Ah, winter. Undoubtedly one of the picturesque times of the year for new adventures. That is, except for the insanely overcrowded and stressful airport terminals that make you ask why you thought traveling was a good idea in the first place. If the airports weren’t your worry, you may be traveling to a colder region and wondering if there’s any cautionary steps to take to make things easier on your smart devices.
We’re here to help limit your holiday stress. If you’re traveling this holiday season, here are some stellar tech tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your travel.
Winter Tech Travel Hacks
1. Browse for flights in a private window. Have you ever been browsing for flights and notice that the price seems to jump up each time? Some major airlines or travel sites will use cookies and tracking to inflate the price shown to you. While this may hold true to only a few sites, it’s still worth saving the money by just searching in a private browser.
2. Go paperless. Most airlines have paperless boarding passes and allow you to check in for your flight from your phone. Rather than having loose papers that could slip from your hands, it’s easier to keep everything on your phone.
3. Take quick pictures of e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Learning from experience, it’s wise to take a fast snapshot of any valuable documents such as driver’s license or passport. It’s also a good idea to take photos of street signs or landmarks if you’re in a new city and get lost. Yes, we also have map apps for this, but sometimes it helps to have photos when you’re unfamiliar to the area.
4. Keep your phone warm. Extremely cold temperatures can have a negative effect on your phone, such as draining the battery and causing the LCD screen and internal parts to perform poorly. Exposing your screen to winter conditions can also make it brittle and much more prone to cracking. Store your phone in a warm place when you’re traveling, and don’t leave it behind in the car!
5. Turn on push notifications for alerts for flight statuses and weather. Winter time is notorious for bad weather, delayed or canceled flights and ultimately thousands of people stranded and frustrated. Make sure that your push notifications are turned on for any weather or travel app you may have to be the first to know on any changes or unexpected delays.
6. Remember to pack extra juice. Charging your phone and devices fully before you leave is a given, but whether it lasts long can be unpredictable. We recommend keeping an extra battery or external battery charger with you for winter travel. Nothing’s worse than scrambling for an open outlet at the airport with your flight cancelled and phone at 5% battery!
7. Touch screen gloves = your new best friend. If you’ve ever tried texting or using your phone when it’s frigid outside, you’ll understand the pain of stiff, pin-prickling fingers. Touch screen gloves have become increasingly popular over the years and are now available at most major retailers. They allow you to interact with your phone without having to bare your naked hands to icy conditions. So-long, frostbite!
8. Finally, BACK UP YOUR PHONE. Backing up the data on your phone not only provides a safe spot for the new photos you’ve taken, but also protects all the old memories and date in case your device is lost or stolen. It only takes a few minutes. Check out our video guide on how to back up your phone.
Got any tech or travel tips of your own? Comment them below! If you’re looking to upgrade your phone for less, check out our huge selection of iPhone, Galaxy and more.