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You’ve heard the warning before: don’t charge your phone overnight. But, let’s face it, plugging your phone into a charger and forgetting about it for a few hours is the very definition of convenience. So, what’s the harm in letting a charger work its magic for several hours? We spoke with an expert about what actually happens to your phone when you charge it overnight.
Your phone runs on a lithium-ion battery that stores a vast amount of power in smaller cells that are quick to charge. It is common to notice changes in your phone’s battery over time and, if it struggles to maintain its charge, this may be a sign that you need a new battery. But there are ways to help prolong your battery — and one important way is to avoid overcharging it for hours at night.
Tech Expert Muhammad Ali Sangi, a digital marketing executive for PureVPN, says the key to caring for your phone’s battery is to always try and maintain a charge of between 20 and 80 percent. “Batteries work their best when charged between 20 and 80 percent,” Sangi says.
The problem with charging your phone for hours at a time is that you lose control over how much charge is being delivered to your device. “DO NOT leave the phone on the charger longer than necessary because a trickle charge is between 99 and 100 percent,” Sangi says. “Go above 80% or below 20% and you are reducing the life of your battery.”
If you’re concerned about overcharging your phone, but still need it to be powered up for long periods of time, your best bet may be to periodically charge your device throughout the day. When you notice it falling close to 20 percent, give it a charge — and unplug the charger at around 80 percent for the best battery performance.
