The Most Common Ways Your Devices Break – And How to Keep Them Safe

When your tech breaks, the type of coverage you have can mean the difference between minor setback and major meltdown.

Americans now check their phones an average of 352 times a day, up nearly four-fold since 2019, according to a survey conducted last year by market research firm Dynata. Nearly three-quarters of people said they viewed their phones as an "absolute necessity," and 60% said they could only go about a day without their phone if it broke before needing a replacement. Some even said one day was too long, highlighting our collective dependence on devices.

Enter Asurion, the company that provides protection for your most valuable electronics. With Asurion, you won't be scrambling if your phone tumbles screen-first toward the asphalt or an errant juice spill washes over the kids' tablet.  In addition to providing coverage for your devices, Asurion protection plans offer virus removal, data monitoring and a customer support network of over 10,000 experts ready to help you get your devices online and optimized.

Sometimes you're given the option to add Asurion coverage on the spot when purchasing a new device, but some Asurion protection plans can be purchased independently, like Asurion Home+, which covers nearly all the tech in your home for $24.99 per month.

Here are some of the most common tech accidents Asurion experts see in the field and how to prevent them.

Why tech breaks: Kids, pets… life 

If you're a parent, you know all too well the sound of something crashing to the floor in another room. According to a recent survey by Asurion, children are responsible for 57% of all broken devices in households with kids. Phones are especially critical for parents to protect, as 67% of adults said they needed a working phone within a day if theirs broke, a much higher number than non-parents.

Kids aren't the only family members who might put your tech at risk. Asurion says that pets are responsible for nearly 10% of all device damage. One swipe of a tail can knock devices right off tables and counters, and pets' claws and teeth can damage screens, cables or other components once they've decided your gadget is their newest chew toy.

And then you have the occasional clumsiness that comes with everyday life, such as unintentional device drops or sudden spills. Many of today's phones are water resistant, but it's important to remember that water resistant is not the same as waterproof. Plus, water resistance diminishes over time, meaning older phones are more susceptible – and even new phones can only withstand submersion to specific depths for short periods of time.

If your phone does end up getting soaked, you'll be glad you have a protection plan. File an approved claim, and you can either get the water damage fixed in-store at one of uBreakiFix by Asurion's more than 700 locations nationwide or receive a replacement device, often as soon as next day. (This beats sticking it in a bag of rice and hoping for the best.)

How your tech actually breaks

The most common culprits of defunct devices are grime buildup, liquid damage and cracked screens.

Over time, dust and dirt inevitably build up in devices like game consoles, laptops, tables and phones. Some common locations for this buildup are speakers and charge ports. Although you can clean devices regularly to fend off the grime, some nooks and crannies will inevitably attract build-up over time, which can lead to corrosion and require replacement of parts. A protection plan that sources quality replacements comes in handy here.

Another threat to all kinds of devices is liquid damage. When water or other liquid seeps into your device, the moisture can corrode metal or the circuit board inside. Since corrosion is a chemical reaction that takes time, you might not see the effects of liquid damage immediately after your device gets wet.

According to repair data from uBreakiFix by Asurion, cracked screens remain the most common phone repair today. A shattered screen may seem like more of a cosmetic issue than a functional one (if you're okay with the risk of cutting your finger), but this damage could lead to bigger problems down the road.

Cracks increase the chance that dust, dirt and moisture will seep inside your phone, resulting in  corrosion and device failure. Cracked screens also make phones far more prone to catastrophic liquid damage, since even hairline cracks mean your phone will no longer be water-resistant. If your screen or backglass gets cracked, get it repaired right away to prevent damage from spreading. Some Asurion protection plans include unlimited screen repair, so you know you're covered, no matter how often tech disaster strikes.

Start protecting your devices today

Although we'll never be able to fully accident-proof our lives, device protection ensures that a sudden tech hiccup won't snowball into a major setback. With Asurion protection plans, you can have peace of mind knowing the devices you and your family depend on most are covered when life happens.