Is your phone or laptop fully charged? Maybe it shouldn't be

 I have this routine when I get home from being out, I immediately throw my phone on my charger and I do the same anytime I retire for the evening.

The thing is, we shouldn't be doing it that way!  

Here are some facts

- Batteries degrade in high temperatures

- When charging your Lithium-Ion battery, you may notice it gets much hotter above 70% charge.

Many experts agree, when charging your phone or other lithium-ion powered device, you should keep the charge between 30-70%, any less than that and the battery is working harder than it really should, any more than that and the battery gets hot, causing the battery to degrade.  The way that these batteries work is based on a mean voltage, which is the amount of voltage the battery has going through it at any given time.  The least load your battery can have is between 30% charged and 80% charged.  So, it just makes sense to charge your battery to 80% then allow it to drain to 30% before putting it back on the charger.

Some also recommend charging the device completely 1 day a month, then letting it drain to zero on that same day to remind the battery of its actual capacity.  Again, you should not be doing this OFTEN.  You should be doing this at most once a month for the longevity of your device.

Some chargers understand when your device is full and actually cut off the charge at that point, but understand that doesn't cut the charge completely to zero, there is still a mild amount of current running through your battery and that could be causing your battery some undo wear and tear.

So, make sure that you are keeping your battery at 30-80% most of the time, and allow yourself one day a month to charge your battery completely to 100%, then allow the battery to drain completely to zero.  Your phone and laptop will thank you!

And that's your Tech Witch Tip for today!