Phone Charging Mistakes You’re Probably Making

November 19th, 2018 by admin

Seems pretty simple, right? Plug in your phone and let it charge. Oh, if only it were that easy. Chances are, you're charging your phone wrong. Here's how to do it correctly, and keep your battery in good shape. Most smartphone manufactures say that their batteries in their phones will work at full capacity for about 300-500 cycles. After that, the batteries will no longer hold as much charge. Fortunately, there are things to do to combat this battery degradation.

Don't fully charge your phone

Contrary to what intuition would suggest, you shouldn't fully charge your phone. The high charge stresses the battery and shortens its life expectancy. This guideline is especially important if your phone has dropped below 25%. Charging it from a low percentage all the way up to 100% puts a huge strain on your battery and isn't necessary. However, experts do suggest one full zero to 100% charge (one charge cycle) every month or so to “reset” your battery.

According to Battery University, the optimal level of charge for your phone is between 65-75%. This is pretty specific and hard to maintain, but anywhere from 45-75% is still pretty darn good. It's best to charge your phone in small bursts to keep it within this range. You start to head into dangerous territory when your phone drops below 25% percent, or worse, dies completely, hitting the dreaded 0% (Yikes - this author is most certainly guilty of this on a regular basis).

Be careful when charging your phone at night

Charging your phone at night is probably not the best for your battery. But thankfully, most modern smartphones will stop charging when they're full, so it won't do too much damage. If you do chose to charge your phone at night, remove your phone from its case; charging in a case can lead to overheating, which is a battery's worst nightmare.

Don't use fast charge

Some phones, including many Android models, include a fast charge mode. This higher voltage of charge can cause your battery to get too hot, which in the long run, will only weaken its ability to hold a charge.

Be smart about third-party phone chargers

This is not to say that you can only use the charger that comes with your phone; many third-party options do the job just fine. Just be sure to read reviews, and purchase chargers from a reputable brand. Poorly made chargers can shorten your battery life or even catch fire, so be very careful!

- Hannah Webb

Posted in: Tech Tips, Productivity, Technology