Apple issues injury warning when charging iPhones while sleeping
Topics: Technology, iPhone, Health
Jen Thomas
Featured Image Credit: STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images/Artur Debat/Contributor
Topics: Technology, iPhone, Health
We've all done it, that moment where you drift off to sleep with your phone in your hands (or worse, hit yourself in the face by dropping it when you zone out, but Apple has warned against a much more dangerous habit.
If you find yourself plugging your iPhone in before your nightly TikTok doom scroll, be very careful not to fall asleep near your device - or more dangerously, holding or lying on the charging cable.
You might think there's nothing worse than waking up to discover your phone didn't charge overnight - especially if your alarm didn't go off - one wrong move however could lead to injury.
Charging your iPhone up overnight is a common tactic many of us take, seeing as a lot of us spend hours and hours every day staring at screens while our battery drains down fast.
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The latest memo says to 'avoid prolonged skin contact with the charging cable and connector when the charging cable is connected to a power source’, which many of us will accidentally do while sleeping.
It also warns to be careful about lying or sitting on the cable because 'sustained contact with warm surfaces for long periods of time may cause discomfort or injury'.
Is scrolling for longer worth it? It's even more dangerous if the phone gets caught up under your duvet, making it more likely for heat to build up in a short time without the proper ventilation.
It seems that common sense is key here, as nobody wants to cause a fire by letting their charger or phone overheat.
“Use common sense to avoid situations where your skin is in contact with a device, its power adapter, or a wireless charger when it’s operating or connected to a power source for long periods of time," the memo states.
"Keep your iPhone, the power adapter, and any wireless charger in a well-ventilated area when in use or charging. Take special care if you have a physical condition that affects your ability to detect heat against the body.”
It seems that the safest option is to charge your phone in the daytime instead when you are awake and present, to catch any accidents before they happen.
Firefighters have also previously issued warnings about the dangers, telling social media users about the horrors of house fires that have been started by faulty chargers or human error when using.
Will you be charging in the day from now on?