Simple tips on how to maintain the mobile battery, for the healthy and long life of the battery.
Be it any smartphone, the deterioration of battery life and health is inevitable. But, with the right charging practices you can extend the good performance of your phone battery. Here, you are going to learn how to take care of your battery. Also know what all should and should not be done with respect to smartphone charging.
Everyone’s charge cycle is different and it totally depends on their battery capacity and smartphone quality. Many questions arise with smartphone users, like Is overnight charging okay? Can we use different cables for charging? When should I charge my phone and when to turn it off?. Read this article fully and apply the tips given to maintain a healthy and long lasting battery.
Overnight charging.
Charging overnight is a common habit found in a lot of users. First, let’s break the myth. The new generation smartphones will never overcharge or overload, Yes! Your phone is smart enough to stop charging when the battery hits 100%. The constant work done by the protection chips is the reason for this.
Though this sounds great, there is a negative side to overnight charging. The continuous flow of energy that keeps the battery active after it reaches its maximum capacity will reduce lifespan.
The only way to avoid this is by turning off the charger in the middle of the night. If you can’t do this, charge your phone during the day.
Regular but small charging sessions.
You can improve your battery life and health by charging them several times a day. Though this does not sound practical for people who are busy with their phones, it is good to know.
An all day battery is what users want, but how long a phone will serve, for a day, is questionable. Charge your phone when it’s around 50%, 60%, or even 70% if possible. When Lithium-ion batteries get regular top-ups their performance improves.
This method of charging will also be connecting some of the topics discussed below.
Full cycles (0-100%) is good or bad?
Don’t let your phone die out of charge and power them fully after that. This full cycle charging can damage your battery health.
As mentioned in the previous section, try to charge your phone in the small gaps you get. Your phone can have enough charge for the next few hours but you want to preserve battery health. So plug-in your charger when your phone battery is below 70% or above 20%.
It is also a good habit to turn off charging when your phone hits 80-90% . This helps in better battery memory effect and your Lithium battery or Nickel based battery do well.
Is a push from 80% to 100% necessary?
No!
To increase the lifespan of your smartphone battery, the best time to charge them is when the battery level is between 30% to 80%. Using a USB-C to lightning cable to fill up the last bit of your battery capacity is not advisable.
Until 80% charging is quick but after 80% your battery capacity increases slowly. If you have noticed this it is because of the nature of smartphone batteries. The charging period after 80% can increase the temperature of your phone which directly affects your lithium-ion battery.
Using your phone while charging.
You must know this already but this has to be mentioned. Using phones while charging is never a good idea. And a bigger mistake is to use heavy applications while the battery is topped-up.
Gaming or watching videos on your phone while it is charging can increase parasitic loads and heat up your phone more. So it is good to let the phone sleep when it is charging. We come across plenty of news that speaks about phone accidents while charging and we definitely don’t want that to happen to us.
Temperature matters (HEAT!).
High temperatures outside or inside your phone is a big foe. Because heat significantly impacts the battery health and the lifespan of your phone.
This is the reason why long charging sessions should be avoided and also why using your phone while charging is bad. The battery capacity and long-term health will fall if your phone is always warm or hot. Some also suggest people to use thin cases to avoid heating, but that has different benefits.
So don’t keep your phone under dense objects like pillows or other things. Just let it charge in a free space with good air circulation around it. Keeping your phone by the window that brings in sunlight is also not good for obvious reasons.
Fast charging.
High speed charging means more current and voltage is passed through the charging cable it generates more heat. Though this depends on the smartphone you use, the longevity of your phone can be affected.
Fast charging is very useful if you do it the right way. That is, small top-ups are good with fast charging (60-100w). When they are connected to phones for a long period they definitely influence your battery life-span.
Switching to slower chargers is the best if you are a person who charges your phone once a day. Or the only other way is to top-up with short charging sessions (10-15 mins) regularly, using fast chargers.
Different chargers.
You charge your phone at different places. At home, while commuting, when at the office, or even at a strangers place borrowing their charger. It is important to make sure that your phone is not charged by cables that can affect your battery.
It is best to avoid cheap chargers and cables. Use the charger that comes with your phone as much as possible and buy from showrooms if you need extra pieces. Cheap cables and products can weaken your phone’s hardware and that includes your battery.
Habits that will prolong good battery health.
- Do not charge your phone from 0-100% every time.
- Charge at regular intervals at the session should not be above 20-25 mins.
- Charging your phone when it is above 80% is not advisable
- Using apps that suck more battery, while charging is a bad idea.
- Don’t keep your phone in very hot or very cold conditions while charging.
- Use branded products to charge your phone.
- Avoid long charging cycles.
- Know your phone’s nature and charge it. This depends on the brand of phone you use.