Smartphones nowadays are more sophisticated than ever. They’re loaded with amazing – and sometimes, futuristic – features. For some, a solid learning curve is required to navigate these highly advanced devices. But per providers who sell cell-phone plans, most phones are user-friendly enough to gain plenty of compliments for usability and performance.

Tech-savvy or not, here are smartphone hacks that can help you make the most out of your sophisticated smartphone.

Low Battery

Experts say that charging your phone – particularly Apple units – nightly while you’re asleep makes for weaker battery as time passes. A smartphone battery is at its peak when it is between 20 and 80 percent.

To minimize constant bouts of low battery, plug your smartphone before it’s totally empty and unplug it before it’s totally charged. You must also know which apps drain your battery the most. Use Siri to turn them off when they are not in use.

Storage Space

The worst storage consumers on your smartphone are the apps you never (or rarely) use. To check which apps these are, go to your settings. Disable or uninstall the applications you don’t use anymore.

If you have an Android device, you can easily export videos and images to an external SD card to free up space on your phone. Another great alternative is to use cloud services like iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive.

Lost and Found

As an extra precaution if you misplace or lose your smartphone, choose an emergency contact. Take a picture of his/her phone number or email address. Make it your lock screen. This way, if you lost your phone and someone else finds it, they can use the information on the screen to contact you.

Instant Speakers

If you want to listen to music out loud but do not have a Bluetooth speaker, use an empty coffee mug. Put your smartphone inside. The mug will act as a speaker as the sounds will be amplified.  

Hands-Off While Charging

Ever asked yourself why mobile manufacturers produce only short cables for charging? The answer is so you can stop using your smartphone while it’s plugged in. Mobile manufacturers discourage users to simultaneously charge and use smartphones as the act will significantly reduce battery life. Most smartphones use Li-ion batteries, which have a limited charging cycle. When the cycle is consumed, the batteries need to be replaced.

Rule of Thirds

One of the best features of smartphones these days is their advanced built-in camera. An effective way to enhance smartphone photos is to use the gridlines. This unique feature imposes a series of lines on the screen in line with the “rule of thirds” – a widely recognized key point of photo composition.

The rule of thirds breaks down an image into thirds, horizontally and vertically. All in all, the image is divided into nine parts. The idea is to put the POV in the intersecting lines so the photo will be well-balanced. The rule of thirds enables you to compose and interact with the photo in a more natural way.

Your phone is called “smart” for a reason. Make sure you maximize its many uses by applying the hacks listed above.