Apple's official advice on whether it's safe to charge your iPhone overnight following expert's warning

There are a number of beliefs around how you should charge your iPhone battery for the best performance, but we're here to dispel all the myths.

According to Apple, of course.

We've all heard it before - leaving your phone on charge overnight can ruin the battery life, charging your phone in increments throughout the day is bad, and so on and so forth.

But is all of this still true? It feels like these beliefs started circulating in the last ten years, and you'd like to think that technology has come a long way since then.

This is one for the iPhone users, given almost half of phone owners in the UK own one, according to StatCounter.

While experts have previously claimed that leaving your phone to charge when it's already on full battery can be detrimental, new information suggests this could be a myth.

Is leaving your phone to charge overnight that bad? (Getty Stock Image)

Speaking to HuffPost, the director of the Electrochemical Engine Centre at Penn State University, Chao-Yang Wang, claimed: “A battery will degrade faster if you charge it to 100 percent versus a little bit lower state of charge.”

But is this really true?

The truth behind your iPhone battery's lifespan

According to official advice from Apple, your iPhone's lifespan is related to something known as its 'chemical age', which is made up of a combination of a number of factors.

It's more than simply how old the phone is, as it involves temperature history and importantly, charging pattern.

Rechargeable batteries become decreasingly less effective as chemical age takes its toll, which then reduces its battery life and the phone's performance.

How does charging affect your iPhone battery?

Apple states that 'the battery in your iPhone should last the whole day', and even adds that you can charge your iPhone every night even if the battery isn't dead, dispelling another myth about charging your phone.

The tech giant further explains: "iPhone automatically stops charging when the battery is fully charged, so it’s safe to keep your iPhone connected to a charger overnight."

It adds that charging resumes if your battery level drops below 95 percent, though it is advised to unplug the device when 100 percent is reached.

Apple devices use Optimised Battery Charging by default, reducing the time your iPhone spends charged.

While charging overnight isn't necessarily bad, it is advised that you unplug at 100 percent (Getty Stock Image)

How does temperature affect your iPhone battery?

The iPhone battery warms up as it charges, possibly reducing its lifespan, so Apple says that it combats this by reducing the charging current as it reaches 100 percent.

As stated on the official website, iPhones achieve optimal performance 'in a wide range of ambient temperatures, ideally 16°C to 22°C'.

If the device is exposed to temperatures of 35°C or higher, it can damage the battery, and the use of iPhones for colder environments below the 16°C mark can result in a temporary decrease in battery span.

Your software could even step in and limit charging above 80 percent when exposed to exceedingly hot temperatures.

Does Wi-Fi and Bluetooth affect your iPhone battery?

Luckily, not really.

While they do draw some power, it is minimal when they aren't connected to a network or accessory.

"For the best experience on your iPhone, keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on," Apple advises.

So there you go, leaving your phone charging overnight won't (completely) destroy your battery.