This Is One Of The Worst Things You Can Do To Your Laptop

Personalizing your laptop can be a slippery slope. It's understandable, though. You can pick from any of the most reliable laptop brands, and you'll ultimately get the same thing: a bland-looking gray or black rectangle. One of the most common ways to spice things up is with some stylish or whimsical stickers. But depending on where you put them, using stickers can be one of the worst things you might do to your laptop.

Putting stickers over a laptop's vents or ports will prevent heat from escaping. This will cause the device to overheat, which leads to poor performance, sudden shutdowns, or permanent damage to the laptop's components. This might sound like common sense if you're a tech-savvy power user, but it's a surprisingly common mistake.

A popular video shared on Reddit showed a repair shop technician fixing a customer's overheating laptop by simply peeling off a large sticker that was blocking the entire width of the device's bottom vent. The video received over 48,000 interactions, with multiple top-rated comments sharing how they solved an overheating issue by removing something that was blocking the vents — which is exactly why you should never use your laptop on your lap either.

If you want to give your laptop a unique look, there are plenty of ways to do it without damaging the device. In fact, it's totally fine to use stickers as long as you're not blocking any vents or ports. Putting stickers on the back of the laptop lid is safe because the device does not need to dissipate heat there. The worst thing you'll have to worry about is lowering the laptop's resale value if the stickers damage the exterior finish or leave residue after peeling.

There are protective accessories and cases for MacBooks and laptops that can also serve as stylish decorations for your device. This is the best way to personalize your laptop when traveling, since it gives you a unique look while also protecting it from accidental drops. For at-home use, customizable LED light strips can provide a unique mood or ambiance that your laptop could never create on its own. The important thing is to make sure that whatever accessories you choose allow your laptop to dissipate heat without obstruction.