Apple's iPhones are known to have a relatively long lifespan as long as you treat them the right way. While the user experience on iPhones has been relatively the same for a while now, you might be making some common mistakes that can harm your device, impact your privacy, or even affect your well-being.

These bad habits could range from not caring for the battery to letting apps track your data. We'll go through those mistakes and a couple more, so you can have a safer, more convenient experience and get the most out of your device.

1. Running Apps in the Background

Swiping up to close apps completely is something we've all been doing for years now. It's a common feature on both iPhones and Android phones. Many people do this to save battery life and lower RAM usage. In a sense, that does sound perfectly logical, but if you think about it's a bad practice.

A lot of apps use background app refresh. This feature allows apps to update their content from the internet, even when it's not in use. However, this does not impact battery life or RAM usage all that much since iOS manages the battery and RAM exceptionally well.

On top of that, when you are constantly closing and relaunching apps, this consumes more power and battery life. Finally, apps launch faster when they are stored in memory, so not only is this habit useless, it can slow down your phone and reduce battery life.

2. Neglecting the Battery Health

iPhone charging battery

A lot of people tend to take their iPhone's battery life for granted. However, it's important to maintain your iPhone's battery health to prolong its longevity. For example, going through multiple charge cycles in a day could reduce battery health. Another bad habit is using cheap, low-quality adapters and cables that could damage your iPhone.

There's also a myth that you should only charge your phone when it's completely dead. Not only is this untrue, but it can impact battery health. There's also a chance that you completely ignore Low Power Mode. This feature gives you a bit of time to get to an outlet, so your phone doesn't die completely.

Apart from all that, there's a lot more you can do to maintain your iPhone's battery life in the long run.

3. Using Your iPhone Too Much

Man using iPhone

This should not come as a surprise to anyone, but according to Frontiers, excessive phone usage can lead to health problems down the line. Using your iPhone all day can disturb your sleep schedule, cause information overload, make you waste money online, and fuel a lot of unnecessary stress. You're probably already aware of this, but it's important to remind yourself sporadically.

However, while it's not good for your well-being, it's not good for your phone either. When you use your phone too much, you'll constantly find yourself looking for a charger, running into performance issues, and more. Consider learning how to use Screen Time features to reduce your iPhone usage.

4. Letting Apps Track You

App tracking software on iOS

In our always-online digital world, it is now more important than ever to protect your privacy. In iOS 14.5, Apple added a new feature called App Tracking Transparency. When you launch a newly-installed app, you'll see a system prompt asking you whether you want the app to track your data across different apps and websites.

You should always select Ask App Not to Track. Companies do this, so they can share your data with 3rd parties and provide personalized ads. As you know, those personalized ads can get annoying, and they're a major concern around online privacy and security.

Apart from that, you can also navigate to Settings > Privacy > Tracking to see which apps have permission to track your data. You can also manually deny permissions from here.

5. Running Outdated Software

There are two types of people: Those that update to the latest iOS version as soon as possible and those that ignore updates entirely. If you are one of the latter, not only are you missing out on the latest features but also bug fixes and improvements to performance. This is because many people believe that updating their iPhones will reduce battery life and performance.

However, in most cases, you should always update your iPhone. When you don't update, you are also rejecting the newest security patches, which could make your iPhone more vulnerable. Other than that, certain apps will only work with the latest version of iOS, and you also miss out on new emojis.

6. Using iPhone Without a Case or Screen Protector

iPhone with broken edge

If you're one of those people who use your phone without a case or screen protector, you may want to reconsider. For example, if you accidentally break the rear glass on an iPhone 14, Apple will charge you $169 to fix it. It's even more expensive if your front glass is broken, and the pricing only gets more ridiculous if you own the Pro models.

So, while a naked iPhone feels great in hand, it can be an expensive liability. A screen protector will protect the front glass from any scratches, and a case will protect the back, sides, and in some cases, even the front. Even a cheap screen protector or a thin clear case is better than nothing.

7. Neglecting Phone Insurance

AppleCare iPhone warranty

Extended warranties are usually just a way for the manufacturers to force you to pay more. However, Apple is an exception here due to tight control over its products. AppleCare+ is the iPhone maker's extended warranty program, and it's the best way of insuring your iPhone. Without it, repairs would be quite expensive, as we mentioned above.

If you get AppleCare+ for your iPhone, you get two years of accidental damage coverage on top of the standard warranty. There's also a plan which provides coverage if your iPhone is lost or stolen. Repairs are also less expensive if you get AppleCare+. We've reviewed AppleCare+ and explored pricing and coverage options across different devices to help you decide.

An iPhone Lasts Long Only if You're Careful

A lot of these bad habits stem from some form of misinformation online. We're sure many people close background apps, don't worry too much about app tracking, and rarely update their iPhones. Most of these habits may seem trivial in nature, but they can be detrimental to the experience you get out of your iPhone.