Cell phone repair experts share their tips on how to charge your cell phone to get the best battery life for the longest possible time.
Stop destroying your cell phone battery! Most of us charge our phones poorly, according to smartphone repair experts who specialize in restoring old mobiles. This is because the way many of us charge our phones, including leaving them plugged in overnight or while working, can actually damage the battery and permanently reduce its ability to hold a charge.
You also shouldn’t let the phone drain completely, warns Kewin Charron, senior manager of refurbishment operations at Back Market, in an interview. “Try to keep the battery level between 20 and 80 percent instead,” he says.
It may seem like a pain to do manually, but many newer phones have an option to tell the device to optimize charging and reduce stress on the battery.
Battery Optimization on iOS
On iPhones with iOS 13 and newer, just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and choose Optimized Battery Charging. With this option enabled, you will automatically reduce battery wear and extend battery life.
According to Apple, this feature delays iPhone charging past 80% and uses machine learning to learn your daily habits, so optimized battery charging kicks in at the right times of day.
Battery optimization on Android
It’s a bit trickier with Android, as the settings can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. In settings, select Battery > Battery Status to see the current status. Under Battery, you can most often choose a Battery usage option and select Optimize battery consumption to automatically extend battery life.
Dust affects battery and charging
Another thing that can damage battery life is dirt in the charging port, Charron says. Dust accumulates in the charging ports, which can cause the phone to overheat or prevent it from charging. By cleaning the phone in a safe way, one can prevent the battery from overheating and being permanently damaged.
To clean the port, use a toothpick and a damp cloth. This will remove dirt and crumbs that could damage the phone. However, it is recommended to turn it off before cleaning it.
Heat, cold and bad signals are real enemies
Charron also warns of the risks of leaving your phone in direct sunlight, which can cause permanent damage to the battery.
Temperatures below 0 degrees are too cold for the phone, while temperatures above 35 degrees are too hot. Both can adversely affect battery life. If you find yourself in a very hot place, there are a few tricks to keep your phone at an appropriate temperature.
When the phone is not charging, you can prevent overheating by lowering the screen brightness. If the phone is low on battery and constantly searching for a signal, it is also more likely to overheat.
If the signal is weak in the area where you are, it is therefore recommended to activate Airplane mode and only deactivate it once a better signal has been found.