I've been charging my phone wrong for years and only just noticed

Jake Wells · 2026-03-21T08:00:07.778656+00:00

So I got this new phone, a Pixel 8, about three months ago. I was complaining to my friend in Denver that the battery seemed to drain faster than my old one. He asked how I charged it, and I said I just plug it in overnight, like always. He looked at me like I was crazy and said that's probably cooking the battery over time, keeping it at 100% for hours. He told me to try only charging it to 80% and not leaving it plugged in all night. I started doing that last week, and honestly, the battery life during the day is way better now. I feel like an idiot for not knowing this basic thing. How many of you actually pay attention to your charging habits, or do you just plug it in and forget it?

henryt185mo ago

People get way too worried about battery stuff. Modern phones have built in systems to stop overcharging, so leaving it plugged in is fine. I've always charged overnight and never had a problem.

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ryanc715mo ago

My old laptop battery swelled up from being plugged in all the time.

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zara_sanchez5mo ago

Unplug it once it hits 100% to avoid that.

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henry_murray5mo ago

I mean, my buddy's phone battery got so bad he had to carry a power bank everywhere. He always left it plugged in overnight for years. Maybe it's just me but that seems like proof it can still wear things down over time.

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