While people love to purchase cool accessories for their phones such as pocket projectors, cool phone mounts, stylish cases, various types of video and photographic equipment and novel types of speakers, the most expensive part of upgrading a phone is having to purchase a new one every few years.

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As unfortunate as it is, smartphones tend to not last all that long. In fact, according to data from Statista on the average lifespan of smartphones, in 2021, the average smartphone will be replaced in under three years.

Given that the price of smartphones can range anywhere between a couple hundred to over one thousand dollars, it is no surprise that folks are looking for ways to make their phones last for longer.

If you are in that camp, we’ve got you covered. Here are five tips for extending the lifespan of your smartphone.

1. Don’t Charge It All the Way

One of the reasons that people purchase new smartphones is that the battery on their existing one stops holding a charge very well, thus demanding that it get plugged in more often.

As strange as it may seem, part of the reason that this occurs is from charging a device all the way to 100 percent. The fact is that charging a phone all the way up will cause its battery to age faster.

As far as properly charging a phone battery is concerned, most experts recommend keeping a battery in the 30 to 90 percent range. Similarly, allowing your phone to drop below a 20 percent charge will also put wear and tear on the battery.

This means that small, frequent charges are the best way to keep your phone’s battery healthy and extend the life of your phone overall.

2. Stop Charging Overnight

Since charging your phone to 100 percent will damage your battery, it only stands to reason that allowing it to stay on its charger all night long is a pretty bad idea if you want to extend your smartphone’s lifespan.

However, charging overnight is far worse for your phone than simply charging it all the way as doing this allows it to hit 100 percent and then continue to receive juice. While this doesn’t “overload” your phone, it does cause heat buildup, which is what ends up damaging your battery.

Since you don’t want your phone to be damaged by sitting on the charger all night long or dip below 20 percent, there are a few different strategies you can use to stay in the sweet spot, including switching on Do Not Disturb or Airplane Mode. Better still, if possible, it is best just to turn the device off and get back to it in the morning.

3. Purchase a Portable Charger

Again, charging little and often is the ideal strategy for preserving your phone’s battery. If you are going to abide by this dictum, then it is wise to pick up a portable battery pack that you can take with you to charge your phone whenever it needs a little boost.

Carrying this kind of device will enable you to maintain optimal health for your phone. Furthermore, most of these have become so small as to not be an inconvenience to carry in one’s travel bag or even their pocket. This means that there is really no reason not to have a spare charge with you at all times.

4. Opt for Wireless Charging

One of the most common problems for smartphones and a big reason that they need to be replaced is that the charging port gets damaged. The fact is that charging your phone little and often can have a downside as you are forced to mess with the charging port quite frequently, thereby forcing dust, dirt and debris into it or potentially damaging it mechanically.

The best way to avoid this pitfall is to purchase a wireless charger. This completely eliminates the need to constantly use the phone’s charging port.

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The fact is that wireless charging has reached a stage where it is fast, safe and effective. Even portable battery packs now come in wireless varieties, which means that there is no need to continue messing around with antiquated charging options.

5. Get a Good Case

This one should be pretty obvious, so we won’t spend too much time here.

Dropping your naked phone is bad for its lifespan. Protecting your phone is good. Therefore, purchasing a quality phone case that fits your device well is essential to making your phone last longer.

Simple enough.

Getting More from Your Current Device

While many people voluntarily switch out their phones every couple of years, the reality is that this is not necessary if you want to hang on to your current smartphone.

By taking good care of your phone, abiding by common best practices and picking up a couple of accessories that will allow you to attend to it properly, you can extend your phone’s lifespan well beyond the average three years.