Why Tech Pros Say You’re Charging Your iPhone All Wrong—And How To Fix It: Charging All Night & More

We hate to break it to you but: you’re probably charging your iPhone all wrong.

That can’t be possible, you’re probably thinking — what is there to charging an iPhone — plug it into a charger and voila, right? If only everything were as easy as it should be. Sure, you can just plug in your device, but if you’re leaving it on the charger too long or making one of these other common iPhone charging mistakes that tech experts want you to stop making, your phone battery could be negatively effected in the long run.

Keep these iPhone charging mistakes on your radar and use these tips to fix them.

Charging All Night

Charging your phone from dusk till dawn is a fast way to contribute to battery wear and tear over time. Even though phones have built-in components that prevent them from overcharging and causing risky situations like fires, it’s still ideal to unplug your phone from the charger when it reaches 80 percent charge.

Using Your Phone While It Charges

The best overall tip to charging your phone more efficiently is to avoid any action that can increase its temperature, since extreme heat or cold is the enemy of your phone battery. If you’re using your device while it charges, you are creating conditions where the battery is hotter than it needs to be. Wait until your device is finished charging to use it.

Cheap Cheap Chargers

Your phone is an investment, and trying to save money on chargers and charging accessories isn’t the ideal way to protect that investment. A cheap charger that isn’t designed for your iPhone model can deliver an inappropriate charging speed that wears down the battery over time.

Charging Your Phone in Extreme Temperatures

Even if that charger in your car is calling your name, if your plan is to power up your device on a 95 degree day, in direct sunlight, you are better off waiting until you get home and can charge it in room temperature conditions. Charging your phone in extreme heat and extreme cold has a negative impact on your battery that can wear it down in the long term and affect its speed and efficacy in the short term. Turn on Low Power Mode to maintain your battery power until you can reach a charger that’s located indoors and out of the heat or cold.