It is not a secret that many people have heard that it’s not okay to leave your iPhone charging overnight. Surely you’ve heard the opposite as well – that it’s perfectly fine to do so.
So where do we draw the thin line between myth and truth?
The information below will clarify some aspects of this topic and you will understand everything about charging your iPhone overnight.
So let us get down to the topic.
Cell Phone batteries – what are they like in nowadays
Some years ago, there were mobile phones that could go on for a week without charging. Sure, you couldn’t check your Facebook or play anything more complicated than Snake and Tetris, but still.
Those models had a NiMH cell phone battery. The Lithium-Ion batteries we use today have replaced them since the latter was quicker to charge.
Naturally, the iPhone has a huge range of options, and of course, it is not just a flashlight that may ring. Nowadays, if your smartphone manages to survive two days without charging it, you are a lucky person.
Why NiMH batteries should be under control
To be honest, each myth about charging your iPhone has been caused by NiMH batteries. Take a note that an iPhone has never had a NiMH battery.
Today, some people continue to think they can overcharge their phones, thus destroying the battery. Not only that, but they believe using their phone while charging is also a bad thing. Last but not least, some believe that iPhone batteries have “memory“.
The memory effect means that if your phone is only partially discharged and you charge it, the battery will “remember” the smaller capacity it needs to reach 100%, thus shrinking the battery’s capacity. This was true for most NiCD and NiMH batteries, but that’s not the case with Li-Ion batteries.
Moreover, some people think that you should put your phone in the freezer, although, there is no reason for doing that, and it also is dangerous for your device and its battery.
Why is it bad to leave your iPhone charging overnight
So far, there are more than 1.5 billion iPhones with Li-Ion batteries worldwide. These batteries are better than NiMH, but they aren’t flawless. Below you will find some issues that you may face while using your iPhone battery because of its nature.
Li-Ion Batteries Generate a Lot of Heat
This would be one of the biggest problems you may experience while charging your iPhone overnight. Li-Ion batteries are very practical, but lithium is a very reactive material. The heat it can generate can eventually lead to overheating, and the battery can explode.
It may sound impossible, but there were so many problems like that, for example, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery fiasco. Moreover, HP suffered a similar issue recently and had to recall around 78,000 batteries, which may cause “fire and burn damage.”
Charging Your iPhone Overnight Shortens Its Battery Life
Every mobile phone has a battery’s capacity which starts to diminish approximately after 500-1000 charge-discharge cycles. You complete a cycle when you use 100% of your battery.
For example – you use 40% of your phone’s juice today, then you recharge it to 100%, and the next day you use another 60%. That’s one cycle.
In theory, an iPhone’s battery could last up to 500 cycles before its capacity starts to fall. Not only that but your battery ages with time on its own. If you change your iPhone every year or two, you won’t feel this problem so much. Still, if you intend to use your iPhone for a longer period than that, keep in mind the battery has a tendency to lose its capacity
