It’s 20 degrees out and your smartphone rings. If you want to answer it but don't want to take off your toasty warm gloves, we have a few hacks to help.
The reason your gloves prevent you from using your touchscreen is that they block the electric charge transmitted via the moisture in your fingertips, explains Jacob Wobbrock, a professor at the University of Washington's Information School. The capacitive touchscreen -- the lingo for this charge-sensitive feature -- needs that moisture so it can detect exactly where your finger is on the screen.
But when you have gloves on, Wobbrock told The Huffington Post, you can trick your phone into thinking it's being touched by fingertips. All you need is a bit of moisture and some contact.
1. Use your nose.
With this method, your nose acts just as your finger would. Wobbrock, who's also the co-founder and CEO of Seattle tech company AnswerDash, calls this trick a “good everyday way” to answer your smartphone without removing your gloves.
Downsides: It can be a little tricky and requires a somewhat dexterous nose, as well as the ability to go cross-eyed. You might get a few weird looks, too. Plus, there's a high chance for smearing snot on your phone. Ew.
Watch HuffPost Sports Editor Maxwell Strachan effortlessly demonstrate this technique here:
(Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post)
Yes, we are aware that he's not wearing gloves. He's testing a high-tech prototype for invisible mittens. Look for them at CES 2016. ;)
2. Breathe on your phone or lick your gloves.
This technique uses your saliva or the condensation from your breath to provide the moisture that would normally come from your fingertips but gets blocked when you wear gloves. The user simply licks a gloved fingertip before swiping, or breathes on the phone and swipes the screen as soon as possible. Wobbrock said a knit glove is ideal for the latter because “water molecules from [your] breath on the screen kind of find their way into those little gaps and crevices and create a bridge from your finger to the screen.”
Downsides: The breathing technique, as attempted by HuffPost, was inconsistent, especially in very cold or windy conditions. Licking the glove is more reliable, but it will leave the aftertaste of glove in your mouth and, well, it's kinda gross.
Here’s the author successfully using this technique:
(Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post)
3. Use a meat stick.
We'll admit that we were pretty skeptical when we first stumbled across this technique, which apparently became popular in South Korea. But it it works like a charm. The grease in the meat stick provides the conductivity needed for the screen to recognize it, even in sub-zero temperatures.
Downsides: In order for this to work reliably, you have to have a meat stick with you at all times. Then you become known as the person who has a meat stick with them at all times. While delicious, frequent consumption of meat sticks could also cause health problems.
Here’s Associate Business Editor Alexander Kaufman demonstrating how casual this technique is when done right:
(Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post)
4. Buy smartphone gloves.
Smartphone gloves don’t need the moisture described in the previous techniques because conductive thread is sewn into the fingertips, allowing your smartphone to recognize when it’s being touched, Wobbrock said.
Downsides: You have to buy special gloves (or make your own). And for some reason you'll never seem to have them on when your phone rings.
Tech Editor Alexis Kleinman shows how easy it is to answer your phone when you do remember to wear your smartphone gloves:
(Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post)
It should be noted, however, that Apple does not recommend using your iPhone in temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold temperatures are also known to negatively affect other brands of phone as well.
But Wobbrock says manufacturers and developers are looking into ways to improve the experience of using phones in extreme temperatures.
Progress is already being made to allow users to answer their phones via voice commands or pre-approved gestures. Wobbrock says more advanced gestures will provide a way for users to get around “situational impairments” -- cold weather, heat or physical disabilities -- that hinder smartphone use. iPhones, for example, already allow users to shake their phones in order to undo actions.
For now, though, keep your meat stick handy.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.