Charging habits worth having
Keep your device charged without worrying about the battery.
Modern batteries are far tougher than the old stories suggest.
You cannot ruin a phone by leaving it plugged in overnight. Once it is full, the device stops pulling power. Many phones even wait until morning to top off the last bit.
What batteries dislike is heat and running near empty over and over. Charging in a hot car or under a pillow is harder on it than any schedule.
A good habit is simple. Plug in when it is convenient, keep the device cool, and do not treat a number on the screen as a rule to obey.
Key points
- Overnight charging is fine on modern devices.
- Heat wears a battery faster than any schedule.
- Plug in when convenient, not at a magic number.
- Low Power Mode stretches a low charge.
- Empty batteries strand you more than they help.
What to remember
- Low Power Mode stretches a low battery until you can reach a charger.
- Overnight charging is a normal, safe habit for a phone made in the last decade.
- A cool spot on a table beats a sunny sill or a spot under the covers.
Try this
Tonight, plug your phone in somewhere cool and open, then check the charge level when you wake up.
Practice: Charging habits worth having. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.