What Certification Should I Look For
Look for a Qi certified wireless charging pad to ensure compatibility with your wireless charging smartphone or tablet.
Accreditation that your charger has been developed specifically for your smartphone means it is more likely to work seamlessly, without compromising your smartphones features and capabilities. Look for compatibility icons for your specific model of smartphone.
Check for international safety standards to guarantee a charger adheres to legal guidelines on safety. These assure safe levels of emissions and manufacture using non-hazardous materials. The laws are different for each country but key ones to look for include:
- FCC
- UL Listed
Switch To Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode is another great feature that you can use to save on battery. If you ever drain your phone to 20% or less, your phone will prompt you to turn it on.
But you can access the feature in your settings, no matter how much battery you have. Then, it will only use necessary features to keep your phone running.
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Will Charging Your Phone Overnight Start A Fire
Most likely, the heat generated by charging your phone battery will not be enough to start a fire. However, most experts recommend leaving your phone in an open, non-combustible space just in case. This means not charging it under a pile of loose paper or clothing and definitely not under your pillow.
If you smother your phone and allow the heat generated by charging to build up significantly, you can also damage your phones battery. This doesnt mean you should cool it down too much, though.
Lithium-ion batteries dont do well with either extreme heat or extreme cold, and either is likely to damage it. Temperatures below 32 or above 158 are liable to degrade your lithium-ion batteries.
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Phone Batteries Only Last A Few Years: False
Phone batteries measure their lifespan in “charge cycles.” That means every time you discharge up 100% of the capacity, it’s one cycle count, but it doesn’t mean you went all the way to zero.
For example, if your phone is at 80%, you go down to 30% , and you charge it back to 80 and use that 50% up again, that’s one cycle. You could use 75% one day, 25% the next, again, that’s one cycle. Expect iPhones to have a lifespan of 400 to 500 charge cycles
If the phone’s capacity has eroded enough, you may have to do that 50% charge-and-use a couple of times a dayand that’s when the battery lifespan goes downhill even faster. Here’s Apple’s graphic trying to explain it:
Image: Apple
While your phone battery doesn’t have a “memory” that makes the capacity worse and worse, that limited lifespan means you may want to swap in a new battery.
In late 2017, Apple admitted to secretly slowing down batteries on older iPhones in the name of “overall performance and prolonging the life of…devices.” It first applied the slowdowns to iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and first-gen iPhone SE devices, but extended it to iPhone 7 devices, too. After an uproar, Apple offered battery replacements for these phones at a discount for a while.
Battery replacements are generally best done by a professional. Few new smartphones have a user-swappable battery, but they include the not-exactly mainstream Samsung Galaxy Xcover Pro and the Moto E6.
Is Charging Your Phone All Night Bad For The Battery
Joe Fedewa
Joe Fedewa is a Staff Writer at How-To Geek. He has been covering consumer technology for over a decade and previously worked as a News Editor at XDA Developers. Joe loves all things technology and is also an avid DIYer at heart. He has written thousands of articles, hundreds of tutorials, and dozens of reviews. Read more…
Smartphones have advanced a lot over the years, but they still basically last about a day on a charge. That means most of us are juicing up the battery all night while we sleep. Is that good for the battery?
Contrary to what you may think, battery technology has actually improved quite a bit. The problem is phones can also do a lot more now, meaning they require more power. The end result is bigger, better batteries that still need to be charged daily.
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Is It Okay To Charge Your iPhone 13 Overnight
Yes, its perfectly safe to charge your iPhone 13 overnight no matter which model you have of the latest iPhone generation. And now, lets see whys that.
First of all, know that your iPhone comes with highly intelligent charging technologies designed to work independently and without your input. More precisely, your iPhone charges up to 80% of its total capacity and then switches to a lower rate of charging .
So, theres no chance of overheating or overcharging, which used to be detrimental to earlier types of rechargeable batteries. Furthermore, your iPhone is actually designed to do specific processes at night, which is why charging it overnight is an excellent idea.
As you can see, your iPhone 13 actually adapts to your behavior. Even though you can charge it anytime and you can back up its data anytime, that process becomes “invisible” if you stick to charging your phone overnight. With that said, its more than okay to charge your iPhone 13 overnight and we strongly encourage you to do so.
Charging Your Phone Overnight: Battery Myths Debunked
Is it bador even dangerousto leave a smartphone plugged in as you sleep? The answer is complicated, as are many things regarding batteries.
There are a lot of questions about cell phone batteries. Should you leave your smartphones plugged in overnight? Is it bad for the phone? Bad for your safety? What’s the right thing to do?
In fact, how much should you charge your phone? When’s the right time to plug in? Should it go down to zero every time? Up to 100%? How do you get the longest life out of the battery inside a smartphone? Does it really matter if you’re only going to keep the handset around for a couple of years before an upgrade?
The debate goes well beyond the worry of moderate harm to a device, as some people have fears of “overloading” a smartphone battery. That worry seems relatively justified since it was only a few years ago that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7s were bursting into flame due to battery issues. But as we’ve explained before, unless a device has some serious manufacturing defects like that phone did, the fire-in-your-pocket aspect is unlikely.
The problem is, some of the research and opinions out there are diametrically opposed. We’ve narrowed down the right and wrong things to do as best we can. We present to you the myths and truths of iPhone or Android phone charging, in particular when plugging in overnight.
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Its Totally Safe To Charge Your iPhone Overnight But Here Are Some Things You Should Know Anyway
Unless theres something wrong with the charging equipment you use or the smartphone itself, its totally safe to leave your iPhone or Android phone charging overnight. Sure, weve seen some accounts of some devices including iPhones catching fire overnight. But these are rare accidents that cant really be prevented, regardless of when you recharge a phone.
When it comes to smartphones that behave normally, you shouldnt be afraid of leaving it plugged in overnight. Nothing bad will come of it, as long as youre doing it properly.
One of the persistent myths out there is that charging your phone overnight, and leaving it plugged in will hurt the battery after its fully charged, Business Insider notes.
Having your phone plugged in at night doesnt diminish the battery, iFixit head Kyle Wiens told the site. Its all about cycle count, its all about how you actually use the battery how much work youre making the battery do.
In terms of the gradual erosion of battery life, what must be understood is that phone batteries are constantly in a state of decay, a spokesperson for Anker, a company that makes battery and charger accessory, said. Sleeping with a phone charging overnight will make no noticeable difference in the process.
Getting back to battery life, cycle count refers to the number of full charges a phone can get you before the battery starts degrading.
Is Charging Your Phone All Day Really That Bad
If youre unsure whether theres a right way to charge your phoneor whether charging it too long, too often, or too fast can damage the batteryyoure not alone. Ive been writing about phones and tech since 2011, and before that I was an iPhone sales specialist at an Apple Store. Even with that experience under my belt, it has never been totally clear to me if being careful about how often I recharge my phone actually extends the life of the battery enough to make a difference, or if its just another hassle in a world with far too many of them.
Some people just plug their phone into a charger whenever power is available. Others fastidiously keep their battery between 40% and 80%, never allowing a full charge, under the belief that the battery will last longer as a result. Personally, I keep my iPhone on a Qi wireless charger on my desk all day while Im at work, and I juice it up overnight, as well.
After speaking with battery researchers and the reuse experts at iFixit, reviewing studies on phone replacement trends, and analyzing some user data from Wirecutter staffers, we’ve found that although micromanaging your phone’s battery can likely extend its life to a small degree, the results might not be worth the inconvenience in the long run.
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Can Charging Your Phone Overnight Overload The Battery
Depending on the device, it can be important to only charge a battery for a specific amount of time to avoid overloading and ruining a battery.
However, with most modern devices , protection chips monitor when the internal lithium-ion battery hits full capacity. When this happens, charging is immediately stopped. So you cant overload the battery in this way.
The problem is, as the phone keeps dropping back to 99% capacity, the charger will kick in again and recharge it to 100%. This is called trickle charging, and its not good for your batterys lifespan, as well cover below.
Should I Only Recharge My Battery When It Reaches 0%
No. Letting newer lithium-ion batteries reach 0% capacity can actually damage them. Batteries will inherently lose capacity over time its just how they work.
This myth came from older nickel-cadmium batteries. These would develop a memory which effectively cut their capacity if you didnt fully discharge them.
Experts recommend keeping lithium-ion batteries between 30-80%. Ideally, you should monitor your phones charge and try to keep it between these values. If you go a little under or over it isnt the end of the world.
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Letting Your Battery Get Close To Zero Percent Is Just As Bad
While filling your phone up with too much charge can damage it, the only thing that may be worse is depleting its charge entirely. “Running a smartphone until it’s deada full dischargeevery time is not the way to go with modern lithium-ion batteries,” Eric Griffith, features editor for PC Magazine, recently wrote. “Don’t even let it get that close to zero percent. That wears out a lithium-ion battery even faster than normal.” And for more phone tips, check out If You Have This Popular App On Your Phone, Delete It Now.
Quality Quora Answer Sets The Record Straight
Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile
You may have heard that charging your iPhone overnight is bad for the battery.
According to Battery University, a website run by the company Cadex, charging your phone when its already fully charged keeps it in a high-stress, high-tension state, which wears down the chemistry within and does lasting damage.
Well ignore that.
In a brilliant and comprehensive Quora answer, tech author Jesse Hollington tells you everything you need to know about how your smartphone battery works: “Charging your iPhone overnight will not harm your battery in the slightest.
“Charging your iPhone from 90% will not harm your battery either. You simply can’t overcharge an iPhone, or any other modern electronic device, for that matter.
“Any device that uses a Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer battery must incorporate a charging circuit that cuts off charging power when the battery reaches 100%”
Basically the smartphone battery is as smart as the phone itself. Apple, Samsung and all the top tech companies – almost of whose products use lithium-based batteries – use this best practice.
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And certainly don’t make a habit of keeping it under your pillow while plugged in.
In fact, never leave your iPhone under or inside anything while plugged in.
“Don’t sleep on a device, power adapter, or wireless charger, or place them under a blanket, pillow, or your body, when it’s connected to a power source,” warns Apple.
“Keep your iPhone, the power adapter, and any wireless charger in a well-ventilated area when in use or charging.”
This might sound obvious, but be very wary of water when charging your iPhone.
If you’ve recently had a drink on the side and the surface is wet, or you’re charging in the kitchen near a splash zone, you could be at risk.
Similarly, be careful if you’re using a cable that is damaged, broken, frayed and so on.
“Using damaged cables or chargers, or charging when moisture is present, can cause fire, electric shock, injury, or damage to iPhone or other property,” Apple warns.
If you’ve got a damaged cable or adapter, simply replace it.
How Long Does My iPhone Take To Charge
Apple’s estimate for charging time is around four hours for a full charge with a normal charger. This will be a shorter process if you’re starting with some charge alreadymany users report that it takes an hour or less from 20 percent, 50 percent, and so on.
If your iPhone is completely dead, you may have to wait up to 10 minutes after plugging your iPhone in before it restarts and becomes usable.
Fast charge, of course, speeds up the total time it will take to fully charge your battery.
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The Evolution Of The iPhone
iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
And there’s more: “Lithium Ion batteries are rated for a limited number of “charge cycles’ , the term “charge cycle” refers to complete recharges, and partial recharges simply use up partial charge cycles.
“In other words, every time you charge your iPhone up from 90%, you’re using 1/10th, or 10%, of a complete charge cycle.
“However, if you deliberately drain your battery to zero and then recharge it, instead of simply plugging it in when it needs to be charged, you’re needlessly using up a complete charge cycle.
“Obviously if you’re using your iPhone until the battery goes dead, that’s fair, but there’s no need to deliberately drain it before recharging it, and you’ll actually shorten your battery life if you do so.”
And there you go.
Stick With Official Chargers
While you can use any charger for a lot of phones, like Android devices, it’s best to use the official one.
Chargers from the big brand names have been checked, checked and rechecked to perfection to ensure an optimum, and more importantly, steady charge. Once you start using third party chargers you’re entering risky territory where you may end up damaging your battery without realising it.
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How To Charge Your Device Without Damaging Its Battery
A major factor that is known to shorten the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries is heat. To that end, ensure that your smartphone is placed in a cool and ventilated area while its charging. Keeping it sandwiched between two pillows, for example, could lead to overheating, a slower charge rate, and lower the batterys lifetime. Wireless charging, while convenient, produces plenty of heat too, so use it sparingly if you want maximum battery longevity.
Heat accelerates battery wear. To that end, consider turning off fast charging overnight or simply using a slower adapter.
Fast charging your smartphone generally increases heat output as well. To that end, it might be worth downgrading your bedside adapter to a slower one that charges at 5 or 10 watts. Thats still plenty for you to wake up to a fully-charged smartphone in the morning. If you own a recent Pixel smartphone, your phone will automatically charge slower than the maximum speed at night thanks to the exclusive Adaptive Charging feature. However, this will only work if you have an alarm set between 3 AM and 10 AM.
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All in all, though, your device already has many built-in safeguards to prolong its life. Samsung, for one, claims that it designs its smartphones to retain as much as 95% of its total battery capacity after two years of use. This is likely why the company is one of the most conservative in terms of faster charging tech.
Should I Take Off My Phone Case Before Charging It
In some cases, yes. If your phone is already warm or hot due to environmental factors, it’s often best to remove the case to prevent trapping even more battery-generated heat from charging. If you’re concerned about wireless charging, as long as your case supports wireless charging, it should be fine!
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