Three things you should never put on your smartphone

Smartphones have long stored personal data, including bank details, correspondence, and social media accounts. Therefore, any "improvements" could lead to privacy, convenience, or device condition issues.

BGR writes about this.

Stickers on the case

While stickers can look cute and personalize your gadget, the material and coverage area are important. Thick stickers, especially if they cover almost the entire back panel, can hinder heat dissipation and cause overheating. There is also a risk of partially covering significant elements, such as the flash or part of the camera.

Another problem is the glue residue left behind after removal. If a sticker has been on a case for a long time, it often leaves behind a sticky residue that can spoil the device's appearance and affect its future resale value.

Plastic protective films for the screen

Screen protection really does matter, but not all options work the same way. Plastic screen films are usually cheaper, but they offer weak impact protection: they’re thin and absorb very little force when the phone is dropped, so the impact is more likely to be transferred directly to the display, increasing the risk of cracks.

Plastic can also interfere with the touch experience — reducing sensitivity and feeling less smooth than glass. An alternative is tempered glass, which provides better protection against scratches and cracks, looks clearer, and feels much closer to the phone’s original display glass, though it comes at a higher price.

Apps that promise to clean up your smartphone or speed it up

Apps that promise to "clean up" or "speed up" your smartphone or significantly extend battery life typically don't provide any real performance benefits. Instead, they can be a gateway for unwanted ads, malicious components, and data risks.

Closing apps in the background doesn't always help, either. Sometimes, it increases energy consumption when apps have to be restarted. Modern smartphones mostly manage memory and power consumption themselves, without "magic" optimizers.

Read more:

Not once a week — how often to clean your phone screen

Four signs that it's time to replace your smartphone