Leaving your phone on charge throughout the night is ‘one of the worst things you can do’You should avoid leaving your phone to charge overnight(Image: Getty Images)

Households in the UK are being warned not to leave phone charging overnight. For many Brits, putting your phone on charge before you go to sleep is a common habit.

But although it might be satisfying to wake up to 100 percent battery, leaving your phone on charge throughout the night is actually ‘one of the worst things you can do’.

According to tech experts, this seemingly harmless routine could be slowly destroying your phone’s battery as well as costing you far more than just a few pence in electricity bills.

With smartphone batteries now costing upwards of £100 to replace professionally, and many modern devices making DIY repairs nearly impossible, even small changes to your charging habits could save you significant money down the line.

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“Most people don’t realise that overnight charging is one of the worst things you can do to a lithium-ion battery,” explains a spokesperson from Outplayed.

“It’s convenient, but convenience often comes at a cost.”

The problem isn’t just about leaving your phone plugged in longer than necessary.

Modern smartphones are sophisticated pieces of technology, but their batteries are surprisingly delicate when it comes to heat and prolonged charging cycles.

Heat build-up is the primary culprit for killing your phone. Charging generates heat, and lithium-ion batteries degrade significantly faster when they’re warm.

People are being warned against leaving your phone charging under a pillow or duvet as you’re causing battery damage, and even charging on your bedside table isn’t ideal.

You should unplug your phone before going to sleep(Image: Getty Images)

Once your battery hits 100 percent, your charger doesn’t simply switch off. Instead, it continues “trickle charging” – constantly topping up the battery throughout the night to maintain that full charge.

“Think of it like constantly filling up a full glass of water,” the Outplayed spokesperson said.

“The battery is working overtime to manage this constant input, which wears out the cells much faster than you’d expect.”

Keeping your battery at 100 percent for hours at a time is far more stressful for the cells than allowing it to hover between 20-80 percent charge levels.

The tech experts say that simple adjustments to when and how you charge can dramatically extend your battery’s lifespan.

Outplayed recommends charging during the day when you can unplug once the battery reaches capacity.

Aim for partial charges rather than full 0-100 percent cycles, and consider using a slower charger when you’re not in a rush, as fast chargers generate more heat and stress the battery.

Modern phones are getting smarter about this too. Apple’s Optimised Battery Charging and Samsung’s Protect Battery mode both learn your routine and delay charging past 80 percent until you actually need it.

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