Expert explains why you should never charge your phone overnight

Plenty of us end up asking 'have you got a charger' at least ten times a day.

In this fast-paced age, it's important to keep your phone topped up whilst out and about.

Often times, we rely on the reliable overnight charge.

By that, I mean putting your phone on charge whilst you get some shut-eye.

You don't have to wait for it to charge because you're in the land of nod, and you get a fully charged phone in the morning.

So, it's a win-win right?

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Well, one expert is saying that you should put your phone on charge at night.

Ritesh Chugh, an associate professor in Information and Communications Technology at CQUniversity Australia, said: "Most new-generation smartphones will take somewhere between 30 minutes and two hours to charge fully.

"[Therefore], charging your phone overnight is not only unnecessary, it also accelerates battery ageing."

We all hate it when the battery on our phone starts randomly depleting.

You'll leave the house fully charged and be down to 60 percent by the time you arrive at work.

Well, doing a nocturnal charge might be the culprit.

Why is this the case?

The lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones degrade due to several factors.

These include charging patterns, fluctuations in temperature and time usage.

When a phone is plugged in overnight, it means that the phone is getting a boost four times as long as it needs.

This isn't too surprising given that the phone is being left alone for six to eight hours.

It's also not advisable from a safety perspective - although most devices will stop charging once they reach 100 percent battery to prevent overheating.

But because apps are still running in the background, the battery will keep dropping to 99 percent.

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This leads to the phone boosting its battery again, in what is known as 'trickle charge'.

Mr Chugh explained: "Trickle charging can wear a battery down over time.

"That's why many manufacturers have features to regulate it.

Apple's iPhones offer functionality to delay charging past 80 per cent. Samsung's Galaxy phones provide the option to cap the charge at 85 per cent."

It can also been harmful for the battery's lifespan if you let the phone run out of power altogether.

Ideally, your phone should be at between 20 and 80 percent.

That seems reasonable enough, right?

We just don't want to end up in that gut wrenching situation where we see the phone drop from 60 to 10 percent before our very eyes.

Maintain your phone's battery health.

Topics: Technology, Phones

Ben Thompson