Tips For Protecting Smartphones And Tablets

Last updated on Friday, January 9, 2015

(UNDATED) - You’re careful enough to protect yourself and your family with coats, gloves and scarves, but what about your smartphone and tablet?

It requires a few special precautions to keep your devices safe from winter weather too. AT&T has some tips below.

Exposing your devices to extreme cold temperatures for extended periods of time may:

Cause your battery to drain faster.
With prolonged exposure, make the phone's hardware more brittle leading to cracked screens.
Cause condensation to form inside your screen if you turn it on while it is still cold.
Increase potential for permanent damage if you leave your device in "sleep mode" for an extended period of time.

Here are some tips from AT&T for protecting your devices in extreme cold weather:

The biggest and most obvious - don't take your device out in extreme temperatures. When you're outside in weather like this, keep it in your purse, bag or pocket. Keep it protected.
Don't leave it in your car or trunk for extended periods of time-definitely not overnight.
Don't take your phone outside to shovel snow or sled because not only do you expose it to the cold, but you have the chance of getting it wet.
Keep your phone or device in a protective case that protects from water, dirt, snow and drops.
If you expect to be out in the cold for a while, invest in a Bluetooth device/earbud with mic and call answer buttons so that you can leave the device in your pocket while talking.

If you know you have to expose your device to the cold for an extended period of time, turn it off and don't turn it back on until it has warmed up (this helps to keep condensation from forming.)

Finally, if you're going to use your device outside in cold temps, get a pair of touchscreen gloves that you can leave on while using the device.

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