Why You Need to Stop Charging Your Phone Overnight

Waking up to a fully charged phone may seem like a great way to start the day, but leaving your device plugged in overnight is a bad idea. When a phone has reached 100% charge, it will continue to get trickle charges to keep it topped up at 100 percent. These extra charges keep the battery working non-stop¹. However, here’s the truth: charging your phone overnight isn’t as harmful as it used to be. Let me explain.

1. Overloading Myth: Some people worry that charging their phone overnight will overload the battery. However, most modern devices have protective chips that prevent overloading. Once the internal lithium-ion battery reaches 100% capacity, charging stops. Newer phones and operating systems (like iOS 13 and later) even limit charging to around 80% when connected for an extended period. For example, the iPhone 15 allows you to set a maximum charge level of 80%¹.

2. Optimized Battery Charging: iPhones now come with “Optimized Battery Charging” turned on by default. This feature learns your daily charging patterns and avoids charging to 100% until necessary. It helps extend battery lifespan by reducing constant trickle-charging¹.

3. Best Practice: Don’t stress too much about overnight charging. Plug your phone in or use a wireless charger when you go to sleep. If you wake up during the night, unplug it or move it to prevent continuous trickle-charging. You can also use a smart plug on a schedule to turn off charging. Just ensure that the Optimized Battery Charging option is enabled