An ex-Apple employee has lifted the lid on a common charging mistake that could be secretly killing your iPhone's battery, urging users to break a habit millions are guilty of every night.
The tech insider, who worked within the hallowed halls of Apple, claims the widespread practice of leaving your phone plugged in overnight is a major battery health killer. This constant trickle of '100% charging' creates immense stress on the battery's components.
The Science Behind the Damage
Smartphone batteries, particularly the lithium-ion packs in iPhones, are healthiest when kept between 20% and 80% charge. Pushing the battery to its absolute maximum capacity and holding it there for hours, like overnight, generates excess heat and puts the battery under significant strain.
This thermal stress and voltage pressure accelerate the chemical ageing process inside the battery. The result? A drastically reduced capacity to hold a charge over time, meaning you'll be reaching for your charger long before the day is out.
What You Should Do Instead
So, what's the golden rule for charging? The former employee advises a simple yet effective strategy:
- Avoid the overnight charge: Try to top up your phone during the day instead of leaving it for a full 8-hour session.
- Embrace the top-up: Charge your phone in shorter, more frequent bursts to keep it within that 20-80% sweet spot.
- Use Optimised Battery Charging: Ensure this feature is enabled in your Settings (Battery > Battery Health & Charging). It uses on-device machine learning to learn your routine and finish charging just before you wake up, reducing time spent at 100%.
Adopting these habits can significantly prolong your battery's lifespan, saving you money and the planet by delaying the need for a replacement. It seems the secret to a long-lasting battery isn't a fancy gadget, but a simple change in routine.
