Part of having a smartphone is ensuring you’re doing what you can to keep your battery life as full as possible. However, there are a lot of people who could be doing more to keep theirs up.
When someone’s iPhone or Android battery begins draining faster and faster, people tend to panic, automatically thinking there’s something wrong with their device. That can be the case, though a quickly draining battery is often associated with the user, what they have on their phone, how long they’re on it, and how they go about charging it. Read more about two smartphone charging mistakes you should avoid to preserve your battery health below.
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1. Fast-Charging While Using Your Phone
For some people who are super reliant on their phones or enjoy spending hours a day on them for entertainment, it's easy to want to charge up your smartphone while using it. However, doing something as simple as playing a game or spending time on a busy app while your phone is quickly charging can make a mark on a battery.
"Avoid fast-charging your phone while gaming, streaming, or navigating in direct sunlight," explains tech pro Seymour Segnit. "This may look harmless at first, but remember: multiple components (such as the processor, display, and charging system) operate simultaneously, so the internal battery temperature can drift far from its ideal operating range. In addition, that thermal range is subjected to repeated cycles, decreasing battery health over time, even when the phone is not uncomfortable to touch."
2. Charging Your Phone In A Hot Space
When it comes to healthy smartphone charging, many tech professionals will tell you that heat is the main enemy of a phone and its battery. Therefore, it's best not to charge your phone, a process that already generates heat, in a warm space. Even charging under a pillow or warm blanket, as well as in the sun, could damage your battery.
"When people plug in their phone charger under a pillow, on soft furnishings, or beneath a bulky case that traps the heat, you can do serious damage to the battery or cause general overheating problems," says tech expert Steven Athwal. "Charging generates heat, and if that heat can't dissipate, the internal temperature rises quickly. Lithium-ion batteries are very temperature sensitive; excess heat raises internal resistance and chemical wear. Over time, this causes overheating alerts and quickens battery degradation, meaning it won't hold a charge for long and will probably need a replacement battery."
