Tech Experts Reveal 3 ‘Dangerous’ Charging Mistakes—And Share The Right Way To Charge Your iPhone

There is a right and a wrong way to charge your iPhone — even if it seems like a pretty fool-proof task. In fact, if you’re neglecting good charging habits, you may not notice any effect at first, but over time, you could start to experience signs of battery degradation. Your battery may lose power faster and take longer to charge. Your device could run slower and less efficiently.

And the most frustrating part of all? Many of your troubles could have been avoided with proper charging etiquette.

So let’s get to the bottom of some common mistakes you could be making that could even be dangerous in some cases. Tech experts have simple solutions for some common iPhone charging mistakes.

Whether it’s a charging cable that has begun to fray (and you keep using it anyway) or a USB adapter with bent prongs, sleeping on damaged charging accessories is a bad idea for two reasons. The first: it could be downright danger and an electrical fire hazard. And the second: damaged goods deliver a less effective charge to your phone.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to ensure you’re using safe, effective accessories. You don’t even have to buy directly from Apple if you don’t want to. But it is important to check that any charging cable or accessory is Apple-certified and designed to deliver the right charge to your phone.