Why you should not always charge your phone to 100%

We must admit that most of us have poor phone charging behaviour. This has the potential to put our phones at risk and reduce battery lifespan.

Specifically, those who charge their phones overnight, meaning they are often plugged in for hours after it has reached 100 per cent.

Baaru Muchiri, an IT expert in Nairobi, told the Star, “What most people do not know is that you are accelerating the ageing process of your smartphone's lithium-ion battery.”

“Lithium-ion batteries have a limited lifespan. No matter what you do, your phone's battery capacity, which translates to its lifespan, degrades as you use it. However, you can have a say in how quickly your smartphone battery ages.”

Baaru states that devices, such as iPhones and Samsungs, are designed to retain up to 80 per cent of their original battery capacity. 

“It is important to always check your phone’s battery health, under settings. On certain phones, you can turn on the optimized charging feature which delays the chemical aging of your battery,” he said.

Baaru advised to always maintain your battery at or above 20 per cent but not more than 80 to 85 per cent.

“When charging, remember to remove your phone cover to prevent overheating. Do not use your phone, in fact, switch it off and turn off the location and mobile data which are the main culprits of draining your battery,” he advised.

Some experts recommend that you do a full zero to 100 per cent battery recharge also known as “charge cycle” once a month. This helps re-calibrate the battery, similar to restarting your computer.