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You may think charging your phone is as easy as plugging in a charging cable and letting it do its job. But you could be making a common mistake that could have a negative impact on your battery. Tech expert Patrick Smith, Editor-in-chief at Firesticktricks, spoke to SHEFinds.com about the unexpected charging mistake you should stop making before it ruins your phone.
There is a such thing as “too much of a good thing” when it comes to charging your device.
“One prevalent mistake that many people make with their smartphones is that they overcharge them,” Smith says. “It is usual to plug your phone for charging at night and leave it on till morning.”
The problem with this all-nighter charging approach is that, although the phone stops drawing current from the charger after reaching 100%, the moment your phone drops battery power, the charging goes back on again, Smith says. “This leads to high ambient temperature on your phone, which weakens the battery and reduces its health.”
As you might expect, overcharging will cause poor battery health and battery capacity, according to Smith. “This will lead to poor battery performance, which will require you to charge your phone more often,” Smith says. “That could lead to more overcharging, and the road is only downhill for your battery.”
There’s a better approach to charging your iPhone and maintaining the health of its lithium-ion battery, which charges faster than traditional batteries.
“When you plug your phone in for charging, you see quick spikes in the battery power,” Smith says. “It is suggested that you plug your phone for charging when it is around 20% and take it off around 80%. This approach is useful if you don’t have time to fully charge your phone as this part of charging is relatively quick and doesn’t damage your battery. If you are looking to fully charge your phone, make sure you keep a check and take it off whenever it hits 100%.”
