10 steps to make your old smartphone feel new again

But rechargeable batteries have a finite lifespan. Despite your best efforts, they may need to be retired eventually. To check battery status on an iPhone, open SETTINGS | BATTERY | BATTERY

HEALTH & CHARGING. Note the percentage next to Maximum Capacity, which is a measure of battery capacity compared to when the battery was new. Replace a battery with a maximum capacity

below 80 percent, something Apple or an authorized service provider must do for you. Users can’t replace iPhone batteries themselves. Checking the status of your battery on Android devices

differs by model and manufacturer. On a Samsung Galaxy, launch SETTINGS | BATTERY AND DEVICE CARE | DIAGNOSTICS and tap BATTERY STATUS. If the battery is still in decent shape, Samsung will

report its status as Normal, suggesting it is not ready to be put out to pasture. When it has petered out, take the phone to an authorized provider to change the battery, just like with an

iPhone. 5. DRESS IT UP Your phone says something about your sense of style and fashion. If you have a physical case that’s worn or frayed, getting a new one can make the whole phone feel new

again. If the screen is cracked but still functional, you may want to replace it, too, if only for cosmetic reasons. You can address the internal cosmetics as well. You can select a dark

theme motif over light mode, or vice versa. You may also find that dark mode reduces eye strain in low light. On an iPhone, you can change from light to dark or dark to light in the SETTINGS

 or CONTROL CENTER. Head to SETTINGS on Android to do the same. From time to time, you may want to change the wallpaper and lock screen on your device. On iPhone, tap SETTINGS | WALLPAPER | 

+ ADD NEW WALLPAPER and choose among custom options that Apple features or pick a priceless image from your own photo library. On Android, tap SETTINGS | WALLPAPER & STYLE. Again, you’ll

have numerous designs to choose from, or you can create wallpaper from your own photos. 6. MONITOR YOUR HEALTH While you’re improving the health of your smartphone, you can take steps to

improve your own health. Health apps are probably loaded already on your device: the Health app on iPhone, Google Fit on Pixel phones and Samsung Health on Galaxy devices. You also can

download Google Fit or Samsung Health from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Each of these apps can monitor fitness, workout and other health-related metrics. You can consult myriad

third-party health and fitness apps available in either app store, too. Though features vary across apps, you can do such things as count steps, determine your heart rate and learn your

calories burned. The apps can even collect metrics when you sleep. A fitness tracker, smartwatch or other accessory is required for some of the data to show up in these apps. But in general,

the apps provide insights to follow a healthy lifestyle, help you stay in shape and in some cases store medical records. 7. PREP FOR AN EMERGENCY It’s no overstatement to suggest that your 

smartphone can save your life. On iPhone, begin by creating a Medical ID in the Health app. You can list the medications you take, any medical conditions you have, your blood type and other

vital information that an emergency responder can access from the lock screen, even without knowing your passcode.