The best phones of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

I've used dozens of smartphones in the past year alone, learning the ins and outs -- the tips and tricks -- to make the most out of my handset. Here are my three biggest pointers on taking care of your smartphone right now:

Speeding up your smartphone

Something I always do when setting up a new Android phone is dialing up animation and transition speeds. You can do this by turning on Developer Options, a backend catalog of system settings meant for developers to access, but rules were meant to be broken, right? 

To turn on Developer Options, go into your About Phone page in the settings and look for the Build Number. Tap on that seven times and you should see a pop-up indicating that Developer Options has been turned on. Now, the activated tab will appear in the main settings list. From within, scroll down until you find Windows, Transition, and Animator duration scale. Tap into each and switch from 1x (default) to .5x to double the speed of your phone's animations.

Optimizing your battery health

To preserve your phone's battery life, it's best to charge it between 20% and 80% and never let it drop to 0% or charge fully to 100%. This is because the heat generated from overcharging the phone can burn (or degrade) the battery, reducing its number of charge cycles. This phenomenon is the reason why you shouldn't charge your phone overnight or leave it plugged in for an extended period of time.

When in doubt, after a year or two of usage, consider getting your phone's battery swapped to refresh its charge cycles. You'll be amazed at how well it functions again.

How to keep your phone clean

Unless you're invested in a repairs and warranty plan like Apple Care, consider suiting your phone with a protective case and/or tempered glass screen protector. Beyond drop protection, the two accessories will prevent the phone from getting scratches, scuffs, and other blemishes and can greatly reduce the chance of water damage. For what it's worth, if a manufacturer claims its phone is rated IP68, that means the device can withstand dust ingress and be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes at 1 meter deep.

Occasionally, take an alcohol pad and give your phone a wipe-down. If you think about it, your phone is just as likely to accumulate germs as your hands, so don't forget to clean it, too.