You’ve been charging your smartphone the wrong way

Charging your smartphone’s lithium-ion battery in short bursts can improve its lifespan, while leaving your phone plugged in once it is 100% charged is bad for the power source.

This is according to research from Battery University.

The research provides insight on how to prolong your device’s battery life using the correct charging methods, which means your device can spend more time giving you reliable performance.

Methods on how to correctly charge your smartphone are detailed below.

Don’t keep your phone plugged in when it is fully charged

The research states that leaving your device plugged in past the 100% charge point is bad for its battery.

Leaving it charging keeps the battery under high stress, which wears it down.

Removing the device from charging when it reaches 100% is like “relaxing muscles after strenuous exercise”.

Don’t always charge it to 100%

According to Battery University, lithium-ion batteries do not need to be fully charged all the time, and doing so is not the best way to maintain the battery.

“It is better not to fully charge, because a high voltage stresses the battery”, stated the report, which will wear it down over time.

Multiple, short bursts of charging are advised over one long charge.

Charge your device regularly

Smartphone batteries respond better to multiple stints of charging throughout the day instead of one long charge when the battery is running low.

Battery University stated that charging your device every time its drops 10% of its battery life would be the best-case scenario.

As this is not practical for many people, charging your phone when you have an opportunity is advised.

This will keep your smartphone’s battery performing better for longer.

Keep your device cool

Smartphone batteries must avoid extreme heat to function optimally, and Apple advises users to remove phone cases if they notice their device heating up while charging.

“It’s especially important to avoid exposing your device to ambient temperatures higher than 35°C, which can permanently damage battery capacity,” stated Apple.