Tips for Tweaking Your Smartphone and Keeping it Running Like New

This month's tech talk post is all about tweaking your Android smartphone and I'm turning over the reigns to my husband who does a great job keeping my smartphone and his running smoothly.

So you got a new smartphone...now what? I don't know about you, but I like getting the most out of my device. That includes turning features off that save on ram, processing power, battery use and mobile data. I'm not saying you should be irrational and turn off important/needed features. If your screen times out in 15 seconds, it would be safe to say you've gone too far with optimization. In this post I'll be showing you some rational ways to optimize your Android smart phone. I will start off with saying something controversial and counter-intuitive...are you ready for it? Here it is.  Unlike a Windows PC, you don't have to have antivirus protection on your smart phone. Most everything I came across on the web says that you can opt for installing an antivirus on your phone, but they recommend you not do this simply because, even though a reputable company puts out antivirus software for mobile, most antiviruses are known to slow down mobile devices, thus, taxing your phone. I tried at least three different antivirus apps (one at a time), and uninstalled each one before installing the next. I found that articles I've read, and what I stated above to be true. It wasn't worth installing these apps on my HTC One M9.

Now that I got that out of the way, I'd like to get to the good stuff, my recommendations.  First up, install the CCleaner app from the app store and run it about once a week. It only takes a minute or two to run, and it's easy to use. Once you launch the app, click the analyze button on the bottom and wait until it's done analyzing. Then select the different items you would like to 'clean'. I typically clean the cache, browser history, empty folders, and processes. It keeps the phone running smoothly, cleans unnecessary files, and frees up ram if you choose to clean processes as well. Best of all, this app is free!

My next recommendation is to go directly to your phone manufacturer's site and check out their tips for extending battery life.  If you have an HTC this is where you can go for that info:  htc.com  - there are some great tips there including info on monitoring your battery usage, managing connections (this is a real data saver) and info on managing your apps and more.  I found that by tweaking my phone according to their recommendations my phone battery stays charged much longer which is always a huge plus.

Do you have any favorite apps or tips when it comes to tweaking your smart phones? 

*I am a Lifestyle Blogger for Verizon Wireless.  I occasionally receive products as part of that program.  All opinions share with you are my own.  #VZWBuzz