Are you charging your phone wrong?

Major manufacturers have confirmed that charging overnight does not damage the battery. Photo: CNET .

Many users today still wonder about the habit of charging their phones overnight, but thanks to remarkable advances in smartphone technology, the answer has become clear.

Modern mobile devices are equipped with sophisticated charging management systems. This mechanism is designed to prevent " overcharging ". Specifically, the system will automatically and intelligently cut off the power supply as soon as it reaches 100%, ensuring the battery is not overloaded.

Temperature and charging habits

However, phone batteries will still wear out over time and with use. How you charge them plays a key role in determining how quickly they degrade.

Specifically, keeping your phone constantly at 100% capacity can put extra stress on the battery. This is why many devices have integrated mechanisms such as "trickle charging", allowing you to pause charging when it reaches 100% and only top up when necessary.

A battery's biggest enemy is heat. Photo: Jeff Carlson/CNET.

However, the biggest threat to battery life is not overcharging, but heat. When your phone is charging while running resource-intensive apps (like playing games, watching streams), the heat generated accelerates the chemical wear and tear inside the battery.

Experts warn that this extra heat is more harmful than leaving it plugged in overnight.

Battery protection features

To slow down the wear and tear, Apple has equipped the iPhone with a feature called Optimized Battery Charging. This mechanism learns the user's habits and pauses charging at around 80%, then finishes charging just before the user usually unplugs the cable. Apple also recommends keeping the device between 0-35 degrees and removing the case when charging for better heat dissipation.

Most smartphones today are equipped with built-in battery protection features. Photo: Viet Anh.

Samsung offers a similar feature called Battery Protect. When enabled, it limits the maximum charge to 85%, which helps reduce stress during long charging sessions.

Other Android manufacturers like Google, OnePlus, and Xiaomi also include equivalent options, often called Adaptive Charging, Optimized Charging, or Battery Care, which automatically slow down power delivery or limit charging based on user habits.

Effectively extend battery life

Despite the devices’ built-in protection, batteries can still degrade quickly when exposed to high temperatures. Charging your device in direct sunlight, in your car, or under your pillow will push temperatures to dangerous levels, significantly reducing battery life.

Similarly, using high-intensity devices while charging or using poor quality, floating chargers and cables also creates unstable currents, putting pressure on the battery.

To maintain performance and battery life, users first need to activate the phone's built-in optimization tools. These systems will learn habits and adjust charging speeds so the device doesn't stay at 100% all night.

Users should avoid using wireless chargers because this type of charger generates a lot of heat. Photo: CNET.

Second, keeping the device cool while charging is important because batteries work best between 16 and 22 degrees. If the phone gets hot, users should remove the case or move it to a ventilated area, avoiding placing it under a pillow or near heat sources.

Third, it is necessary to prioritize using quality chargers and cables from reputable manufacturers or brands, because cheap chargers of unknown origin often provide unstable current, causing long-term problems.

Finally, there is no need to charge the battery to full capacity. Lithium-ion batteries perform better with short, frequent charges. Just avoid letting the battery get too low (0%) or too high (100%) when possible.

Source: https://znews.vn/quan-niem-sai-lam-ve-sac-pin-dien-thoai-post1594395.html