Many people underestimate the work needed to keep smartphones in tip-top shape. These tiny PCs in your pocket require regular maintenance and important updates in order to stay protected against wear and tear as well as attacks.

Turning your phone off completely protects it from some hacks

Surprisingly, this includes a very basic function that many people never do: switching your phone off completely. According to security experts at the NSA, this alone helps to protect the device from some hacking attacks. It is now not only common to gain access to smartphones via malicious links, but also via so-called zero-click exploits.

This involves bypassing the smartphone’s security features step-by-step. Starting with a missed call, then the first installed files, which gradually allow access to the system and tap into information. This usually goes unnoticed, but can fortunately be prevented by completely rebooting the device.

Further reading: Is Windows 11’s built-in antivirus enough for normal people?

So how often should I turn off my phone?

The simple answer from security experts as to how often a phone should be turned off completely is: at least once a week. And not just for the protection it provides! In addition to eliminating the security risk, regular reboots also allow the smartphone’s operating system to run all functions smoothly.

By the way: To see how long your device has had to go without switching off, you can easily check the system settings. On Android devices, this can usually be found under “Device” and then “Status.” The uptime is displayed there in hours.

Further reading: Does fast charging hurt your phone battery?

Editor’s note: This article originally published on May 17 but was updated with information.