Can COVID-19 survive on my phone?

This April 28, 2020, photo shows a smartphone app built for the state of Utah displaying coronavirus test sites. The app tracks symptoms and shares location data for contact tracing, the process of determining who might have been exposed to the virus. The app is “a tool to help jog the memory of the person who is positive so we can more readily identify where they’ve been, who they’ve been in contact with, if they choose to allow that,” said Angela Dunn, Utah’s state epidemiologist. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst)
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Yes. That’s why a daily wipe down of “high-touch” surfaces like phones, keyboards and tablet computers is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A scientific test shows the virus can live on plastic or stainless steel for two to three days.

To clean your phone, first turn it off and unplug it from cables. Tech companies say you’ll want to avoid getting moisture inside the phone so don’t put it into cleaning solutions or spray it directly.

You can gently use disinfectant wipes, like Clorox wipes, or anything with 70 percent alcohol to clean your device. Phone carrier AT&T recommends wringing out disinfectant wipes before using them on a phone. Paper towels work, too, if you spray them with disinfectant. Google says you can dip a cloth in soap and water to clean off your phone.