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These Are The Worst Charging Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Phone’s Battery, Tech Experts Say

August 13, 2022 by Lisa Cupido

 
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Mistakes happen in life. But if you’re continuing to make the same old charging mistakes when it comes to your smart phone, you could be throwing away money. As innocent and simple as charging may seem — what more is there to do than plug a charging cable into your phone, you may be wondering — the truth is a little more complex. Repeated negative charging habits can slowly diminish battery power and affect how well your phone operates. The sooner you get a handle on charging, the more likely you’ll have a smart phone that lasts you several years. These are the worst charging mistakes that are ruining your iPhone’s battery, according to tech experts.

Mistake 1: You leave your phone plugged in on the charger, although it has already finished charging

Many people leave their phone on charge overnight while they sleep, notes Calvin Willis, the founder of software site moosoft.com. Even though this is convenient, it isn’t a wise charging move. “Once your phone is fully charged, iOS starts to ration the power delivery to the battery,” Willis says. “Rather charge your phone first thing in the morning to have power for the day. Unplug your phone from the charger when it has finished charging.”

Mistake 2: You wait until your phone goes completely flat, then charge it to 100%

Are you playing a waiting game with your phone’s battery, then scrambling to find a charger when it dips down to single digits? “Waiting for your battery to die completely before charging it can affect the life of a lithium-ion battery,” Willis says. “But so can constant recharging to 100%. The battery has a fixed number of charge cycles after which it becomes less efficient. It enters a new cycle whenever it gets fully drained, and when charged to  100%.”

Willis recommends draining the battery completely just once, but thereafter trying to avoid doing so. “And you don’t need to charge it to 100% each time. In fact, battery performance is best at 80%,” Willis says.

Mistake 3: Using non-Apple-certified phone chargers for an iPhone

“We are prone to looking for convenient third-party chargers, but keep in mind that even a minor mistake can result in injury or death [of your phone],” cautions Tech Expert David Gu, CEO of Inyouths LED Mirrors. “Always use an Apple-branded charger for your device, as any other brand or local charger may cause damage to the phone’s components. So, even if you’ve misplaced or lost your charger, get an original.”

Mistake 4: Sleeping on your device (literally) 

When charging your iPhone overnight, use caution, Gu says. “Do not, under any circumstances, keep it under your pillow while plugged in,” Gu says. “Never leave your iPhone plugged in under or inside anything.” Doing so can overheat the device and damage its battery (high temperatures are your phone’s biggest enemy, keep in mind). 


Mistake 5: You don’t take advantage of the Optimized Battery charging feature

One of the best things about Apple products is that the brand offers several features that can help optimize its battery and the device as a whole — but it’s important to get into the habit of using them, says Tech Expert Daniel Foley, founder of Daniel Foley SEO Consultancy. “Lithium ions are combined with a chemical solution in iPhone batteries to increase performance and battery life — but when the liquid evaporates over time, the battery's power decreases,” Foley explains. “By postponing charging your phone after 80%, optimized battery charging increases battery life. The battery lasts longer in this manner. Go to Settings>Battery>Battery Health>Optimised Battery Charging to enable this option.”

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