Travelling This Summer? Phone Prep Tips for the Holidays

Heading away for a Christchurch summer holiday? Whether you’re off to the beach, the bach, or braving airports, your phone will probably be working harder than you are.

A little preparation now can save you from cracked screens, dead batteries, or a frantic last-minute repair mid-trip.

Here’s how to get your phone holiday-ready.

Back Up Everything

Holidays are prime time for phones to be dropped, drowned, or lost entirely.

A quick backup to iCloud, Google Drive, or your computer means your photos, contacts, and messages survive — even if your phone doesn’t.

Photos of the kids are replaceable.

Photos of Christmas lunch? Absolutely not.

Check Your Charging Gear

Travelling usually means more charging — maps, cameras, Spotify, roaming.

Make sure you’ve got:

• A reliable cable

• A proper fast charger

• A car charger if you’re road-tripping

• A power bank for long days out

Cheap cables are the #1 reason phones fail to charge on holiday. Don’t trust them with your sanity.

Clean Your Charging Port Before You Go

Beach holidays + lint + sand = chaos.

A blocked port means slow or unreliable charging, right when you need your phone most.

A quick port clean now saves you from wiggling cables like a 90s TV aerial later.

Update Your Software

Updates improve battery life, security, and camera quality — all useful when travelling.

Do it before you leave, not on patchy campground Wi-Fi.

Check Your Battery Health

If your phone barely lasts half a day at home, it won’t survive a day of beach photos and Google Maps.

A fresh battery before you travel is one of the best upgrades you can give your phone.

Get a Screen Protector and a Decent Case

Holidays are brutal on phones — concrete poolsides, sandy backpacks, kids running around, boats, you name it.

A tempered glass protector and a proper case are the difference between a great trip and a cracked screen at the worst moment.

Turn On “Find My” or Google Find My Device

If your phone goes missing at the beach, a theme park, or an airport, location tracking is a lifesaver.

Make sure it’s on, signed in, and linked to someone you trust.

Clear Space for Photos and Videos

Christmas, beaches, sunsets, road trips. Photos galore.

Clear out old screenshots, memes, and that 4-minute video of your dog breathing to give yourself room.

Your future self will thank you.