There’s a good chance you’re making a big mistake when charging your smartphone. Don’t worry, you’re not alone — mistakes are all-too-common and it isn’t always easy to figure out what you’re doing wrong.
But if you’re committing any of the following seven charging sins, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that you haven’t likely caused your phone irreparable damage — yet. The bad news is that the word “yet” has to be added to that previous statement. If you repeatedly make it a habit to charge your phone without being mindful of how mistakes can hurt your device, your phone’s battery can lose power over time.
Avoid making these seven surprising charging errors that can shorten your smartphone’s battery lifespan.
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1. Charging Your Phone in a Hot Car
The car seems like a great place to charge your device so that it’s always ready for the next trip you’re about to take. But be careful when charging in the car because a console can easily heat up — and direct sunlight and extreme temperatures are death to a smartphone battery.
2. Charging All Night Long
Charging your phone for hours at a time isn’t the worst mistake you can make. iPhone’s are now equipped to optimize battery charging so that they learn your charging behavior and slowly trickle charging instead of charging your phone at once. This has helped reduce the amount of strain that prolonged charging can cause, but it’s still a better idea to charge your phone in short bursts to keep it charged between 30 and 80 percent.
3. Cheap Cables
You may save money when you use cheap charging cables and chargers, but these accessories aren’t doing your phone battery any favors. A cheap charger that isn’t designed for your phone model can deliver a too-fast charge that can actually damage your battery. If you’re going to buy off-label charging cables, make sure they are compatible with your phone and its model.
4. Never Cleaning Your Charging Port
Believe it or not, dust and debris can get in the way of an effective charging session because they block your charger’s ability to connect with your phone. You can easily remedy this by cleaning out your port on occasional with forced air or a cotton Q-Tip.
5. Letting Your Phone Drop to Zero Percent
Repeatedly allowing your phone to dip down to zero percent before charging it can be taxing on your battery over time. You can avoid this by keeping your phone in the sweet zone — 30 to 80 percent charged.
6. Keeping Your Phone Plugged In 24/7
A charging session is just that — a session with a beginning and ending. If you’re keeping your phone plugged into a charger at all times it is charging unnecessarily. It’s far better to charge your phone in short bursts for the sake of its health and longevity.
7. Using Your iPhone While It’s Charging
If you can be patient and avoid using your iPhone while it’s charging your phone will charge faster and more effectively. Opening apps, especially resource-intensive ones, only increases your phone’s temperature (and its temp is already higher when it’s charging). This can ultimately be bad for your phone battery.
