We know there are tech experts who say it’s not the best idea to charge your phone overnight. But, let’s admit it: leaving your phone charged for hours while you sleep and won’t need to access it is incredibly convenient and some of us are continuing to do it. If you need a bit more incentive before you give up your overnight charging habit completely, we spoke to Apple experts who say this is the worst mistake you can make when charging your iPhone overnight.
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There is no one good way to charge your iPhone. You can choose various times of day to plug in your charger and give it a boost — your convenience is the biggest factor. With that said, there has been disagreement among tech experts as to whether overnight charging is a good idea, with some saying the newer phone models are smarter and know when to stop charging so that your battery doesn’t overheat. While the risk of actually burning out your phone may be small, there are other factors to consider before an overnight charge.
Okay, so you know that charging your phone for hours on end is going to cause problems. What’s the solution? Simple: charge it in smaller bursts of time AND don’t fall victim to thinking that your battery has to be 100% to be fully charged.
“A better way to charge phones is by taking advantage of the time between waking up and going to work,” Chan says. “By the time you finish having breakfast and preparing to leave, your phone will be 70%-80% charged, which is more than sufficient for a day. You can also carry your charger to work, charge your phone while commuting or use a portable iPhone charger. Furthermore, experts recommend using a non-combustible material under your phone while charging it overnight.”
Paying attention to battery percentages — the actual number — is important when it comes to charging your phone.
“Moreover, it is always advisable to charge your phone only by 90% to keep your battery life healthy for a long,” LaMorte says. “In any case, if you do decide to charge your phone overnight, it’s suggested that you switch your phone off to prevent any drainage of the battery because of background applications.”
If you already know yourself well and know you’re going to keep charging your phone overnight, no matter what the risk may be, Alina Clark, growth manager and co-founder of CocoDoc, says it’s crucial not to leave it plugged in overnight under your pillow or any combustible material.
“iPhones have Li-Ion batteries that generate lots of heat,” Clark says, “And putting it under your pillow can lead to overheating and could catch fire. So it’s best not to charge it overnight to be safe. But if you really don’t have time to charge it during the day, then make sure to put it on a flat surface where there’s free air flowing in order to keep it cool. Put it on top of a steel table or on the floor. This way it’ll never cause any fire even if it overheats.”
That being said, Clark says, it’s important to understand that there’s really no such thing as a perfect way to charge a phone neither a perfect time of the day to charge it: “You can have it plugged in anytime you can. Just don’t let the battery be drained totally.”
