Situations when you really need to turn off your phone

The practice of turning off phones dates back to the 1990s, when devices without power buttons were simply unplugged. Today, users rarely turn their smartphones off completely, but there are situations when it is justified, as GSMinfo explains.

When do you really need to turn off your smartphone?

A smartphone constantly exchanges data over mobile networks, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. This emits high frequencies that can interfere with precision medical equipment or airplane systems. Airplane mode dims the communication modules, and sensitive devices sometimes react to even weak processor radiation. In critical conditions, it's best to turn off the gadget completely.

Another common reason is not wanting to receive calls at night. Instead, use Do Not Disturb or custom sound profiles. These features turn off notifications but allow calls from important contacts. If necessary, you can temporarily disconnect from the network by switching your phone to Airplane Mode.

Turning off the phone helps save battery power only if the device is left unplugged for an extended period. When the battery is almost empty, it consumes more power to turn the phone off completely and then back on again than it does to use economy mode and periodically switch to Airplane Mode.

Thus, it is advisable to turn off your smartphone when its operation could disrupt highly sensitive equipment, during long-term storage (fully charge the battery and recharge it at least once every six months), and at night to maximize energy savings. However, there is no need to turn it off every hour.

Rebooting the device once a month allows the system to reset the cache and minor errors. For older models that have slowed down, this procedure should be done more often.

Previously, new apps from Google Play install in a few seconds, which is why smartphones quickly fill up with dozens of "test" programs. Once interest in them fades, they continue to take up memory space and leave behind cache and system files installed in the background.

As we wrote, the microSD slot is disappearing not only from flagship and mid-range devices, but also from budget phones. The reasons why manufacturers are abandoning this seemingly convenient memory expansion feature are no longer a secret.