How to beach-proof your phone Protect it from sun, sand, and seawater. 
By Sophie Bushwick, posted Jun 23rd, 2017 at 11:00am 

If you want to bring your phone to the beach (we know you do), you'll have
to protect it from the sea. Pixabay On a hot summer day, the ocean beckons.
So you slap on some sunscreen , grab a towel, and head for the beach. Just
as you stretch out on the sand to soak up those sweet rays and scare up some
vitamin D , your hand itchesyou need to grab your smartphone. Maybe you want
to snap a photo of the churning surf , or blast the latest pop hit, or
video-chat with your unlucky friend who couldn't make it to the shore this
weekend. Whatever the urge, you'll need your phone to satisfy it. The
problem is, those things that make a beach a beachthe hot sun, gritty sand,
and briny oceancan also wreak havoc on electronic devices. To keep it safe
at the shore, take these precautions before you load your phone into your
beach tote. And bear in mind that there's no way to completely beach-proof a
phone. Carry it ocean-ward at your own risk. Beat the heat On a hot day, the
sun beats down from above and the sand radiates warmth from below. Leave
your phone exposed, and this heat can crack its screen, drain its battery,
or even make it explode. To protect your device, keep it out of direct
sunlight and off the ground. For example, you might place it on a towel and
fold a corner of the fabric over the phone, toss a t-shirt on top, or keep
it in a tote bag. Activity can make your phone produce its own heat. Keep it
quiet by shutting down power-hungry apps such as mobile games. If you
receive a heat warning (or simply notice your phone getting too hot) try
turning off location, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi; putting your device in airplane
mode; or even shutting it down until it cools off. You can even aim a
hand-held battery-powered fan at the phone when it starts overheating. In a
pinch, you can place your phone in a cooler (provided the cooler has a dry
area or the phone is wrapped in a waterproof case) for a few minutes. Don't
leave it in there for too long thoughwhile too much heat may harm your
device, too much cold can kill it too. Keep sand out of ports Sand always
manages to sneak into every available nook and cranny, and your phone isn't
immune to this phenomenon. It's best to keep the silica grains at bay with
dust plugs . In a pinch, you can grab an old cable, cut off the part that
plugs into your phone, and use that as a DIY solution. Even if sand stays
out of your phone's ports, it can still scratch up the screen and creep
around the edges of buttons. Luckily, most waterproofing solutions (more on
those in a minute) involve wrapping your phone in an impermeable case, which
should also keep out sand. If worse comes to worst and some sand sneaks into
your phone, let gravity help you shake it out. If a few stubborn grains
stick around, try drawing them out with a cheap plastic cuticle pusher.
Don't get wet Briny seawater accelerates corrosion more than relatively
clean tap water. So, even if you have a waterproof phone , you don't want a
wave to hit it. The easiest, cheapest way to protect your phone from wayward
splashes is a humble Ziplock bag. Toss your phone in, squeeze out as much
air as possible, and seal the zipper shut. Water and sand won't get in, and
the plastic is so thin that you can actually use the device through the bag.
Its fingerprint sensor may not work, but once you type in your PIN or
password, you can swipe, type, and even chat on the phone without exposing
it to the elements. This hack has the added benefit of keeping the screen
safe from your smeary sunblock- and salt-covered fingers. If you want to
level up, invest in a waterproof case. From the one-size-fits-all DryCase to
more structured options like LifeProof , you can find your phone an ideal
beach buddy. Just check the specs before purchasing to make sure that the
case will protect your ports from sand as well as water. Now you're all set.
Go forth and beach it up! 


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