You’ve Been Charging Your Cell Phone All Wrong: Here’s the Right Way to Do It

cell phone charging cable

Because most of us rely on our cell phones on a near-constant basis throughout the day, it’s pretty likely that your device may run out of juice at some point. Of course, the obvious thing to do in that scenario is to plug in your cell phone charging cable and watch the battery charge. But has it ever occurred to you that you might be using your smartphone cables and chargers incorrectly? We’re talking about a few ways to correctly charge your smartphone battery to sustain its life for a longer period.

Don’t Deplete It First

Some cell phone users believe it’s best to let the battery drain to 0% (or close to it) before recharging. But that’s actually a lot worse for your device over time. Of course, if you’re not near your cell phone charging cable, it’s okay to let your phone’s battery dip below the threshold for those pop-up notifications. (If those appear, make sure to switch to low battery mode and dim your screen’s brightness!) However, if you can help it, don’t let your battery get that low. It’s best to charge it when it’s around 35-40%.

Keep It In the Optimal Range

Although seeing that 100% battery designation might be incredibly satisfying, it’s not actually the best for your phone’s battery life. If you’ll be out of the house for the day without access to your cell phone cables or external battery, it’s okay to charge it all the way (though you might not want to make it a habit). But as a general rule, you should keep your cell phone’s battery within a certain range of fullness. It might surprise you to learn that the 65% to 75% range is actually best. That’ll help the battery to last for the longest period of time. Maintaining that sweet spot can be tough, so failing that, the 45-75% range is a bit more realistic and will provide a lot of the same battery life benefits.

Don’t Be Afraid to “Partial Charge”

You might not think that plugging in your device to its cell phone charging cable for a short period won’t do much good. You might even assume this could hurt your phone’s battery life in the long run. But actually, there’s no evidence to back that up. Experts say that these “partial charges” don’t do any harm to your battery. Even if it’s only for a few minutes, charging your battery a little bit can ensure you’re able to access information when you need it most. Since your phone will operate more efficiently (and will put less stress on your battery) when it’s within optimal range, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t charge it often — even in short bursts.

Store Your Phone at 50%

If for some reason you’re going to be powering off your device and storing it for a long period of time, you’ll want to think about the battery beforehand. Experts say that the battery should be charged up to the 50% mark before you put it away. That’s because the lithium-ion batteries in iPhones may destabilize if they’re abandoned for a longer period of time — and that could cause the battery to explode. While today’s lithium-ion batteries do have safety features to will self-destruct prior to destabilization, the triggering of these features will render the battery unusable. If you’re putting that device away for a while but eventually want to use it again, be sure to turn it on every six months or so and make sure the battery charge is hovering around 50%.
Considering how heavily we rely on our devices to power our lives, it’s important that we learn how to power them properly. If you’re in need of high-quality cell phone charging cables and accessories to make your phone function at its best, take a look around our site or contact us today.

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