Your phone probably moves around the house with you all day, ending up beside the bed, on the kitchen counter, in a pocket, or on the bathroom sink.
But some of those everyday spots aren’t particularly good for your phone. Heat, moisture, pressure, spills, and even something as ordinary as a set of keys can shorten its life or lead to an expensive repair. Here are 12 places you may want to stop storing or leaving your phone.
Inside a Hot Car
A closed vehicle can become extremely hot, and your phone’s battery and other components aren’t designed for prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures. Take your phone with you rather than leaving it on a seat, dashboard, or center console while the car sits in the heat.
In Direct Sunlight
A sunny windowsill, patio table, or car dashboard can heat a phone surprisingly quickly. If the device becomes too hot, it may temporarily shut down, stop charging, or reduce performance until it cools.
Under Your Pillow
Putting your phone underneath a pillow or blanket, especially while it’s charging, can trap the heat the device normally needs to release. Keep it on a hard, uncovered surface instead of surrounding it with bedding while you sleep.
On the Bathroom Counter
The bathroom exposes your phone to moisture, splashes, and plenty of opportunities for an accidental drop into the sink or toilet. If you don’t need it in the bathroom, leaving it outside is one of the easiest ways to keep it cleaner and farther away from water.
Next to the Kitchen Sink
The kitchen counter seems like a convenient place to pull up a recipe, but keeping your phone beside the sink puts it within reach of water, soap, grease, sauces, and spills. Give it a designated dry spot away from food preparation and liquids, or use a stand if you need to see the screen while cooking.
In Your Back Pocket
Your back pocket may be convenient while you’re walking, but forgetting your phone is there before sitting down can put considerable pressure on the screen and frame. It’s also much easier for a phone to slip out of a back pocket unnoticed, so a bag or secure front pocket may be a better choice.
Loose in a Bag With Keys and Other Hard Objects
Dropping your phone into the same compartment as keys, coins, tools, and other hard objects gives them plenty of opportunities to rub against the screen and camera lenses. Use a separate pocket or compartment so your phone isn’t constantly bouncing around against everything else you’re carrying.
On the Car Seat While Driving
A loose phone can slide off the passenger seat when you brake or turn, potentially ending up somewhere hard to reach or distracting. If you’re using your phone for navigation, secure it in an appropriate mount rather than leaving it loose on the seat.
In Damp Workout Clothes
Sweaty workout clothes aren’t an ideal long-term home for a phone, even if your device has some level of water resistance. Moisture can get around openings and ports, so remove the phone from damp clothing and allow it to dry if it gets wet.
In Extremely Cold Places
Heat gets most of the attention, but very cold temperatures aren’t great for smartphones either. Extreme cold can temporarily reduce battery performance, so avoid leaving your phone in freezing vehicles or other unusually cold environments for long periods.
Anywhere You Routinely Forget It
Laundry baskets, random drawers, store counters, restaurant tables, and other unusual spots make it much easier to lose track of an expensive device containing a tremendous amount of personal information. Having a few consistent places where you put your phone at home can save you from repeatedly asking, “Where did I leave my phone?”
