Charging your phone for extended periods can cause it to overheat, which, in turn, can deteriorate the battery and pose a potential safety risk.
To save time, many of us intentionally charge our phones overnight, preparing to use them again in the morning, thinking that charging them to 100% during sleep is beneficial. However, contrary to common belief, keeping smartphones plugged in overnight is one of the dangerous factors affecting battery health and performance, significantly reducing its lifespan.
Here are the reasons why charging your phone overnight is highly dangerous for the battery, and why you should give up this unhealthy habit, according to "Arab Hardware" website:
Battery Deterioration and Safety Risks
Charging your phone overnight while you sleep generates high heat from the device, which negatively affects the battery. The battery deteriorates faster when charged regularly to more than 80% and then allowed to drop below 20%. Your device performs better when charged to around 50%.
Moreover, extended charging can lead to overheating, which deteriorates the battery and can become a safety hazard. Therefore, avoid placing your device under your pillow. The lack of airflow may cause battery damage and increase the risk of fire. Remember, it’s not just your phone that heats up during use — both the charger and cable also warm up, posing a risk to your safety.
Charging Overnight Weakens Battery Health
You cannot overcharge your phone’s battery as manufacturers include protective measures to prevent this. However, when charging to 100%, the phone continues charging slightly, adding enough energy to compensate for what the device consumes by default. Thus, by keeping the phone plugged in after it reaches 100%, you overuse it, forcing it to consume energy unnecessarily.
Deterioration of Battery Lifespan
Smartphones and tablets use a type of lithium-ion battery called lithium polymer (Li-Poly). These batteries are typically safer, smaller, and charge faster. However, the same rules about lifespan apply to lithium-polymer batteries as with any lithium-ion battery. The key lies in how lithium batteries work. During charging, ions move between layers. Overcharging or undercharging weakens the cell's integrity because filling one layer with lithium increases internal resistance.
So, how is your phone's battery lifespan determined? Manufacturers define a smartphone's lifespan through "battery charge cycles." A full cycle refers to charging the battery from 0% to 100% and then discharging it back to 0%. The expected number of charge cycles determines how many full cycles the battery can withstand before its capacity starts to degrade.
Avoiding overcharging helps extend your battery’s lifespan. Partial charge cycles — charging between 20% and 80% — count as one full cycle. By charging and discharging within this range, you can achieve 1000 full cycles or more before experiencing noticeable battery degradation. This equals around three years of daily charging.
How to Reduce Your Smartphone’s Battery Consumption
To take better care of your smartphone’s battery, here are several habits and tips that can help you prolong its life:
Reduce Battery Drain
You can extend the battery life by limiting the number of charge cycles, which helps prolong its lifespan. Additionally, many smartphones come with a power-saving option. For example, iPhone and Android devices have a low-power mode that activates when the battery reaches 20% or less.
Turn Off GPS and Data Pack
While it’s commonly believed that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi drain a lot of battery, this is not entirely true. However, GPS and mobile data can significantly deplete the battery, so it's recommended to turn them off and only enable them when needed.
Avoid Using the Phone While Charging
A bad habit is using the phone while charging, whether running heavy apps or playing games. This leads to increased heat and slower charging speeds. You might also notice that your device doesn’t perform at its usual level, and it negatively impacts the battery’s lifespan. It’s best to avoid using your phone while it’s charging and wait until it’s fully charged.
Tips to Extend Battery Life
Here are some simple tips to help you prolong your smartphone battery’s life:
Charge your battery frequently to maintain it between 20% and 80%.
Avoid keeping your phone fully charged by not charging it overnight.
Keep your device at room temperature.
Avoid extreme temperatures (both high and low).
Turn off unnecessary services and functions.
By following these practices, you can significantly extend the lifespan of your phone’s battery.
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