A good portion of the United States has been getting pounded with snow and bad weather in the last week or so, with more storms on the way. If you’re expecting to be hit by a winter storm, here are some tips for making the most out of your smartphone during the bad weather:
- Stay Informed – Pay attention to the weather by downloading the FEMA app and checking governmental weather sites like NOAA so you know what’s coming.
- Install a Flashlight App – If you don’t already have one, take a sec and install this flashlight app. While you won’t want to use your phone as full-time flashlight during a power outage, it can be incredibly useful for finding the candles, lamps and real flashlights.
- Keep phone fully charged – This sounds like a ‘duh’ but be sure that your phone is fully charged when the storm hits, just in case. This is especially critical if you don’t have a landline.
- Backup phone charging – Make a plan for backup charging of your phone. If you don’t have a portable charger, then dig out your car charger and keep it handy just in case. It isn’t ideal, but it’s better than nothing!
- Battery saving settings – Familiarize yourself with the battery-saving mode on your cell phone, and turn it on as soon as you lose power to conserve your smartphone’s battery. While you have power, check out our tips for prolonging battery life!
- Emergency numbers – Pre-program your phone with some emergency phone numbers, just in case. I might also suggest that you write them down somewhere you won’t forget in case your phone dies and you have to borrow someone else’s device.
- Text instead of calling – During emergencies, networks can experience really high-volume so if you can, use text instead of voice calling as it will work more consistently. WiFi calling might also be available. If you DO have to make a call, keep it short to conserve battery.
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