Charging your phone overnight may seem convenient, but doing so can negatively impact your device’s battery life in the long run.
Android manufacturers and Apple do not advise leaving your phone connected to the charger for extended periods or overnight. Instead, they recommend keeping battery levels between 30 and 70% to extend battery life.
Apple iPhones even offer an optimized battery charging setting that keeps the charge below 80%.
Smartphones are primarily powered by lithium-ion batteries, which degrade over time due to charge carriers moving between electrodes. This process stresses battery components and reduces their efficiency.
Battery stress increases when trying to charge the last few percentage points. Kevin Purdy of iFixit explains this using a sponge metaphor, in which forcing a nearly saturated sponge to absorb more liquid requires pressure, leading to pooling on the surface. This “buildup” represents the buildup of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) in a battery, which reduces its overall capacity.
Huawei’s advice to keep the battery between 30 and 70% rather than aiming for a full 100% charge supports this idea. Likewise, avoiding discharging the battery to 0% will reduce stress on the electrodes and extend battery life.
Additionally, charging devices overnight can pose health and safety risks if not placed properly. Charging often increases the temperature of the device, and flammable surfaces can become dangerous in the event of a malfunction.
Paul Shaw, head of fire investigation at Staffordshire Fire Rescue, warns against putting phones under pillows or carrying them in bedding due to the risk of thermal runaway. He advises charging devices on wooden work surfaces or side tables, as the battery won’t give off enough heat to cause damage in those cases.
2023-05-05 00:28:58
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