Most people go to sleep with their phones charging overnight or charge their phones to 100% before going out. However, experts believe that this daily habit shortens smartphone battery life. A simple and effective solution is the 80-20 charging rule.

What is the 80-20 charging rule?

The 80-20 rule means keeping your phone's battery between 20% and 80% most of the time. This means neither letting your phone completely discharge to 0% nor charging it to 100% every time.

The lithium-ion batteries used in today's smartphones deteriorate more quickly when repeatedly charged to extreme levels. Charging to 100% puts additional stress on the battery, while dropping to 0% leads to a deep discharge.

Why can charging to 100% be harmful?
Heat is a major enemy of batteries. Charging a phone to 100% takes a long time. During this time, the battery heats up significantly. Doing this for a long time damages the battery cells and reduces their charging capacity.

Fully discharging the phone is also not a good idea.
Many people don't charge their phone until it shuts down automatically. This habit is also bad for the battery. Repeated deep discharging puts pressure on lithium-ion batteries and reduces their lifespan. Charging it to 100% doubles the damage.

How to set a charging limit on your phone?
The good news is that most smartphones nowadays have built-in features to follow the 80-20 rule. This can help prevent the phone from reaching a full charge.

On the iPhone:
Apple's iPhones offer features like Optimized Battery Charging and Charge Limit. These slow down or stop charging after 80%, preventing additional stress on the battery.

On Android phones:
Many Android smartphones offer options like Protect Battery, Charging Optimization, or Battery Health. Depending on the brand, these limit charging to 80–85%. Once these features are enabled, the phone automatically protects against overcharging.

PC Social Media