4 tips to protect your smartphone or tablet

Prevent problems from the get-go and have less reason to repair or replace your smartphone and/or tablet.

• They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that is certainly true when it comes to protecting all the valuable data on most smartphones.
• Given the universally fragile nature of these devices, one of the best ways you can safeguard your investment and your important information is to keep yours housed in a protective carrying case.
• There are a number of different styles and materials to choose from; you can pick based on design or price point.

• By far, the most important — and most delicate — feature of any smartphone or tablet is the screen.
• To maintain its "fresh out of the box" clarity and to ward off scratches and dirt, cover it with a transparent screen protector.
• You can also make your own screen protectors by cutting up a sheet of clear vinyl (available from most fabric stores).
• First clean the smartphone or tablet screen with a bit of glass cleaner applied to a soft lint-free cloth.
• Then cut the material to fit your screen, place a few drops of water on the vinyl, and attach it to the smartphone or tablet.
• Don't lay the vinyl down all at once, because that tends to trap large pockets of air between the surfaces. Smooth out any air bubbles with a credit card.

If you carry a lot of valuable addresses, phone numbers, appointments, and other important information on your smartphone, be sure to sync it with your computer frequently — every day if you input new information all the time.

Although there's no guarantee that someone will return your smartphone if you lose it, there is one way that you might help facilitate its safe homecoming: set a repeating alarm to go off once a week that displays your email address.