My MIL leaves her phone plugged in 24/7. It died today and I wondered if leaving it plugged in all the time could damage it. (Is only a couple of years old.)
Android is software ---- the operating system which is written by Google. Who made the phone? I expect Samsung.
Here is a link that has what I think is a CYA comment.
https://www.samsung.com/sa_en/support/mobile-devices/is-the-…
As far as I know all cell phones have lithium ion batteries and these do not have overcharging issues like lead-acid batteries. Over the long haul indeed the maximum usage time does decrease, but not just going dead as far as I know.
If you want more clarity on the potential issues with 7/24 connection to a charger, I suggest you read the owner manual. I just don’t see how a cell phone could need people to remove the charger when the battery is full - it is so common for people to leave it plugged in all night - way beyond the time needed to fully charge.
One thing that can damage cell phone batteries is using 3rd party chargers. Not all 3rd party chargers, but some. I have Apple iPhones. I know with more than a few 3rd party iPhone chargers (particularly the lowest price options) lack the electronics apple uses to protect the phone.
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That’s what keeps it from dreaming of electric sheep.
Ken
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As far as I know all cell phones have lithium ion batteries and these do not have overcharging issues like lead-acid batteries. Over the long haul indeed the maximum usage time does decrease, but not just going dead as far as I know.
Not sure it’s that simple. Apple must have implemented “optimized battery charging” in iOS for some good reason. Does Android do something similar? From https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210512
With iOS 13 and later, your iPhone learns from your daily charging habits to improve the lifespan of your battery.
A battery’s lifespan is related to its chemical age, which is more than just the length of time since the battery was assembled. A battery’s chemical age results from a complex combination of several factors, including temperature history and charging pattern. All rechargeable batteries are consumable components that become less effective as they chemically age. As lithium-ion batteries chemically age, the amount of charge they can hold diminishes, resulting in reduced battery life and reduced peak performance. Learn more about iPhone battery and performance and how to maximize battery performance and lifespan.
With iOS 13 and later, Optimized Battery Charging is designed to reduce the wear on your battery and improve its lifespan by reducing the time your iPhone spends fully charged. When the feature is enabled, your iPhone will delay charging past 80% in certain situations. Your iPhone uses on-device machine learning to learn your daily charging routine so that Optimized Battery Charging activates only when your iPhone predicts it will be connected to a charger for an extended period of time. The algorithm aims to ensure that your iPhone is still fully charged when unplugged.
Optimized Battery Charging is on by default when you set up your iPhone or after updating to iOS 13 or later. To turn off the feature, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health > Optimized Battery Charging.
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Optimized battery charging probably does things beyond what I have observed. What I observe is my phone is never charged above 80%. I don’t do videos (and other heavy power uses) and I do charge every night. So the system knows I will not run out of juice even if my battery is only 80% in the morning.
For sure filling a lithium battery to 100% or draining to some number in the 10% or lower range does degrade the total amount of power the lithium battery can hold. This is beyond the number of cycles issue.
Another thing that hurts lithium batteries of rapid charging. As a Tesla owner, I am well aware of these issues.
Another thing that hurts lithium batteries of rapid charging. As a Tesla owner, I am well aware of these issues.
Apple went to a faster charger for the newer iPhones.
PSU
My MIL leaves her phone plugged in 24/7. It died today and I wondered if leaving it plugged in all the time could damage it. (Is only a couple of years old.)
Yes, but…
Not in a way that causes the phone to “just die”.
Instead, it eventually starts causing the battery to swell. And it will swell enough to either pry the case apart (I’ve had that happen on two phones and a laptop computer), or crack the case, before the phone stops working.
And when that happens the phone is becoming a fire hazard. It’s recommended that you replace it ASAP, and in the meantime drain the battery and don’t plug it in again other than for the short time needed to transfer stuff to the replacement.
Now what’s silly is that I’ve had a couple of Android devices that detect you’re leaving them plugged in a lot, and decide to limit how much charge is in the battery… to 50%.
Why not 90% or 95%? That would make the thing a lot more prepared for the occasions when it can’t be plugged in for an extended period. {And it’s what my current laptop does. It’s been plugged in for over a week. The battery indicator says “Charge: 95% (fully-charged)”.}
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No you are perfectly fine leaving it plugged in, all phones from the past several years have power management to take care of this and not overcharge it.
The phone dying as in won’t turn on is something else.
For long term battery health keeping it between 20%-80% is supposed to be great, who knows.
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My MIL leaves her phone plugged in 24/7. It died today and I wondered if leaving it plugged in all the time could damage it. (Is only a couple of years old.)
Take a look at the phone–side view–and see if it “bulges” a bit/LOT in the middle.
That happened to my old phone a couple years ago (bought 3-4 yrs ago?). Left it charging 24/7. Battery got overcharged, expanded, and destroyed the phone.
Newer phones (last couple years, for sure) have a built-in “stop charging” point–even if plugged in.
Could be an internal problem of some sort–no way to tell. Have it checked and see what they say. She might need a new phone. If old one defective, up to the mfr. If overcharged or other non-mfr issue, she needs to buy a replacement phone.
Newer phones (last couple years, for sure) have a built-in “stop charging” point–even if plugged in.
Earlier this year replaced the wife’s Pixel3 for 2nd time due to a bulging battery.
Don’t know if it’s the charging circuitry they used, or some inherent flaw in the battery component they used or what - but there’s been lots of bulging batteries for that model. And that model certainly isn’t alone in having problems with bulging batteries. Part of it is probably just trying to make the phones thinner and thinner, and the requirements that the batteries need to meet for the phone to be that thin.
If the design does not have a battery cut-off, then all those phones will overcharge the batteries if left plugged in.
Copied from Internet:
"Does Google Pixel stop charging when full?
The feature is available on all Pixel phones, starting with the Pixel 3, and it automatically stops the devices from charging once the battery reaches 80%.Jul 14, 2021"
Ok, so it CAN–if the option is selected. So look and see how it is set up. Then you know what to do.
Battery swelling is another issue
https://www.mbsdirect.com/mbs-blog/article-beware-the-bulgin…
You can read about it all over the net.
The feature is available on all Pixel phones, starting with the Pixel 3, and it automatically stops the devices from charging once the battery reaches 80%.Jul 14, 2021"
This is different and the point I spoke about earlier that 20%-80% is the sweet spot for long term life. You will not overcharge the battery leaving it plugged in.