When was the last time you actually turned your phone completely off? If you’re like most people, your device probably stays on 24/7, only getting a quick restart when there’s a problem. But according to security experts at the National Security Agency (NSA), this common habit might be putting your phone at risk. Their advice is surprisingly simple and might change how you use your phone. So what does the government’s top security agency recommend when it comes to powering down your device?
Turn off your phone completely once a week
The NSA has a clear recommendation that might surprise you: you should turn off your phone completely at least once a week. This isn’t just a suggestion – it’s advice from the people who understand digital security better than almost anyone else. According to security experts, powering down your device regularly helps protect it from certain types of hacking attacks, including what are called “zero-click exploits” that can operate in the background without you ever knowing they’re there. These attacks can continue running as long as your phone stays powered on.
When you completely shut down your phone, you’re essentially cutting off these potential attacks. Think of it like closing all the doors and windows to your house once a week to make sure no one sneaked in and is hiding somewhere. That one-minute shutdown can make a real difference in your phone’s security. The NSA explains that this simple habit can eliminate certain security risks that might otherwise go unnoticed. It’s a small task that takes almost no time but could save you from major headaches down the road if your data gets compromised or your phone gets hacked.
Weekly shutdown improves your phone’s performance
Security isn’t the only benefit of turning off your phone regularly. Your device’s operating system needs these breaks to run all its functions properly. Think about how your phone sometimes gets sluggish or glitchy after being on for a long time. Apps might start to crash more often, the battery drains faster, or things just don’t work as smoothly as they should. These issues often happen because your phone hasn’t had a chance to clear its temporary memory and reset its systems. Just like how you need to sleep to function well, your phone needs occasional downtime.
Experts say that shutting down your phone and letting it rest for a minute or two before turning it back on helps the phone reset and clear out memory problems. One of the biggest issues is something called “memory leaks.” This happens when apps take up memory space but don’t give it back when you’re done using them. Over time, these leaks can slow down your whole device. A portable power bank might keep your phone running longer, but it won’t solve these underlying performance issues. Only a complete shutdown can properly reset these systems and give your phone a fresh start each week.
Weekly reboots fix connectivity problems
Have you ever noticed your phone suddenly having trouble connecting to Wi-Fi or mobile data? You might be in the same spot where it worked perfectly yesterday, but today it keeps dropping the connection or showing a weak signal. This is another common problem that can be fixed with regular shutdowns. Your phone’s connection to networks sometimes gets stuck in weird states, especially on older smartphones. When this happens, you might see full bars but still have terrible internet speed, or your phone might keep trying to connect to a network that’s too far away instead of switching to a closer one.
Restarting your phone forces it to reconnect to these networks from scratch, which often solves these mysterious connection problems. Your phone will scan for the strongest available signals and establish fresh connections as if it were connecting for the first time. If you’ve been having Wi-Fi issues at home, you might think you need a new Wi-Fi router, but sometimes the problem is just that your phone needs a reboot. The NSA and other experts point out that these connectivity benefits are another good reason to make weekly shutdowns part of your regular routine, especially if you rely on your phone for important communications.
Shutdowns clear cached data that causes crashes
Your phone is constantly storing temporary data called “cache” as you use different apps and browse the web. This cached data helps your phone load things faster when you return to them later. But over time, this cache can build up and start causing problems. Sometimes the data gets corrupted or conflicts with newer data, leading to app crashes or weird behavior. You might notice your favorite app suddenly closing for no reason, or your phone freezing when you try to open certain things. These frustrating glitches often happen because of cache problems that have built up over time.
A complete shutdown helps clear away problematic cached data and gives your apps a fresh start. While some cache will remain, the most active and potentially problematic temporary files get reset when your phone powers down completely. If you’ve been thinking about getting a new smartphone because your current one seems too buggy, try implementing a weekly shutdown routine first. Many people are surprised by how much better their existing phone works after they start following this simple habit. The NSA’s recommendation of weekly shutdowns addresses this cache issue directly, helping your phone run more smoothly overall.
Protect your privacy by managing location tracking
The NSA has another important recommendation related to your phone: be careful with location tracking. Your phone is constantly collecting and sharing location data, often without you realizing it. Apps, websites, and even your phone’s operating system can track where you go and what you do. This information is valuable to companies that want to sell you things, but it can also pose security risks. The NSA warns that this location data can be exploited by third parties and might even create national security concerns in some cases. This tracking happens through several different systems on your phone, including GPS, Wi-Fi connections, and Bluetooth.
To protect yourself, the NSA recommends turning off location services when you’re not using them. They also suggest resetting your advertising ID on a weekly basis. This ID is a unique number that companies use to track your behavior across different apps and websites. By resetting it regularly, you make it harder for them to build a complete profile of your activities. The NSA also recommends giving apps as few permissions as possible. If a game or weather app asks for your location, think carefully about whether it really needs that information. Taking these steps won’t completely stop your phone from sharing location data, but they can significantly reduce how much of your private information gets collected and shared.
Background apps drain your battery life
One of the biggest battery killers on your phone is apps running in the background. Even when you’re not actively using them, many apps continue working behind the scenes, checking for updates, sending data, and using processing power. Over time, this constant background activity can significantly drain your battery. You might notice your phone getting hot for no apparent reason, or the battery percentage dropping quickly even when you’re not using it much. These are signs that something is working hard in the background. A weekly shutdown helps interrupt these processes and gives your battery a break.
In addition to weekly shutdowns, the NSA and other experts recommend regularly closing apps that you’re not using. On most phones, you can see all your running apps by swiping up from the bottom of the screen or pressing the recent apps button. Take a moment to close anything you don’t need right now. For apps that you know use a lot of resources, like navigation or social media apps, it’s especially important to make sure they’re not running when you don’t need them. If your battery still drains quickly, you might want to consider a phone case with built-in battery for extra power. But remember, even with extra battery capacity, the weekly shutdown is still important for all the other benefits it provides.
How to properly shut down your phone
There’s a right way and a wrong way to shut down your phone. According to the NSA and other experts, a proper shutdown means turning the phone off completely, not just putting it to sleep or restarting it quickly. On most phones, you do this by holding down the power button until a shutdown option appears on screen. Once you select “Power off” or “Shut down,” wait until the screen goes completely black and the phone stops vibrating or making sounds. Then, leave it off for at least a minute before turning it back on. This full minute of downtime helps ensure that all systems properly shut down and reset.
Some people wonder if putting their phone in airplane mode achieves the same benefits as a shutdown. The answer is no. Airplane mode only turns off the communication features of your phone, like cellular data, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. The operating system and all your apps are still running. Similarly, just locking your screen or putting your phone to sleep doesn’t provide the benefits of a full shutdown. These options keep most systems running in a low-power state. For the security and performance benefits the NSA recommends, you need a complete power-off once a week. If you use your phone as an alarm clock, consider getting a separate alarm clock so you can comfortably shut down your phone at night.
Following the NSA’s advice to turn off your phone once a week is one of the simplest yet most effective things you can do to protect your device and improve its performance. This small habit takes just a few minutes of your time but provides multiple benefits for security, speed, and battery life. In a world where we’re increasingly dependent on our phones, these regular shutdowns help ensure your device stays reliable when you need it most. Why not try it this week and see if you notice a difference?
