Phone charging mistakes you should stop making

There is something that many of us often worry about - should we let your phone charge overnight or should you unplug it? This dilemma exists because we have heard that it’s not safe to charge a phone for long hours at a go. A lot of people also fear that it might explode.

So, let's address this concern straightaway, along with some best practices, so that you can get the most out of your phone battery.

1. Firstly, let's address the most important question - should you leave your phone plugged in overnight? The answer is that it’s completely safe to let your phone charge overnight given that your battery isn't faulty. Understand that the battery embedded in the phone nowadays doesn’t overcharge. Once the battery hits 100 percent, it automatically stops charging. But here is a word of caution. Make sure you are using a genuine charger because there have been cases of inexpensive and fake chargers catching fire. Whenever possible, use the charger that comes with the phone as it’s tested, checked and approved. When it comes to phone chargers, avoid cheap alternatives.

2. Secondly, while it’s completely safe to charge the phone battery overnight, it might not be the smartest thing to do. It's also a good idea to not charge it to a full 100%. That's because the battery is under a lot of stress during the last 20% of charge and it can affect the battery’s lifespan. Therefore, to keep your phone’s battery healthy, it’s advisable to charge it to 80%.

3. Here's another common myth that many people believe yields good results, and that is - charge your phone battery once it’s fully drained. I would say, don't do this! Never wait for it to come down to 0 percent. This too can adversely affect the battery’s performance over time. Charge it when it’s down to 20-30 percent. So, an ideal situation is don’t let it go below 20 percent and above 80 percent.

4. Also, when it comes to Lithium-ion batteries, the ones in your phone, you don’t have to wait for it to drain or come down to a certain level. You can even charge it randomly. Let’s say, you charge it 5 percent and unplug it. After an hour or so, you charge it 10 percent and then unplug it again. That’s totally okay. There's nothing wrong with partial charging. In fact, these short top-ups work the best for modern-day phone batteries.

5. Whenever you charge your phone and especially, leave it overnight, it’s recommended that you remove your phone out of the case during charging. Charging it inside the case may generate excess heat, which could harm the battery capacity. Also, don’t put it under your pillow or a pile of books or any such thing. If you keep doing this, you can expect the phone to heat up, which could be damaging for the battery in the long run.