For any smartphone company, the goal is to try and entice people into becoming regular customers. They design all sorts of clever strategies to try and make you perceive your phone as obsolete and want to replace it as often as possible.
But do you really need to buy a new phone every two to three years? We don't think so. Here are some things you can do to make your phone feel and work like new again.
1. Change Your Wallpaper
Many times, something as simple as changing your wallpaper can make your phone feel fresh and new. If you need help choosing the right one that fits your phone's dimensions and your unique preferences, you can check out these wallpaper apps for Android.
Here's a tip: Only change your wallpaper once every month. Each new month, pick a different theme such as space, nature, minimalist, abstract, or retro. To make this a bit more fun, you can even ask your loved ones to pick a new wallpaper for you.
2. Update Your Operating System
If your phone is not up-to-date, it can start to lag and feel dated. Many Android smartphone makers offer at least three years of major Android updates. So, unless your phone is older than that, you should check if there's an update available on your phone and then install it.
A new Android update can not only make your phone feel new, but it can also kill bugs, introduce new features, improve security, and more. It's a good practice to keep your phone fully updated to get the most out of it.
3. Download a New Launcher
One of the best things about Android that has stayed true throughout its existence is its customizability. No matter which Android phone you have, you are never confined to the software experience that it came with.
There are a plethora of launcher apps on the Google Play Store that you can download that will give your phone a fresh new look. You can also download new icon packs to further personalize it as per your liking. Some of the best Android launchers are Nova Launcher, Action Launcher, and Microsoft Launcher.
4. Replace Your Battery
We've covered how smartphone batteries work in great depth, but here's the gist of it: all smartphone batteries degrade over time, usually lasting for about three years. After three years, their degradation starts to become bothersome, and you'll constantly find yourself running out of juice and having to reach for the charger.
Most people simply get a new phone at this point, but you don't need to do that. If only the battery is the problem and all other things work fine, then just getting your battery replaced with a new one can extend your phone's life further. Not to mention that it'll also save you hundreds of dollars.
In most cases, it's better to contact your phone's manufacturer to get an official replacement.
5. Replace Your Screen Protector
Similar to the point above, screen protectors also get damaged over time. After all, that's what they are supposed to do—protect your screen. But a screen protector with scuffs, cracks, and shatter marks is never fun to use and can certainly make your phone feel old.
Luckily, screen protectors are pretty cheap, and you can almost always find one that's compatible with your phone's display. So, save yourself some trouble and get a new screen protector. It will make media consumption and scrolling much more fun.
6. Replace Your Back Cover
While there's nothing wrong with sticking to one back cover for as long as it works, it will inevitably get dirty and discolored over time. If you have one of those transparent TPU cases, it's very likely that it will turn yellowish.
So, buying a new back cover every year or so (or earlier) can help make your phone continue to feel like new. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even design your own back cover with all sorts of fun colors, details, and patterns.
7. Apply a Custom Skin
Unlike back covers, smartphone skins are not meant to protect your phone. They do exactly what their name suggests: give your phone a new skin. You can apply a custom skin on your phone's body to make it look new and exciting.
Smartphone skins add virtually no weight or thickness to your phone, you can use it just like normal—but now with a sick new skin to show off. If you're someone who doesn't use a case, a skin would be just right to flaunt your style.
8. Delete Unimportant Media
Over time, your phone gets filled with images, videos, documents, GIFs, and more. And so many of these are often not worth the storage space they occupy.
If your internal storage is full, it will affect your phone's overall performance as there is no "breathing room" for your phone to process functions smoothly. This can slow down your phone, make it lag, and feel old.
To avoid this, it's a good practice to declutter your phone every three to six months. Go through your stored media and delete all items that are not important to you or the ones that you no longer need. The more storage you can clean up, the better.
9. Delete Old Unused Apps
Similar to the last point, delete all apps that aren't useful to you. If you ever need one of those apps, you can simply download it back again. Unused apps only make things harder for you as they eat storage, occupy RAM by running in the background, and make your phone feel cluttered. Deleting them will help make more room for new apps.
10. Update All Your Remaining Apps
After deleting all unused apps, you can make good use of all that extra space you just gained by updating all the apps that remain. To do so, simply follow the steps below:
- Open the Google Play Store app and tap on your profile picture.
- Select Manage apps & device.
- Tap Update all.
Updating your apps is good for the same reason as updating your phone. There may not be any major changes, but you may notice some minor improvements. All those tiny updates add up to give you a fresher experience.
11. Delve Deep in the Settings
Most people use their phone the way it came out of the box, meaning they only experience the device with its default settings. There's nothing wrong with using your phone like this, of course, but it also means that you're missing out on everything that the device is capable of.
There may be features tucked deep in the settings you never even knew existed that can unlock a whole new level of productivity and usability. For instance, did you know that one of the many hidden features on Samsung phones is that they have an SOS flashlight?
If you have a stock Android phone, there's probably not going to be as much to discover in the settings since the OS is so light. But phones with custom Android skins such as those from Samsung, Xiaomi, or OnePlus are filled with features. Learning all the capabilities you didn't know about is a great way to make your phone feel new again.
12. Get Your Phone Repaired
Finally, if there's something wrong with your phone on a hardware level, such as a broken screen or unresponsive buttons, then just buying a new screen protector, back cover, or battery is not going to help. You first need to find out what's wrong with your phone and then get it repaired from an authorized repair shop.
Unless you have sound knowledge of how to do so, we don't recommend that you try to repair your device yourself even if you have the right tools. You might end up causing even more problems than before, so be wise and consult a repair technician nearby.
Don't Buy a New Phone Just Yet
Modern smartphones are already packed with really powerful software and hardware, and can easily last five years if you take good care of them. Unless your phone has become unusable, you don't really need to buy a new one.
Simply replacing a few parts, regularly deleting trash, cleaning the body, and getting new accessories can make you want to carry your device for at least a year longer, if not more. Save yourself some money and don't buy a new phone just yet.