Checking our phones for many of us is the last thing we do before going to bed and usually the very first thing we do to start our day.
We've probably all picked up some equally bad routines when it comes to our phones, but there's one in particular we should be extra vigilant over as one tech expert has issued a warning over one extremely common night-time phone habit.
Tech journalist, Max Freeman-Mills, shared his expertise on the matter along with four other top tips on how to best look after your device.
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So, before we get into the main warning, let's explore Max's other suggestions.
Buying cheap replacement cables and plugs
Now, I'm sure we've all at least once picked up a cheap as chips charging cable or plug out of convenience.
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However, Max says we need to be 'wary' of such items as they are 'not particularly well-made or rated for efficient power supply'.
"So if you use a cable that only costs you £1 on Amazon, don’t be surprised if your phone charges more slowly, or the cable gets really hot while it’s in use," he explains.
Instead, Max suggests sticking to more reputable brands – like the original phone manufacturer or 'something like Anker', which he says is 'a much better bet, even if it costs a little more'.
Buying battery-saving apps
"It might be tempting to see if there are apps out there that can help to limit your battery life drainage – but these aren’t worth the risk," the tech journalist shares.
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Max warns that such apps are 'unlikely to have access to any meaningful settings' and are 'more probably going to take your money and run' adding: "We’d really warn against giving that sort of power to an app you can’t necessarily trust."
Charging your phone in a warm place
Now, this one’s more about safety than it is about your phone’s battery health, with Max explaining: "Charging many phones will now result in a noticeable warmness as the battery fills up.
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"This means that it’s really not advisable to, for example, keep your phone under your pillow while it charges overnight, or even anywhere in your bed – blankets and bedsheets can make the phone hotter and hotter over time."
This can even result in overheating and risk of fire, which is why Apple and Google recommend you charge your phone on a clean surface like a bedside table instead.
Charging and streaming at the same time
On the topic of phones overheating, Max also warns that we need to avoid 'stress-testing' our devices while it’s charging by doing something intensive on it, whether that’s streaming some HD video, or playing a graphically-demanding video game.
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"The stress it will generate for your battery – in the form of heat – simply isn’t great for its long-term prospects," he adds.
"And while it won’t kill your phone overnight, it’s still worth trying to leave your device alone while it’s charging."
Charging your phone overnight
And lastly, the tech expert outlines that charging your phone overnight is probably one of the worst things you can do for it.
He explains that modern phones almost exclusively use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, and while these batteries have proven to be really size-efficient and adaptable, they still have some limitations.
"In particular, they’re not best suited to being either completely drained or being left charging while already full," Max says.
"Either of these can slowly but surely drain the overall charge capacity of a battery cell."
So, in short, try not to leave your phone charging for hours and hours, and instead, unplug it once your battery is at 100%.
While plenty of phones now include systems to stop themselves charging once they’re full, but this is not as infallible as unplugging it yourself.
Rhiannon Ingle