, the algorithm and sensors have advanced so much that your voice commands are far more accurate. The support for multiple languages is also present, which makes a world of difference and makes this feature available to millions and billions of new users across the globe.
Second, voice search is just more convenient. While multitasking, carrying something in one hand (so you can’t type with both hands), or driving, voice search is far safer and more effective. Not to mention that this could be a great thing for people with disabilities.
Then, more and more homes are going smart, which is why this type of search goes perfectly with the smart home integration.
Get a car charger and a power bank
The biggest bottleneck to using your phone as intended is getting a car charger and a power bank. You see, your battery is the bottleneck of your remote phone use.
Look at it this way: we use far more apps than ever. This means we just can’t expect our battery to last like it used to. Fortunately, you have a power bank and a car charger to compensate for it.
Combined with proper charging techniques, you can easily improve your battery life and ensure you never go out. Aside from this, your biggest bottleneck is Wi-Fi, but even this is growing increasingly easy to find. Wi-Fi in public spaces is becoming increasingly mainstream, and the internet is a human right to a suggested UN resolution.
Learn how to use battery-saving mod
Using battery-saving mode will drastically increase your battery life without sacrificing too much functionality. Still, you must understand what you’re sacrificing and how this works. On some devices, you can activate this mode automatically when the battery reaches a certain level.
Remember that this will keep your phone running in minimalist mode. For instance, the push notifications can be turned off, you may have limited connectivity, and most updates will be off (at least they won’t be automatic).
Your connectivity may be severed as soon as you go into the battery-saving mod, so ensure you reconnect if you plan to use it this way.
Track your screen time
Next, you should consider the importance of properly tracking your screen time for your mental health. Your phone is just one of the aspects of your life. Sure, you’re using it to stay in touch, you’re using it to track your fitness, and probably even using it for shopping.
People meet partners online and keep all their memories and financial data on their phones. For all these reasons, it’s sometimes hard to remember that the world exists outside the screen. You could get an idea of how serious this problem is by downloading a time management app and tracking the statistics.
Then, try limiting your exposure to devices; this way, you’ll appreciate your time much more.
With the right mindset, you can get much more from your phone use
You must understand that how you use your phone controls your overall efficiency. Your battery life determines your availability and access to apps. Using antivirus and VPNs affects your safety online, and even tracking your screen time may affect your work-life balance. Take your phone (and its impact on your life) seriously.