Can you damage a phone’s battery by charging it too often, or for too long? We round up the best battery care tips to keep your smartphone battery healthy for as long as possible.
Why is it that your phone’s battery seems to get worse over time? At first it might have power to spare as you snuggle into bed at the end of the night, but as time goes on you find your battery is just half-full by lunchtime.
However, armed with our tips for best battery care practice, you can maintain your smartphone battery health much longer.
When should I charge my phone?
The golden rule is to keep your battery topped up somewhere between 30% and 90% most of the time. So top it up when it drops below 50%, but unplug it before it hits 100%. For this reason you might want to reconsider leaving it plugged in overnight.
Should I charge my phone battery to 100%?
No, or at least not every time you charge it. Some people recommend that you do a full zero to 100 percent battery recharge (a “charge cycle”) once a month – as this re-calibrates the battery, which is a bit like restarting your computer.
But others disregard this as a myth for lithium-ion batteries in phones.
To keep your long-term battery life in good health, frequent, small charges are better than full recharging.