Is it bad to charge your phone overnight?

It’s hard to imagine (or maybe we just don’t want to) what we’d do today without a working phone. We’ve become so dependent upon our phones to stay connected to friends, family, and the rest of the world, that having a functioning phone is a daily essential. And since phones are practically useless without battery power, making sure that you have a charged device at the ready each day is a must.

In recent years, discussion around the best practices of phone-charging has caused some confusion. You may have wondered, is it bad to charge your phone overnight? You may have even heard it can damage your phone over time…but is that actually true? In this essay–er–blog, we’ll debunk the common myths around charging your phone overnight and how to maintain your phone’s battery life as long as possible, saving you from hefty phone repair and replacement costs down the line.

Should I charge my phone overnight?

While in the past, charging your phone overnight was considered highly damaging, this is not exactly true about most devices today. Most modern phones today, such as the latest iPhones and Samsung phones, use lithium-ion batteries and have smart technology to lessen the damage of overcharging once the phone is fully charged. 

That said, charging your phone to 100% every single night may have some negative effects on your phone’s battery life in the long term. So if you’re still wondering “Should I charge my phone overnight?” the short answer is: it’s complicated. But don’t worry, we’ll un-complicate it for you in the next section.

What happens if you keep your phone charging after 100%?

If you’re as attached to your phone as, say, your emotional support water bottle, it might seem best to have a phone battery filled to the brim, or in other words at 100% charge. But in reality, that’s not the best charge for the phone battery itself. Even with smart charging features, charging a battery to 100% every night can start to negatively affect your battery’s performance over time. 

Lithium-ion batteries function best when kept between 20% and 80%. That’s not to say that overnight charging will immediately affect your battery life, but it could lead to a shorter battery life in the long run. To put it another way, phone batteries operate best in the middle. Letting a phone battery get down to 1% requires more wear on the battery to work its way back up to a decent charge compared to charging it when it’s between 20% to 80%. So if you’re looking to stretch out your phone battery as long as possible, just try to avoid extremely high or low charges, and keep it in a healthy middle range.

The easiest way to keep your phone at optimal charge levels is to charge in short bursts throughout the day. Which, going back to our earlier question, means try not to charge to a full 100% every single night if you can. But if you can’t for whatever reason, keep reading for the best tips to charging your phone overnight.

Overnight phone charging tips

Some habits are tough to break. So if it’s best for your schedule to charge your phone overnight, here are some pro tips to make it less harmful on your phone in the long run.  

• Charge on a flat surface: Avoid charging on your bed. Opt for a nightstand instead. 
• Use charging accessories from your phone’s manufacturer: Third-party accessories may be cheaper, but certified chargers provide the best conditions based on your phone’s safety, charging speed and battery life. 
• Charge without a case: Phones can heat up during charging. Taking off the case can keep your tech cool and prevent overheating. 
• Use a smart plug: These plugs can be scheduled to turn off once your battery hits a certain percentage – most commonly once it hits 80%.
  • Your phone may even have this feature – here’s how to check for both iPhones and Android phones:

Optimized charging for iPhone

• Go to Settings
• Scroll down to Battery
• Click Battery health & charging
• Toggle on Optimized battery charging

Optimized charging for Android phones

• Go to Settings 
• Look for Battery & device or just Battery
• Go to Manage battery usage
• Click on Optimized

To charge or not to charge overnight?

So to recap – if you’re still wondering, “is it bad to charge my phone overnight?” The answer is, it depends on how long you want to enjoy your phone’s battery life. 

If it’s easier for you to set it and forget it (aka charge it overnight) just make sure to keep it relatively cool and on a flat surface and use your phone manufacturer’s charging accessories; but if you’re able to let it sleep uncharged through the night, or to charge it in short bursts throughout the day by keeping a charger near your workstation or wherever you spend most of your time, your battery has a better chance of serving you longer.

While we’re chatting about your phone and best practices, here are some other helpful pro tips on how to maximize your phone’s functionality. Ever wonder why is my phone so slow? Here’s 7 tips to make it run faster. And if you’ve ever debated bringing your phone underwater on your next beach vacation, here’s how to know if your phone is waterproof. 

Here at Mint Mobile we care about you so that means we care about your phone. Learn more about why Mint Mobile can save you money on your wireless needs.