This common mistake that most people make damages your Android battery
Many people make a huge mistake with their Android phone battery that causes it to deteriorate quickly: this is the mistake and this is how you can avoid it.
The battery is one of the most important aspects of a smartphone today, because it doesn't matter how good the camera or screen is if you can't make it to the end of the day and have to live glued to the charger.
The mobile phone you choose and the features are a very important point when it comes to how your device's battery responds, but you should know that it is not just a hardware thing, but your usage can also affect it greatly.
With the advancement of lithium batteries, you no longer need to take certain safety precautions. Remember when it was said that you had to wait until the battery was discharged to 0% and then charge it to 100% or else the battery would deteriorate? Well that doesn’t happen anymore.
But other things happen due to the limitations of the lithium-ion technology that smartphones use today that you have to take into account on a daily basis if you want your battery not to degrade quickly and thus run out quickly and charge slowly.
On phones in the Android ecosystem, I have noticed a common mistake that not many people know about but most people make and it is terrible for the phone's battery. It has to do with fast charging.
Fortunately, at this time, mobile phones are charging faster and faster. In 2018, the average mobile phone charging rate was 18 watts, while in 2023 this figure has risen to 34 watts for fast charging.
With the exception of Samsung, which is below average, brands in the Android ecosystem are significantly outperforming iOS iPhones in terms of fast charging at the moment, which is between 25 and 30 watts for the iPhone 16 series.
While fast charging is a blessing, you should know that all types of fast charging, especially the powerful ones that reach and exceed 100 watts, contribute to faster battery degradation. Brands add safety features to products so that this happens less, but you should know that it is something that is difficult to avoid and take into account.
Some experts recommend minimizing charging cycles and waiting for the charge to drop below 10% before plugging in the charger, and it never hurts to remember that it's best to use original charging cables and power adapters - yes, even if they're more expensive - and if they're not from well-known brands like Anker, with Power Delivery technology and overheating protection systems.
- Avoid fast charging unless necessary.
My advice is never to charge your cell phone as quickly as possible unless you are in a hurry, such as if you realize your cell phone is low minutes before you leave. In your daily life, it is usually easy to plan to charge your phone, such as when you go to bed.
In these cases, you should know that you can always deactivate fast charging manually in the Settings app on your Android mobile, from the Battery section.
On other phones, when plugged in, a notification is displayed that lets you choose between charging at full speed or slower to preserve the battery in the long run. In this case, always choose slow charging if you're not in a hurry or if you're going to leave your phone plugged in overnight.
- Select smart charging setting
Other mobile phones, depending on the brand, have smart charging functions in their settings that you can activate so that the device learns from your habits to choose the most beneficial option for the useful life of the battery.
In the case of Google Pixel phones, if you go to the Settings app, go to the Battery section and then Smart Charging, you can activate this function. These functions are already present in brands like Xiaomi and mid-range mobiles.
One of the most useful things this feature does is to know when you typically charge your phone. If you charge it at night, as I do, the phone will slowly charge to 80%, then the rest will be charged right before you wake up.