Smartphone myths

It’s October, which means Halloween. It’s a day of extremes. On one end, it’s sitting down with terrifying movies while holding on to your loved ones for protection. On the other end, it’s hordes of small children dressed as superheroes banging on your door demanding sweets. Who are we to say which is scarier? (It’s obviously the kids.)

So, while you’re sitting in the dark with the curtains closed, whispering to your partner in the hope they’ll move on to another house, you might be wondering – as the banging on the door gets louder – about other menacing things. The stuff that goes bump in the night. The myths and legends that fire up our superstitions.

Even the most rational among us has superstitions. Are you someone who avoids black cats in case they bring you bad luck? Do you knock on wood to keep the bad luck at bay? Do you knock on wood to scare off black cats as a double precaution?

That got us thinking: what tech myths do we follow and never question? And, more importantly, do they work? Here are some common smartphone superstitions and our verdict on whether they are fact or fiction. Whether they’re a tech treat or a fake trick.

Fact or fiction: fiction

Even in 2024 with the smartest phones that have ever existed, optimised to receive futuristic 5G connectivity, you’ll still see people holding phones above their heads to get a better signal. We hate to break it to you: if you don’t have a signal in your location, waving your phone at arm’s length isn’t the masterful strategy you think it is.

Instead of waving, consider walking. Think about what is causing your poor coverage – other electronic devices, heavy walls, built-up areas – and move away from them if you can. And if you can’t move away, try moving up. While the length of your arm is unlikely to help, heading upstairs or to higher ground can eliminate signal obstacles.

Still stuck for signal? Most of our 4G and 5G devices support WiFi and 4G Calling at no extra cost. WiFi Calling lets you make and receive calls as normal when you’re connected to WiFi – even when there’s no coverage – while 4G Calling connects you over 4G, meaning clearer calls.

Setting up WiFi and 4G Calling from your phone is easy. Head here to check if your device is compatible and watch our simple step-by-step tutorial guides. 

Fact or fiction: fiction 

If we’re being honest, we believed this one ourselves. In the past, we’d been diligently closing every app after using them in the firm belief it would prolong our battery before another charge. In our defence, it seems logical to assume that. After all, if you had all the lights on, it would use more power to keep those lights blazing rather than turning them off once you were done with them.

But unsurprisingly, smartphones are smarter than lightbulbs. When you’re not using apps, your device snoozes and suspends them in the background and they don’t use any notable power. In fact, it can sometimes drain your battery more if you continually close and then reopen apps, because it takes more energy to load an app than simply to go back to it.

If you want to see how much energy an app is using, you can find this out in the settings of most devices.

Fact or fiction: fiction 

This superstition can be traced back to the 1940s. No, smartphones weren’t around then. It was a photography magazine that offered up the method of using dry, absorbent rice to suck out the moisture as a suggestion for maintaining camera equipment. In this century, though, you’re better off saving your grains for the dinner table.

As well as potentially damaging your phone, it has been shown that immersion in rice isn’t even a good drying technique. If you’re wondering how to dry out your phone, tap your phone gently against your hand with the connector facing down to remove excess liquid. Leave it to dry, and then – if the phone and cable are completely dry – try charging the device again. If that attempt fails, try again a day later.

If your phone isn’t functioning at all, turn it off. Dry it with a towel and put it in an airtight container packed with silica packets (those little sachets you get inside new shoes), or another drying agent (not rice). Don’t charge it again until you’re sure it’s dry.

If that still doesn’t work, then it’s time to call the professionals. 

Fact or fiction: fiction 

It’s one of the most testing moments in modern life when your device tells you it’s ready for an update. It can be so easy to put off the update for a variety of reasons – you’re busy, you don’t have time, it’s inconvenient and 100 or so other synonyms for “I can’t be bothered”. But some people are convinced (check the forums) that updating your phone will slow it down. This is another myth.

Updates may be tiresome, but they are vital. You must update your devices to ensure they run smoothly. Rather than slow down your phone, they’re designed to improve performance with the most up-to-date software. Even more importantly, updates ensure your phone has the latest safety fixes to enhance your security.

You may see a slowdown in your phone’s performance after an update if you have a very old device, because newer features and functionality are often designed for newer phones that carry greater memory and progressing power. Similarly, battery age and lack of storage can also contribute.

But regardless of your phone’s age, being suspectable to hacks and cybercrime means you should never put off an update.

Fact or fiction: fact 

You know the drill: you needed to be out of the house half an hour ago, you’re still in a towel and you’ve just texted, “Nearly there”. Worse, your phone has 5% battery. So, you turn to the age-old wisdom and put your device in Airplane Mode and begin to charge it. Because everyone knows that it turbocharges the charging… right?

Well, this is one superstition that is right-ish. Putting your phone in Airplane Mode stops a lot of background functions like WiFi, Bluetooth and app updates, reducing battery consumption so your phone can focus on recharging. However, according to some tech experts, this “trick” realistically only gives you a nominal boost in your changing time, with one test recording it as just four minutes faster than when you charge your phone normally.

Better charging tips are to leave your phone alone when it’s charging, use a wall charger, stop background processes on apps, enable battery-saving mode and use your manufacturer’s official kit. You can also use a specific fast charger to speed up your charging. Check out our fast charger accessories here. 

Published: 7 October 2024