Is Charging An iPhone Overnight Bad For Battery Health?

A common myth is that leaving the iPhone plugged in overnight will deplete the battery’s health. So, this guide is about the effect of charging a lithium-ion battery overnight and what Apple says about iPhones.

If you have ever thought that charging your iPhone overnight is bad for battery health, this guide will explain everything in detail.

There is no or minor effect on battery health if you leave your iPhone plugged in overnight. Apple uses battery protection integrated circuits (IC) that automatically cut off the power supply if your iPhone battery is fully charged. This will prevent the iPhone from overcharging. But it’s not advisable to keep your phone plugged in overnight.

Is It Safe To Leave Your iPhone Plugged in Overnight?

It’s completely safe to leave your iPhone plugged in until it’s not overheating. The iPhone will automatically cut off the charger supply once the battery level reaches 100%.

However, you should ensure that you’re not charging your iPhone on the bed or pillow because they may restrict heat dissipation, and your iPhone will overheat.

Heat is not good for lithium-ion batteries as the ions lose their charge-holding capacity at high temperatures.

If you’re leaving your iPhone plugged in overnight, ensure that you’ve enabled Optimised Battery Charging and there is proper ventilation.

I have written a detailed guide on Optimised Battery Charging; you can read it here!

Also Read: Why Does My iPhone Gets Hot While Charging?

Is It Bad To Charge iPhone Battery To 100%?

For a longer lifespan, you should never charge your iPhone battery to more than 80 and never discharge it below 20. A lithium-ion battery doesn’t like being fully charged or discharged.

Does Charging Your Phone Overnight Ruin The Battery?

Apple uses battery protection integrated circuits to prevent overcharging. This circuit turns off the current input if the battery charges fully. Hence, technically it won’t affect your battery health.

But, leaving iPhone plugged in overnight can cause overheating, and high temperature around the lithium-ion batteries decreases its holding capacity.

So, keeping your iPhone on the charger overnight is not advisable because it slowly reduces your battery lifespan.

I have written a guide on keeping the iPhone battery healthy at 100. You should definitely read that.

Does iPhone Stop Charging When Fully Charged?

Yes, your iPhone will stop charging when the battery is fully charged. Apple has built-in battery protection integrated circuit (IC) that cuts off the power supply once the battery recharges 100%.

Also Read: How To Improve iPhone 14 Pro Battery Life

Does Charging Your Phone Overnight Explode?

A common myth among people is that charging your phone overnight will explode. But that’s not true!

All the latest smartphones come with integrated battery protection circuits that prevent the battery from overcharging.

However, some cases of smartphone explosion are noticed with Samsung Galaxy Note 7, Redmi 6A, Poco X3, Redmi Note 9 Pro, etc.

So, it’s better not to leave your smartphone plugged in overnight as it may catch fire due to overheating or manufacturing defects.

How To Charge Your iPhone Correctly?

Are you concerned about your iPhone battery health? Bad charging style and pattern affect the battery’s health.

Here are a few tips you should keep in mind while charging your iPhone-

1. Turn On Low Power Mode

As I said earlier, lithium-ion batteries never like to be fully charged or discharged. Apple recommends connecting the charger if the iPhone battery level drops below 20.

If you’re not near the charger, turn on Low Power Mode to extend your iPhone battery backup and connect the charger.

iPhone will automatically turn off the Low Power Mode if your battery is sufficiently charged.

Also Read: Is It Okay Keep iPhone On Low Power Mode All Time

2. Use the Original Charger

It’s always advisable to use Apple original accessories with your iPhone. Use Apple 18W or 20W power adapter and the original lightning cable to charge your iPhone.

Apple 20W adapter is specifically designed according to the power rating of iPhone and iPad. If you use a non-Apple charger, it may drain your battery health in the long run.

3. Don’t Use Your iPhone While Charging

We often use our iPhones while charging, but it puts extra load on the processor, and the phone heats up sometimes.

Sometimes, doing graphic-hungry tasks overheats the iPhone, reducing the lithium-ion battery lifespan.

So, it’s better to leave your iPhone when it’s connected to the charger.

4. Remove Armour Case

An armored case is good for protection, but it may trap heat inside the case when you’re charging your phone.

So, removing the armor case from your iPhone when you’re charging is a good habit. Taking off the case will increase heat dissipation which increases the battery lifespan.

5. Enable Optimised Battery Charging

Apple added Optimised Battery Charging feature in iOS 13 and macOS Big Sur. This feature reads your charging pattern and stops the power input once the battery level reaches 80.

This feature is comes enabled by default. If you have disabled it because your device is not charging past 80, then enable it.

Here is how to enable Optimised Battery Charging in iOS 16.2-

Go to Settings.
Scroll and tap on Battery.
Tap on Battery Health.
Toggle ON/OFF Optimised Battery Charging option.
Restart your iPhone.

Conclusion

There is no harm in charging your iPhone overnight, but ensure that Optimised Battery Charging is enabled in the settings. Also, don’t charge your iPhone on the bed, couch, or inside the pillow, as it may overheat your phone, reducing lithium-ion battery health.