{
  "id": 11742813,
  "title": "Is it safe to charge your phone overnight?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/is-it-safe-to-charge-your-phone-overnight",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-03T18:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-04/safe-charging-mobile-phone-overnight/107219700"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As you settle down for the night, you plug your phone into the charger beside your bed. For several hours, the device remains connected, charging well beyond the point where it reached full capacity. This may seem like a potential hazard to your phone's battery. Lithium-ion batteries, the type used in modern smartphones, have a finite lifespan, and that lifespan is shortened by the repeated process of charging and discharging. Traditionally, the advice has been to avoid leaving your phone charging overnight, keeping the battery charged between 20% and 80% to preserve its life.\n\nHowever, this rule isn't as straightforward as it once was. Modern smartphones have advanced features designed to manage the battery's health and charging behaviors. For instance, Apple introduced Optimised Battery Charging in 2019, which learns a user's charging habits and reduces charging beyond a certain point when the phone is left connected for an extended time. Samsung and Google Pixel devices offer similar functionality. Pixel phones, for example, utilize Adaptive Charging, which learns and adjusts charging habits, aiming to reach a full charge just before you unplug it. Samsung phones have Sleep Time Protection, which stops charging at around 80% while you sleep, and resumes shortly before you wake up.\n\nThe iPhone 17, the latest model from Apple, introduces Adaptive Power Mode, a feature that anticipates your typical battery consumption and adjusts power usage to help sustain the battery throughout the day. For newer phones from Samsung, users can set a custom battery protection limit, ranging from 80% to 95%. Similarly, recent iPhones allow users to choose between 80% and 100% in 5% increments. Google Pixel 6a and later models can even be set to a 80% limit.\n\nWhile these features can extend the battery's lifespan, they do not entirely eliminate another critical factor: heat. Lithium-ion batteries degrade when exposed to high temperatures, particularly when charging. Phones now also respond to heat, automatically limiting charging when the device detects high temperatures. This means that even if you choose to keep your phone's charge below 100%, the phone may still charge to full capacity occasionally to ensure the battery's reading remains accurate. For most users with modern smartphones, the concern is mitigated since the device handles charging automatically. It’s recommended, however, to ensure your phone is kept away from excessive heat, such as direct sunlight or being placed under a pillow while charging. By utilizing the charging management features of your phone and keeping it away from excessive heat, you can help prolong the life of your device's battery.",
  "summary": "We have previously been told not to leave our phones charging overnight because it ruins the battery life. Is this still the case?",
  "key_points": [
    "Modern smartphones have features to manage battery health.",
    "Apple's Optimised Battery Charging reduces overnight charging.",
    "Samsung and Google Pixel offer similar adaptive charging functions."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}