It has become a regular daily routine for most people to charge their smart phones, sometimes twice a day. People are spending hours on screen for work or just for fun. But, have you ever wondered if you make any mistakes while charging it? Let’s find out the 10 most common mistakes we do when we put our phone on the charger and how to avoid them.
Letting the battery die before charging it
As common as we know, sometimes we let our battery die and then put the phone on the charger. Sometimes we have no other option, but when we do, let’s stop practicing this. The damage is inevitable, as the batteries are lithium-based which work in charge cycles. Therefore, if the battery completely dies, we destroy the phone’s longevity.
Leaving the charger in the socket
Did you know that the charger keeps drawing power out of the socket even when the phone is not connected? This is bad both for your charger and electricity bills. Additionally, the heat that the transformer releases while left in the socket can accumulate that much that can cause a fire.
Charging the battery to 100%
We often leave our phone on the charger and forget when we last checked it to see if it’s chartered. In conclusion, we let the battery charge to 100%. However, this practice can shorten the phone’s lifespan. This happens because the phones are manufactured to have a precise number of charge cycles. If we charge our phone to 100%, the cycles will end sooner than we think. The most effective way to keep your phone is between 20% and 80% and charge it fully only once a month.
Using your phone while it’s charging
You have to stop using your phone while the battery is drawn and it’s trying to charge. This will overstress the battery, as it tries to do both things simultaneously.
If you must use your phone while charging, first unplug it and unplug the charger from the socket, and once done, leave it to charge and do not bother.
Leaving your phone to charge overnight
Most people tend to leave the phone to charge overnight, as it is the only time when they don’t need it. However, it will only waste electricity and the battery will be charged more than it needs to be. Also, it will impair the charging cycles of the battery and it may preheat, which is dangerous, especially at night while you are sleeping.
Leaving the phone case while charging
Heat can be the biggest enemy to your phone’s battery and when you leave the case on while charging, the heat is trapped. The result is a heated up battery and other crucial parts of the phone.
The next time you change your phone, remove the case so that the battery can release all the heat.
Charging your phone when the battery is above 20%
If you use your phone constantly, you may have noticed that the battery is draining faster than it should. This is the result of constantly charging it even if the battery is above 20% and can last for more than an hour.
It is way better to charge your phone if the battery is under 20%, but not under 5%, as it may die faster.
Using battery apps
There are tons of free apps that can track your battery performance, however, keep in mind they are not always safe. Apps that are not rated by famous smartphone manufacturers and are developed by unknown sources can be damaging to your battery.
Every time you use an app of this kind, make sure the source is verified and reliable.
Charging form your laptop
If you leave your phone to charge from a laptop, you may have noticed that it takes too much time to charge, as the fast charging mode is not activated.
If you are in a hurry and want to charge your phone faster, always use a wall socket.
Using cheap chargers from no-name manufacturers
Once you buy a phone it comes with a compatible charger that is only manufactured for it. However, it is a common practice to replace it with other branded or not-branded chargers that may do damage. The compatible charger transmits enough energy to your phone, but other chargers may transmit too little or too much energy to the battery. The result can be overheating or slow charge.
If you lose or broke the compatible charger, always order the same one and don’t buy cheap ones.
Do you remember the times when people charged their phones once or twice a week? Today, we are lucky if it lasts for a whole day! Despite the ways we use our phones, how we are charging them affects the abbreviated battery life.
All these tips may sound obvious, but it is better to be reminded every once in a while that we make unintentional mistakes that affect the battery’s life. Keep them in mind and you will be surprised by the performance of your device for many years.
Sources:
tylight.com
cleverly.me
