Optimal phone charging times: When and how long to charge for best results
Here are the best practices for optimal phone charging, including convenient charging times, heat management, and the benefits of optimised charging for long-term battery health. Picture: Google Gemini
Image: Google Gemini
We’ve all been there: Heading out the door to an important meeting and you grab your phone and instinctively unlock it to check something and you get a low battery warning.
There are a lot of myths about when you should charge your phone and for how long, but the biggest thing is always: having enough juice when you need it most.
So when exactly is the best time to charge your phone? Unfortunately, there is no such thing, and making sure it’s got enough battery to last you between charges is still largely dependent on the user.
The closest thing to an ideal time to charge is when it’s convenient. That means if you’re sitting at your desk or somewhere with a plug-point, it’s a good idea to hook it up to a power source - even if it’s for less than 30 minutes. It all helps.
Optimised Charging: Managing Heat for Long-Term Battery Health
Over the last few years, most smartphones have transitioned to having optimised charging. This means your phone learns your habits and generally charges accordingly.
It’s true that for long-term battery health, it’s best to keep your phone between 20% and 80% charged.
It’s actually become more a case of heat management, and that means avoid exposing your phone to extreme temperatures as this is the biggest factor in a quick battery drain.
That’s why the optimised charging feature has become a necessary feature, and it also means your modern phone will do a lot of the work for you.
So there really isn’t a best time or duration to charge your phone, and instead don’t worry about long-term battery health if you need to constantly charge your phone in short bursts, it’s the best way to go.