Myth or reality: Can using electronic devices while charging damage the device’s battery?

Anyone who never grew up in the 2000s probably didn’t hear the rumors that using electronic devices like cell phones and laptops while charging could “drain the battery” on the devices.

This is because at the turn of the century, when portable electronics became popular, It was very common to hear that leaving the device plugged in during use damaged its lifespan.. The good news is that times have changed since then, and of course technology has improved (a lot).

But does this ultimately remain a problem? Is using a laptop or mobile phone constantly connected to electricity harmful to the battery?

Can using a laptop or mobile phone while charging damage the battery?

Fortunately in both cases the short answer is no! But it is worth understanding the origin of the rumors. In the past, devices were often equipped with nickel batteries (heavy and very large ones) and these were more prone to the so-called “memory effect”, which causes loss of capacity over time.

This occurred when the batteries were recharged before being completely discharged. That is, before the device reaches 0% and ‘shuts down’.

For the happiness of all of us, Most modern devices use lithium-ion batteries, which are not affected by memory effects and are not addictive. You also don’t have to worry about the possibility of the device overloading if left plugged in for long periods of time, as it already has protection features in place to prevent such problems.

However, it is worth noting that lithium-ion batteries have a limited number of charging cycles. In this case, a cycle is completed by completely discharging the battery and charging it again. Knowing this, keep in mind that although lithium batteries are better than nickel, they lose their charging capacity over the years and do not last forever.

Now that you know more about the topic, check out 10+ tips to save your cell phone battery!