Here’s why you really shouldn’t charge your phone overnight
IF YOU plug your smartphone into the charger before bed you are making a huge mistake. You need to break your terrible habit.
FOR many of us, the last thing we do before bed is plug our smartphones into the wall so they’re fully charged in the morning.
But tech experts have now warned that this habit might be damaging your phone, reports The Sun.
It’s hard to know what the best way to maintain your smartphone battery’s integrity thanks to the cacophony of theories or “smartphone hacks” flying around.
Some say you should let batteries drain to zero before juicing them up.
Others claim you should recharge it when it’s at about 50 per cent to make it last longer.
But a recent report appears to have put rumours to bed, once and for all.
It details how batteries, similarly to most cars, depreciate from the moment of first use.
So if you keep your phone plugged in overnight, you’re increasing the time it is hooked up to a power supply and chipping away at its long-term battery capacity faster than if you only charged it for a couple of hours.
“If you think about it, charging your phone while you’re sleeping results in the phone being on the charger for 3-4 months a year,” says Hatem Zeine, founder of Ossia, a developer of wireless charging technology told Time.
“So even though the manufacturers try their best to cover this scenario, this process inevitably lowers the capacity of your phone’s battery.”
You’re more likely to spot battery drain about two years after buying your gadget.
But you can counter it by making small changes to your charging habits.
Wait until you get to about 35 per cent or 40 per cent battery before juicing it up to preserve it in the long run.
Keeping it cool will also help, so remove its case.
One expert said that if you must charge overnight, you should consider placing your phone on a saucer while you snooze.
Placing your phone under your pillow is a fire hazard, but propping it on a non flammable surface should keep you safe.
This story first appeared on The Sun.
Originally published as Here’s why you really shouldn’t charge your phone overnight