Is It Ok To Charge Your Phone Overnight?

Is It Ok To Charge Your Phone Overnight

The day is ending and you need your smartphone charged by the morning. Is it ok to charge your phone overnight?

The debate about this issue is extensive and although the general answer points it to be safe, it isn’t a one size fits all answer.

Table of Contents

  1. Should I avoid charging for long hours?
    1. Adequate charge cycles
    2. The ability to handle adequate charge
    3. Lithium-ion batteries
    4. How should you charge your phone?
    5. Your phone battery will wear out anyway
    6. Does charging your phone overnight ruin the battery?
      1. Slow charging generates less heat
    7. Key take away

Should I avoid charging for long hours?

I’ve recently heard someone mention that leaving a smartphone charging through the night could lead to an explosion.

Is this true? Yes and no. I mean, yes, it can explode. But there’s a big but. Your phone can also explode while it isn’t charging.

In both cases, we’re talking about very faint probabilities. As you can see, there is no obvious relation or cause and effect between charging a phone for long hours and an explosion.

If you’re using a smartphone, rest assured. The technology of your device and its battery is pretty advanced and safe. Moreover, many people have been doing this day in and day out for years.

So, yes, it is safe to charge your phone throughout the night. For some people, it might be the best time to do it since the phone will be unused for many hours.

Modern smartphone manufacturers have adopted top-notch technology that makes it possible to charge them overnight without affecting their lifespan and battery.

Check out our article for more information on how charging a smartphone works.

Adequate charge cycles

The lifespan of a phone’s battery depends on the charge cycle rather than the years that it last. A charge cycle represents the process by which a battery recharges to 100%. It can be on one go – from 0% to 100% – or on several partial charges.

Most modern phone batteries are supposed to range from 400 – 500 cycles. Therefore, you expect them to last for a long time as long as you maintain a reasonable charging cycle.

In my opinion, and according to some experiences I see around me, you can get considerably over that range and still have a battery with a decent performance.

The ability to handle adequate charge

Smartphones, as the name suggests, are “smart” enough to recognize that a battery is fully charged and stops the current from flowing once it hits 100 percent.

Therefore, there is no effect on the battery if you leave your device to charge overnight even when it takes a few more hours to charge fully.

Lithium-ion batteries

Modern phones use lithium-ion batteries that are very light and quite different from traditional nickel-cadmium batteries.

These sorts of cells are highly reactive and thus the charge flows easily. Besides, it lasts more than expected as long as the user maintains the required temperatures when charging.

You should avoid charging the phones in extreme heat or cold. As a hint, avoid draining the battery entirely since lithium-ion types usually wear out if left to drain out completely.

How should you charge your phone?

Another difference between lithium-ion and nickel-cadmium batteries is in the way you should charge them.

With nickel-cadmium batteries, it was best to wait for them to be completely drained and then charge them up to 100% in one go. For modern batteries, however, you should prefer frequent partial fill-ups, if possible.

If you want to improve your battery’s lifespan, even more, try to keep them between 40% and 80%.

Your phone battery will wear out anyway

Many people sometimes worry about the wear caused by the way they use their phone. Don’t stress about it. Your battery will wear out anyway, even if it rests unused.

Truth be told, heat leads to wear. To learn how to avoid it, check out our article:

Does charging your phone overnight ruin the battery?

For more information on charging a phone faster, read our article on How To Get A Phone To Charge Faster. If you have read it, you know that fast charging can cause heat in your battery.

If you use quick charging, does charging your phone overnight ruin the battery? No, it won’t.

Quick charging works in a way that avoids excessive heat. You can read more on fast charging here.

But at the same time, there is no need to use quick charging when your phone will be plugged into the charger for about 7-8 hours or more.

So what should you do?

Slow charging generates less heat

I recommend getting a 5V 0.5A charger. Or 5V 1A if your phone has a massive battery. But 0.5A is probably more than enough for your phone to be at 100% when you wake up.

The great advantage is that the slower the charge (low amperage) the less heat is generated. Yes, it also takes more time to charge. During the daytime, it might not be practical but for charging overnight it’s a great option.

Key take away

If you’re still in doubt, many people have been charging their phones during the night for years without problems.

Batteries wear out with time. But it is true that the way you use your phone might lead to increased wear. To avoid wear, take precautions such as avoiding generation high temperatures.

Having your battery drained should be avoided. The same goes for complete charges. It’s best to prefer regular partial charges. The optimal situation would be to keep your battery in the 40-80% range.

If you use a quick charger, you can get a slow charger to avoid unnecessary heat.

As long as you are considering these precautions, you can have a peaceful night’s sleep without putting a lot of worry about the lifespan of your phone.

You can always check what the manufacturer says about this in the owner’s manual.