3 Surprisingly Common Ways to Damage Your Phone

Snap. Crackle. Pop. No, it’s not a breakfast cereal you’re hearing. It’s the sound of your smartphone chipping, cracking, and smashing.

In 2017, 95 million phones were damaged from a bad drop, according to phone damage statistics gathered by IDC. Hopefully, you aren’t one of the unlucky many who have had to deal with that particular headache in the past, but the statistics say you probably are.

Out of all the data gathered as recently as 2018, the top cause of smartphone damage probably won’t surprise you. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some wonderfully weird surprises down the list.

Have you ever dropped your phone in the toilet? Read on to find out how common that particularly gross incident is.

How Common is Phone Damage?

#1: Ground Impact

According to phone research done by Asurion, a phone insurance company, the number one cause of phone damage is a cracked screen from a fall.

Truly shocking, since phones are small, slippery, and covered in all-too-easily breakable glass.

Luckily, there are fantastic case options out there wanting to protect from a fall and even Protection Kit bundles that include tempered glass to protect the screen. Whether it’s out of a bag, pocket, or even out of your hand, it seems phones are dropping everywhere!

Interestingly, most phone drops occur during the summer months, when typically people are out more. Small wonders abound!

#2: Water Damage

Another summer-specific accident, water damage to phones can be utterly devastating, according to phone damage statistics. Thank goodness for cloud backup because water damage can often fry internal circuitry, rendering any data stored on the phone a total loss.

A cracked screen will often still function, or allow the phone to be plugged into a computer for data retrieval, but water damage is not so forgiving. Your best bet to avoiding water damage is to keep the wet stuff as far away from your device as possible. That means leaving it in a safe, dry place at the beach or pool, not your pocket.

However, if your phone gets submerged, turn it off right away to avoid further damage. Some swear by the bag-of-rice trick, which sucks up moisture from the tiny crevices of the phone. Worth a shot!

We mentioned toilet drops earlier—that would fall in this category. The solution? Don’t look at your phone in the bathroom!

#3: Scratches

Although not as serious as a cracked screen or water-fried circuits, tiny screen scratches can ruin your phone over time. With each fissure, your phone's pristine surface loses some of its smoothness and clarity and degrades the oleophobic coating.

Believe it or not, some people dole out further damage to their phone, trying to remove scratches with abrasives like polish or toothpaste. Over-polishing can do more harm than good, dissolving away that oleophobic coating too. Luckily, an easy solution to avoiding any scratches is a good-quality tempered glass screen protector, which adheres directly to the screen and takes all the punishment that would otherwise be going to that vulnerable screen.

Do Away With Damage!

There you have it, folks. These surprisingly common phone damage causes are scary but preventable. With a little know-how, caution, and extra protection, you won’t have to worry about cracks, splashes, or scratches.

Check out our complete line of protective items, like our signature Protection Kit, to get your phone outfitted for total shielding from the elements (and your clumsy self).