Saltwater is highly corrosive, and sand presents a massive problem even for military-grade equipment.

Sand will scratch your screen and clog up your charging port and speaker grill.

One of the best rugged cases is theLifeproof FRE(iPhone version).

A blue iPhone XR covered in sand and water.

EugeneEdge/Shutterstock.com

The latest iPhone versions even support MagSafe,Apple’s wireless charging standard.

Another option is to use a waterproof pouch like theCaliCase Universal Floating Case.

Keep most smartphones dry and sand-free with this floating universal cover from CaliCase.

iPhone in a zip lock bag

Tim Brookes / How-To Geek

Even with a waterproof case, you should be especially careful using your smartphone near salt water.

Rinse the case thoroughly after exposure to salt water, before removing your gadget.

Salt is highly corrosive and can damage your smartphone, even if has a good water-resistant rating.

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Get 2 meters of water and drop protection, and protect your device from dust and sand with the Lifeproof FRE.

In particular, the contacts on the charging pins will corrode when exposed to salt.

Over time this could prevent your rig from charging using a cable.

This can cause your gear to warm up rapidly, which is something you want to avoid.

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Keep most smartphones dry and sand-free with this floating universal cover from CaliCase.

Heat is bad for electronics in general, but it’s especially bad for your phone’s battery.

Related:Is It Bad to Leave Your Phone in the Sun?

Overheating is easy to avoidby keeping your smartphone in the shade.

A smartphone and paper coffee cup on top of a car dashboard.

Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com

Throw it in a bag and keep that bag zipped up.

Unfortunately,water resistant doesn’t mean waterproofso you’ll still need to be careful.

Sand will scratch your display, soa screen protector may be worth your time.

If you’re going to go this route, a glass screen protector is your best bet.

Damaged charging pins may prevent your gadget from charging and scratching the gold plating may expose the copper underneath.

Copper is highly conductive but prone to corrosion, which iswhy these contacts are plated in the first place.

The air temperature inside will heat up and this can be deadly for children, pets, and technology.

Smartphone batteries hate extreme temperatures, whether that’s hot or cold.

Leaving your smartphone on display also gives thieves a reason to break into your car.

What About Wearables?

Surprisingly, wearables like theApple Watchdon’t seem as susceptible to salt water and sand damage as smartphones.

Heading to the beach?

You may alsoneed a portable chargerandsome reliable sunscreen.