Does Charging Your Phone Overnight Ruin the Battery?
Our phones get used so much these days. When we aren’t on a call to someone, we are on social media. When we stop doing that, we stream a show, and when that’s done, we play a game or take photos.
This puts a tremendous strain on the battery and, as a result, most nights we plug our phones in to charge so they’re ready to repeat the process all again the following day.
Leaving a device on charge for say 8-10 hours will certainly result in a full battery in the morning but is it actually damaging it? Well, yes, and no. Have a read below to find out more.
Will charging all night overload my phone battery?
It’s not possible for your phone battery to be overloaded. The tech involved with smartphones allows them to understand that, when they reach 100%, they don’t need any more juice. The only thing it will do is send a constant trickle of power to the phone as all the time the device is on, it is using power, to keep it at 100%.
It’s this constant trickle and the potential to overheat that can be a bad thing.
Why does my phone overheat when charging?
If you leave your phone plugged in to charge for a long period, it will naturally get warmer, and a trickle of charge can mean that a heat source is constant. Depending on where your phone is located and how it is charged could potentially lead to overheating and damage the battery. Sometimes the age of your device can be as a reason as to why its overheating. Some older models struggle with the charging capabilities of today. You can find out more by reading our guide all about the most popular cell phone brand, past and present.
There are many in the tech world that say it’s best to remove the phone case and charge your phone on a flat hard surface. Doing this allows for better air circulation and as a result, reduces the chance of your phone battery overheating.
We know that having to remove your case every time you want to charge it is fiddly and annoying, and many cases are designed to help improve air circulation on the phone. However, one thing we heavily recommend is – do not place the phone under your pillow or in your bed when charging! This will increase the risk of it overheating, regardless of whether it has a case on it or not.
Poor quality cables
In addition to where and how it is charged, the phone could overheat due to poor quality charging. Cheap cables or cheap wireless chargers may not be certified to a required standard and therefore, when left on for a long period of time, may overheat and damage the battery. We spotted this issue, and we did something about it – we made our own! By using our cables of the highest quality it allows for a safe charge via USB-C or Lightning.
Is it safe to charge an old phone overnight?
We all seem to have so much tech lying around our houses that, if our current phone dies or has any issues, we can quite easily find another to take its place until a new one arrives. Your first thought when you’re storing an old phone as a spare will probably be to charge it up overnight so it’s ready for use.
But let’s not do that! Instead, you should leave the old phone at around 50% charge. If they are left at 0%, the phone can fall into a state known as deep discharge where it can no longer be charged or hold a charge. Likewise, if you go the other way and pump it up to 100% before storing it away, the battery can lose some of its capacity. This means that when it does come to using it and charging again, it won’t maintain full capacity for long.
How long will my phone battery last?
Batteries have a lifespan, which includes a certain number of charging cycles. This means that, every time 100% of its power is discharged, a cycle is used up. As an example, let’s say your phone is showing 70% and it drops to 20%. That represents a loss of 50% and therefore half your battery power. If you plug it back in and send it up to 70% again, you have pumped it full of another 50% of battery power. Which then represents one cycle once you hit 20% again. It is thought that many phones contain around 400, perhaps even 500 cycles but this doesn’t mean the number of times it is charged – it means the number of times it loses 100% battery. Worth bearing in mind!
Our guide reveals more information on how to make your phone charge faster.
Should I let my phone battery run out and then charge overnight?
It has long been said that it is best to let your device run all the way to empty before fully charging, the thought being that it protects the life of the battery, as you aren’t topping it up and wasting its life cycle.
This isn’t actually true. Batteries have a life span and, with it, a number of charge cycles until it can no longer handle the heat. Charging the phone from 0-100% often puts more pressure on lithium-ion batteries. To give the battery the best chance of a longer life, charging it with more frequent small charges will stave off its untimely death. More frequent full charges can result in the battery wearing out and no longer being able to give you the duration it did before.
Maybe someone should invent a stylish power bank with multiple ways to charge, so you’ll never have to let your device get to 0% … well, maybe MAGFAST has!
What is the solution to making my phone battery last longer?
Luckily, the tech wizards here at MAGFAST have the perfect fix. Our versatile long lasting portable charger family means you can keep any of your devices sufficiently charged wherever you are so you’ll never have to worry about your device dropping to 0% when you have a MAGFAST device. Out for a dog walk and your phone is low on charge? Just connect it to MAGFAST Life, our slimline power bank that lets you put the boost you need into your device using multiple outputs – USB-C, USB-A or wireless charging. If you want to go wired, use a cable of your choosing in the different charging ports, or one of our dedicated mini-cables – micro-USB, USB-C or Lightning.
Or maybe you are out on a drive and notice your phone reaching the levels of low battery mode. MAGFAST Road is the ultimate in revolutionary car tech that keeps multiple devices topped up, whether you’re driving or have reached your destination. Just like MAGFAST Life, it offers you multiple ways to get power in – although, on the road, you’ll probably use your vehicles cigarette lighter port – and multiple ways to get power out.
Better still, the unique snap-to-charge technology means every MAGFAST device works with every other. The magic of magnets allows them to snap together with a family safe low voltage, transferring charge to whichever device needs it.
Want to know more about our charging revolution? Reach out to us today! At MAGFAST, we are changing the way people charge for good. Boasting world-leading tech, revolutionary ideas and sleek, stylish designs, the days of poor quality, cheap chargers are gone.
Check out our demo to see just how fantastic they are and never worry about your device battery again!
