It takes just as much effort to charge your phone well and correctly as it does incorrectly — but being more mindful can save you money in the long run. Years of charging mistakes can add up in the form of a battery that doesn’t last as long or stalls and brings your entire smartphone experience down several notches as you struggle to deal with a slower device.
These five charging blunders can lead to a shorter battery life span. But the good news is they are simple to correct.
1. Using Cheap Cables
Charging cables are now a dime a dozen on sites like Amazon, but that doesn’t mean they’re all equally safe or effective at charging your device. Many cheaper cables are made poorly and can fray easily, which is dangerous and also less effective at charging your phone. It’s a better idea to only purchase cables that are made specifically for your phone’s model and charging needs.
2. Not Cleaning Your Charging Port
Charging ports can become dusty, dirty, and filled with debris. If you’re not cleaning them regularly with a Q-Tip or forced air, all of that muck clogs it and makes your charging sessions less effective.
3. Fast Chargers
Just because a phone charger promises to deliver a fast charge and delivers doesn’t mean you should use it. Faster isn’t always better, and in fact, a too-fast charge for your phone can cause the battery to heat up and degrade faster.
4. Charging in a Heated Room
Extreme temperatures are death to a smartphone battery — as anyone who has ever left their phone in direct sunlight or the snow for an extended period of time will tell you. When you charge your device, make sure to do it in room temperature. The heat from a charging session, coupled with the heat from a heated room, will just overheat the battery and cause it to degrade faster.
5. Overcharging Your Device
Your phone shouldn’t live on its charger. Overcharging your device used to be a bigger problem before iPhone created optimized battery charging that prevents your phone from charging too much and breaking down the battery. But this is still a bad habit that is best to break. Aim to charge your phone in shorter bursts that keeps the charge maintained between 30 and 80 percent instead.
