Is it safe to charge my phone overnight

Lithium-ion batteries in modern smartphones, tablets, and laptops require a lot of charging time. But when is the best time? Is an overnight stay excessive? Is it harmful to the battery to keep it charged?

We’ve tried to debunk some myths and explain how your phone, tablet, and laptop batteries function so you can get the most out of them on a daily basis and over time.

Overcharging your phone is a widespread misconception. The quantity of energy coming into your gadget shouldn’t be an issue because most devices are clever enough to stop charging once they’re full, allowing you to top up as needed to stay at 100%.

The issues arise when the battery overheats, resulting in damage. To avoid this, remove any case from your phone before charging it overnight. It’s also a good idea to place the phone on a flat, hard surface so that the heat can readily evaporate.

So charging your phone overnight is absolutely fine; just make sure it doesn’t become too hot. However, you’ll be astonished at how quickly phones today charge, so you won’t need to charge it for 8 hours. Using a wireless charger is one way to slow down the charging process. You won’t have to fidget to plug it in, and you won’t waste as much energy doing so.

Charging when really hot or really cold

Most gadgets are built to perform in a wide range of temperatures, such as 16 to 22 degrees Celsius, but regularly exposing your device to temperatures exceeding 35 degrees can cause it to malfunction.

If your device becomes too hot, Apple, for example, will temporarily turn it off. “Charging the item in high ambient temperatures can damage it further,” the manufacturer warns.

Thankfully, this isn’t the case in freezing conditions, as batteries are better equipped to handle the cold. You’ll probably notice a drop in battery performance – cameras are especially susceptible to this on ski excursions – but this is usually only temporary, and normal battery life should recover once you return to warmer weather.

Stick with official chargers

While many phones, such as Android devices, can be charged with any charger, it’s best to use the official one.

Chargers from well-known brands have been thoroughly tested and retested to ensure an optimal and, more importantly, consistent charge. When you start utilizing third-party chargers, you’re putting yourself in danger of harming your battery without even realizing it.

Charge cycles

Where charging from zero to full could have been beneficial in the past, we must emphasize that it is currently the polar opposite. It’s important not to burn up your lithium-ion battery’s charge cycles because they’re limited.

Rather than allowing your laptop, phone, or tablet battery drain entirely and then charging it from scratch, keep it charged with a series of incremental charges rather than a full cycle. If you use full charge cycles, you’ll notice that the battery stops taking as much charge and begins to lose it more quickly as it breaks down.

Apple iPhone users, for example, have a feature in iOS that will tell you the health of your battery and whether it’s due for replacement. You can find the check in Settings, Battery, Battery Health.