Don’t Charge an iPhone Overnight. This Is Why It’s Dangerous

While we all have different bedtime routines, something all of us normally do is reach out to charge our iPhone while we sleep so it’s ready for the following day. According to tech experts, however, this idyllic routine can actually damage your smartphone, and you should stay away from charging it overnight. Here’s why:

The Dangers of Charging an iPhone Overnight

Since Apple uses Optimized Battery Charging in its IOS, this means that it’ll stop your iPhone from charging once it reaches 80% battery life. The remaining 20% will be added later on, normally, when it’s time for you to wake up if you’ve left it charging overnight. What this means for your phone is that it’ll be plugged in all night long, charging at a slower rate, which is far from efficient. By leaving your phone connected to its charger, it’ll keep it warmer than usual for longer, and that can cause damage to your iPhone over time, says tech expert Adrian Kingsley-Hughes.

Heat and Battery Life Aren’t Friends

The main source of damage that can happen to your iPhone if you make a habit of charging it overnight is that you can end up “cooking” your phone battery unnecessarily. Generally speaking, electronic devices don’t like heat because it can kill their batteries. The same is true for your smartphone. Even though plugging it in the charger will only increase its temperature by a few degrees, doing that in the long run, for plus/minus eight hours each night, can cause significant damage.

The Proper Way to Charge an iPhone

So, what’s a smarter way to charge your iPhone? Experts suggest giving your phone a little battery top-up a few times throughout the day. It only takes about half an hour for an iPhone to go from zero to 50% charge with a standard charger. If you charge your phone a little in the morning as you’re getting ready for the day and then later in the afternoon this will significantly preserve its battery life.