Tbh, don't worry about it
 | | Sarah MacReading |
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If you’re unsure whether there’s a “right” way to charge your phone — or whether charging it too long, too often or too fast can damage the battery — you’re not alone. |
Some people just plug their phones into a charger (or toss them onto a wireless charging pad) whenever power is available. Others fastidiously keep their batteries between 40 percent and 80 percent, never allowing a full charge, guided by the belief that a battery will last longer as a result. Personally, I keep my iPhone on a Qi wireless charger on my desk all day while I’m at work, and I juice it up overnight, as well. |
After speaking with battery researchers and the reuse experts at iFixit, reviewing studies on phone replacement trends and analyzing some user data from staff at Wirecutter — a New York Times company that reviews and recommends products — we’ve found that although micromanaging your phone’s battery is likely to extend its life to a small degree, the results might not be worth the inconvenience in the long run. |
Charging your battery causes its performance to degrade over time, no matter how you do it. Smartphones are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which work by moving charge carriers (in this case, lithium ions) from one electrode to another. The ions move in one direction when charging and in the other when discharging. |
“The lithium ion needs some space in the electrodes and the electrode has to make this space, and because of the stress,” Mr. de Vries said, “the electrodes will gradually degrade and that is also then a loss of capacity in the battery.” |
Charging your battery to full capacity less frequently, and not letting it run totally dry, can extend its life — somewhat. Putting less stress on the electrodes results in less degradation, and ultimately higher capacity for a longer period of time. |
“It is possible to prolong the battery life by not completely charging and not completely discharging,” Mr. de Vries said. “So we’ll say stay between 20 percent and 80 percent or so.” The battery lifetime is “inversely proportional to the amount of lithium ions that you put in the electrodes.” |
Heat is another factor that negatively affects battery life. “Heat is the worst enemy of batteries,” according to Battery University, a repository of battery science information maintained by the battery-testing company Cadex. “Lithium-ion performs well at elevated temperatures but prolonged exposure to heat reduces longevity.” |
What the manufacturers say |
The major phone manufacturers declined to provide any recommendations for specific charging techniques when we asked, but they do offer vague tips on their websites. |
- Apple says you should “charge your Apple lithium-ion battery whenever you want” and adds that there is “no need to let it discharge 100 percent before recharging.” On a different page on Apple’s website, the company notes that you should avoid extreme temperatures (especially over 95 degrees Fahrenheit) and remove cases that might cause your iPhone to overheat while it’s charging. But Apple doesn’t outline when you should or shouldn’t charge or suggest any optimal charging thresholds.
- Google’s recommendation is similarly straightforward: “Charge as much or as little as needed. You don’t need to teach your phone how much capacity the battery has by going from full to zero, or zero to full, charge.”
- Samsung advises charging regularly and keeping the battery above 50 percent. The company also says that leaving your phone connected while it’s fully charged may shorten the battery life.
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Ultimately, it’s a matter of convenience |
In the long run, you need to choose what’s right for you: babying your battery to extend its life, or charging it at your convenience so that your phone is more likely to be juiced up when you need it. |
“If you charge the battery only halfway, OK, it will last longer, but it will be empty sooner than if the battery has been fully charged,” Mr. de Vries said. “So it is a trade-off between the total life of the battery and the amount of times that you have to recharge it.” He added that even though he is intimately familiar with optimal battery hygiene, he doesn’t always practice it. |
“I’m lazy,” he said. “Back in the old days, I’d look every quarter or half-hour to see if my cellphone, my laptop, was charged already. And then I would stop, for instance, at 90 percent, 95 percent. But sometimes you forget.” |
More from our friends at Wirecutter |
Wirecutter is a New York Times company that reviews and recommends products |
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