Many people tend to charge their phones to 100 percent, believing it ensures their devices will last throughout the day. However, an expert warns that this habit might be damaging your phone’s battery over time.
It’s common to feel uneasy when your phone’s battery is low, prompting you to charge it fully to avoid running out of power unexpectedly. Some even leave their phones charging overnight for convenience.
Despite this common practice, it could be counterproductive in maintaining the longevity of your phone’s battery. The question of whether charging to full capacity is harmful has been a topic of speculation, but recent insights from experts could help clarify this matter.
Chao-Yang Wang, director of the Electrochemical Engine Center at Penn State University, affirms that charging your phone to full can indeed accelerate battery degradation. He mentions that “a battery will degrade faster if you charge it to 100% versus a little bit lower state of charge,” as reported by the Huffington Post.
Dibakar Datta, an associate professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, further explains that consistently charging your phone to 100 percent can lead to high voltage, which accelerates chemical aging of the battery.
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Wang notes that constantly charging to full capacity can reduce your battery’s lifespan by 10 to 15 percent compared to charging it to 90 percent. While this may not be drastically significant, it is noticeable over time.
He also points out that phone batteries generally outlast other features of the phone, such as the camera or screen, which might require replacement before battery issues arise. Nevertheless, charging to 100 percent occasionally is not entirely discouraged.
Wang suggests that charging habits should be tailored to individual needs. “If you do have a mission-critical day, you will be better off to charge to 100% so you have more electricity and longer usage time,” he advises. On less demanding days, charging to 85 to 90 percent is usually sufficient.
In addition to avoiding full charges, letting your phone’s battery completely drain is also not advisable, as it can impair the battery’s ability to hold a charge. Datta recommends charging when the battery level reaches around 20 percent and avoiding extreme temperatures to prolong battery life.
He also cautions against using fast-charging ports, which can generate heat, further accelerating battery wear. Wang emphasizes that temperature extremes pose a greater threat to battery health than regular charging practices.