Smartphones are expensive. Make yours last longer by making this one smart change.
Chances are, you’re one of the 90% of Americans who own a smartphone. It’s also likely you’re doing one thing that’s hurting its lifespan—and you may not even realize it. Phones are expensive, so it’s high time you stop this practice that’s costing you money, time and frustration. After all, the holidays will be here before you know it, so why invest in a new phone prematurely when you can spend those funds elsewhere, like on gifts?
What is this unnecessary action that most of us have made a habit? And equally important: What can you do about it? I checked in with Patrick O’Rourke, a technology analyst and editor-in-chief of Pocket-lint, a popular digital magazine that specializes in mobile technology, to learn more. Keep reading to learn what mistake you’re making with your smartphone, and what you should be doing instead.
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What’s the habit that shortens the life of your phone?
Believe it or not, it’s charging your phone to 100%. This innocuous action can significantly reduce your phone’s battery health.
Let’s face it: Most of us plug in our devices before we go to sleep and wake up to a full charge. And of course, many of us don’t like seeing that little battery icon in the upper corner of the screen at anything less than full during the day. Perhaps you charge your phone in the car, at your desk or even keep it plugged into a portable power bank in your purse or jacket pocket.
Unfortunately, that quest to keep your phone at 100% isn’t doing your phone any favors.
Why does charging your battery to 100% harm your phone?
It’s all about temperature. While newer smartphones include baked-in safety features to prevent overcharging, continuously keeping the battery full generates unnecessary heat.
“Ultimately, this puts stress on lithium-ion batteries, which accelerates chemical aging,” O’Rourke says. “It’s just how lithium-ion batteries are constructed.”
Just like you’re not supposed to keep your phone in direct sunlight, which significantly raises the internal temperature to damaging levels, excessively charging your phone via its USB-C port or through inductive (wireless) charging also limits your phone’s lifespan due to the heat generated.
What should you do instead?
Whether you’re on an iPhone or Android, stop charging your phone all the way to 100%. Instead, O’Rourke advises charging your phone to 80%, which is easy to do on newer-model phones that let you set charge limits (more on that coming up). This should help extend the life of your smartphone’s battery.
“Charging your phone’s battery entirely every time slowly degrades it and eventually limits its capacity,” says O’Rourke. Yes, it’s hard to break habits, especially when it’s convenient to just “set it and forget it” (in the words of infomercial guru Ron Popeil, though he was talking about a rotisserie oven).
Many experts suggest that maintaining a battery charge between 20% and 80% is your best bet.
How to set a charge limit on an iPhone
On newer-model iPhones (15 or later), there are two related features that keep your iPhone battery healthy: “Optimized Battery Charging” and “Charge Limit.”
With “Charge Limit,” you can choose a maximum charging level between 80% and 100%, in 5% increments. Setting this option to 100% will enable a toggle for “Optimized Battery Charging.”
When “Optimized Battery Charging” is enabled, your iPhone will delay charging past 80% in certain situations. According to Apple, your iPhone uses machine learning to learn your daily charging routine so that this feature activates only when your iPhone predicts it will be connected to a charger for an extended period of time.
Here’s how to change your charging option on iPhone 15 models and later:
- Go to Settings > Battery > Charging.
- Move the slider to select an option. When set to 100%, “Optimized Battery Charging” becomes available.
That’s it.
Pro tip: When “Optimized Battery Charging” is enabled, a notification on the Lock Screen tells you when your iPhone will be fully charged. If you need it sooner, touch and hold the notification and then tap “Charge Now.”
How can you set a charge limit on an older model iPhone?
To change your charging option with iPhone 14 models and earlier:
- Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.
- Turn on “Optimized Battery Charging,” so that you see the green tab.
How to set a charge limit on an Android phone
While the exact steps may vary a little based on your Android phone maker—such as Samsung (Galaxy) or Google (Pixel)—the following should help set a battery charge limit on an Android.
- Open your phone’s Settings, then find “Battery” or “Battery and device care.”
- Look for options like “Battery health,” “Charging optimization” or “Protect battery.” Select it.
- Enable the feature to optimize charging, and set a maximum charge percentage (such as the recommended 80%), or choose an adaptive setting to prolong the battery’s lifespan, if available, which may be under a subsection called “Charging optimization,” “Battery health” or “Protect battery.”
How else can you extend the life of your phone?
Along with tweaking your battery charge limit, there are a few other things you can do to prevent your phone from overheating and to avoid other mishaps that can shorten the life of your phone.
- Watch for extreme temperatures. Keep your phone away from high heat and freezing conditions, such as leaving it in a vehicle, which can permanently damage the battery and internal components. Also avoid keeping your phone in high-humidity environments, if you can help it.
- Invest in a quality phone case. A good case will prevent your screen from cracking when (not if) you drop it. “I always recommend people put their smartphone in a good case and also use a screen protector,” suggests O’Rourke. “There are dozens of great case manufacturers out there that offer cases within the $20 to $25 range. Nothing protects your phone more than a solid case and a glass screen protector.”
- Keep your phone clean. Regularly clean dust, lint and debris from ports and speakers to prevent blockages, which can also add to overheating.
- Get a warranty. “Another option if you use an iPhone is to purchase Apple Care when you buy your phone (or within a window after purchasing it),” adds O’Rourke. “This gives you additional peace of mind, and depending on the damage, you can get your iPhone replaced for free.”
- Update your OS. Install operating system and app updates, as they often include performance improvements and battery optimizations. It also doesn’t hurt to uninstall apps and delete unnecessary files to free up storage space, which can improve performance and speed.
- Dim your screen. Turn down the brightness of your iPhone or Android phone to at least half to help preserve battery life.
- Shorten the screen timeout. Phones are designed to turn off their screen after detecting inactivity so they’re not using power to illuminate displays when you’re not looking at the phone. You can shorten this “idle” time so the screen goes to sleep sooner, which will help extend battery life.
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About the expert
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Why trust us
Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of articles on personal technology, arming readers with the knowledge to protect themselves against cybersecurity threats and internet scams as well as revealing the best tips, tricks and shortcuts for computers, cellphones, apps, texting, social media and more. For this piece on how to avoid shortening the life of your cell phone, Marc Saltzman tapped his 30-plus years of experience as a technology journalist, the author of several books and the host of the syndicated Tech It Out radio show and podcast to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We rely on credentialed experts with personal experience and know-how as well as primary sources including tech companies, professional organizations and academic institutions. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Patrick O’Rourke, technology analyst and editor-in-chief of Pocket-lint; interviewed, September 2025
- Pew Research Center: “Americans’ Use of Mobile Technology, Home Broadband”
- Gadget Hacks: “You’re Doing It Wrong: 3 Bad Habits That Are Ruining Your Phone’s Battery”
- Apple Support: “About Charge Limit and Optimized Battery Charging on iPhone”
- Apple Support: “If the battery in your iPhone or iPad drains too quickly”
- Samsung: “‘Protect battery’ feature in Samsung Galaxy phones”
- National Post: “7 easy ways to extend your smartphone battery”
- Daniel About Tech: “How to Create a Battery Charging Limit on Android – Protect your Battery!”
- New York Times Wirecutter: “6 Tips to Make Your Phone Last Longer”
- Techy Company: “Expert Tips for Prolonging the Life of Your Smartphone”
