How to properly charge your phone: basic rules and myths

Many smartphone users don't pay attention to how they charge their smartphone, which is why they make many mistakes. Ultimately, this affects the lifespan of their device.

It is worth understanding that current lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries have a limited number of charging cycles, after which their capacity decreases. The Telegraph decided to remind you how you can extend the effective service life of your battery.

Firstly, lithium-ion batteries work best when the charge level is in the range of 20-80%, and anything lower or higher accelerates battery degradation.

For this reason, it is not recommended to leave your phone on charge all night. Although modern phones have protection against overcharging, prolonged stay in “maintenance mode” will increase battery heating and reduce its service life.

Speaking of overheating – batteries do not like extreme temperatures, as well as their drops. Therefore, you should not leave your phone in direct sunlight, near a battery, or in very cold rooms. The ideal range is considered to be from +10 to +30 degrees Celsius.

There are also a few myths that are still popular:

• Using your phone while charging is not at all dangerous, as is commonly believed. However, the operation of programs will increase overheating, and overheating leads to a decrease in battery life. Therefore, using your phone while charging is possible, but not recommended;
• You also do not need to completely discharge your phone before charging. This topic was relevant for nickel-cadmium batteries, but these are no longer used;
• Charging via USB from a computer does not actually harm the phone. However, it is less efficient.