There is no doubt that the coronavirus is changing and will change many things socially, economically and technologically in the coming months.
The outbreak is even transforming certain policies within Apple itself . For many years the Cupertino company has advised users not to clean their iPhones with disinfectant wipes. However, now Tim Cook’s company has changed its mind and rectified.
His change of mind comes in the midst of the expansion of COVID-19, with more than 110,000 cases worldwide. Apple has raised its hand and now if it sees fit to apply this product to maintain the hygiene of its phones.
The apple firm has updated its page to clean Apple products, noting that Clorox brand disinfectant wipes and other similar products with 70% isopropyl alcohol can be used to “gently” clean iPhones and other devices. “Allowing excessive scrubbing could cause harm,” he says for anyone considering compulsive cleaning.
Apple claims that with a wipe you can clean “the hard, non-porous surfaces of your Apple product , such as the screen, keyboard and other exterior surfaces. Avoid humidity and do not immerse your Apple product in any cleaning agent. Don’t use it on fabric or leather surfaces either, ”they add.
Be careful, because if a cleaning liquid enters your iPhone, you can have problems. “The liquid would not be covered under Apple’s product warranty or Apple Care Protection plans,” they recall.
To clean an iPhone, Apple asks users to unplug the terminal and turn it off before trying anything else. And it reminds them not to let moisture seep through the openings. However, each model would have its own specific recommendations posted on Apple’s special page.
The coronavirus has made him change his mind
Although Apple does not mention it in its update, this novelty in its product cleaning policies are a direct response to everything that is happening with the coronavirus. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the use of cleaning sprays or wipes to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects to help prevent the spread of the virus.
For many years Apple has discouraged the use of cleaning products on its smartphones. Before the outbreak, the US manufacturer claimed that the alcohol in the disinfectant wipes could damage the oleophobic (oil repellent) and hydrophobic (water repellent) coatings of the phone.
Where the company has not changed its mind has been with respect to other cleaning products. The company created by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak continues to warn that sprays, bleaches and all those abrasive products are not the best formula to clean iPhones and can damage them.
According to a study by the University of Barcelona, smartphones accumulate 30 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.
