9 Mistakes Not to Make When Charging Your Phone

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As is well known, that our devices have a limited life. Therefore, it is important to use it well, so that our electronic products can last as long as possible.

And since cell phones are one of the most frequently used devices by the entire family (even by tech-savvy grandmas, yes!), they are one of the devices we most want to keep in good shape and good habits.

However, fully charging the smartphone is one of the factors that users can generally improve. If we charge the phone incorrectly, it will cause premature wear of the battery which can lead to poor battery life. In addition, it also adds to the cost of the electricity bill.

Some errors can even make us lose our device or require us to do repairs. So, quickly spot some mistakes and bad habits while charging your phone to avoid any risks.

Good to know: These tips apply to iPhones and Android laptops.

Mistake 1: Leaving the charger plugged into the socket

Even if the phone is not connected, the charger continues to consume power. It just increases your bill! In addition, transformers can give off heat and therefore may cause a fire if the conditions are right (short circuit, humid air, close proximity to curtains or other flammable materials, etc.).

This of course rarely happens and it means you have bad luck, but these are two good enough reasons not to make this mistake. After charging is complete, always unplug the charger from the wall outlet.

Mistake 2: Charge the phone on his laptop

The laptop's USB port can indeed be used to charge cellphones. However, charging will take longer than in a wall outlet and the battery will also last less. This is caused by the difference in voltage and power between the socket and the computer. With the latter, smartphone batteries tend to run low.

Mistake 3: Always charging phone to 100%

Systematically trying to charge your phone to 100%, you run the risk of reducing its lifespan. This is because each device has a specific number of charge cycles (and therefore the number of times the device can undergo a full discharge and recharge).

Regardless of the brand (Apple, Samsung, LG, Sony, etc.), you can calculate the average between 500 and 800 charge cycles. Once this limit is reached, the device fails and starts to lose its initial storage capacity. Ideally, only fully charge the battery once a month. And every day, keep the battery between 20 and 80%.

Mistake 4: Leaving the smartphone completely blank too many times

Again, lithium batteries operate on a charge cycle. Therefore, it is not good to lower it to 0% if you want to make it last as long as possible.

Mistake 5: Keeping the phone on the bed

Between the blue light from the screen and the hypervigilance phenomenon associated with having a phone next to it, it definitely doesn't benefit our sleep. However, it presents another, much more serious danger. Indeed, many people keep it under their pillow, easy to reach, even while charging.

However, under the sheets, the phone will then accumulate a lot of heat that cannot be evacuated. This could cause a fire... We recommend that you keep your device away from the bed (for example on a bedside table) and in airplane mode for rest and safe sleep.

Mistake 6: Leaving the phone to charge overnight

Apart from the aforementioned risk of overheating, keeping your phone charged will only waste electricity and reduce battery life. Better to charge it at night and maybe plug it back in to charge the next day before going out. By charging in airplane mode, it will charge faster, so you won't be wasting time waiting for it during your morning routine.

Mistake 7: Leaving the phone case on while charging

It's a good idea to remove the case from the smartphone while charging the battery so that it heats up less. This will protect the various internal components of the phone which can be damaged by high temperatures.

Mistake 8: Using phone while charging

When you use your laptop while it is charging, its battery performs two tasks at the same time. This can then cause overload as well as abnormal heating of this part which can then suffer greatly. To ensure durability, it is better to unplug your phone to answer calls or use apps.

Error 9: Using common loader

Often a cheap generic charger is not necessarily a good substitute for an official charger. Some may indeed deliver too much or not enough energy to the battery. Not all of them have a function that allows you to stop charging when the battery reaches 100%.

However, overcharging can damage your smartphone. If you have damaged or lost the charger that was received with the purchase of the phone, it is better to order a new charger of the same model. Even though it's a bit more expensive, it's still better than reducing the durability of your phone which is much more expensive to replace!