Technologies

Does Leaving Your Phone Plugged In Ruin the Battery? Apple, Samsung and Google Weigh In

Here’s the truth about whether keeping your phone plugged in really hurts the battery.

Nobody wants to let their phone run out of juice, but have you been afraid of overcharging your phone? Here’s the truth; modern smartphones are no longer in danger from being plugged in even when the battery reads at 100%. This means it’s perfectly safe to leave your Android or iPhone plugged in overnight without worrying about destroying the battery in the process.

But to be clear: Just because it is safe does not mean it is optimal. While you cannot technically «overcharge» a battery, keeping a lithium-ion cell pinned at 100% creates voltage stress, and the heat generated from sitting on a charger is the real, silent enemy of longevity.

It isn’t about immediate damage but rather how fast your battery ages over time. Understanding the difference between what will and won’t break your phone is key. Here is the truth about your charging habits.

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The science behind battery wear

Battery health is not just about how many times you charge your phone. It is also about how it manages voltage, temperature and maintenance. Lithium-ion batteries age fastest when they are exposed to extreme levels: 0% and 100%.

Keeping these batteries near full charge for long stretches of time puts additional voltage stress on the cathode and electrolyte. This is why many devices use «trickle charging» or temporarily pause at 100%, topping up only when needed.

Still, the biggest threat is not overcharging, but heat. When your phone is plugged in and running demanding apps, it produces heat that accelerates chemical wear inside the battery. If you are gaming, streaming or charging on a hot day, that extra warmth does far more harm than leaving the cable plugged in overnight.

What Apple does about phone charging

The Apple battery guide describes lithium-ion batteries as «consumable components» that naturally lose capacity over time. To slow that decline, iPhones use Optimized Battery Charging, which learns your daily routine and pauses charging at about 80% until just before you typically unplug, reducing time spent at high voltage.

Apple also advises keeping devices between 0 to 35 degrees Celsius (32 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit) and removing certain cases while charging to improve heat dissipation. You can read more on the official Apple battery support page.

What Samsung (and other Android makers) do

Samsung offers a similar feature called Battery Protect, found in the One UI battery and device care settings. When enabled, it caps charging at 85%, which helps reduce stress during long charging sessions.

Other Android makers like Google, OnePlus and Xiaomi include comparable options — often called Adaptive Charging, Optimized Charging or Battery Care — that dynamically slow power delivery or limit charge based on your habits. These systems make it safe to leave your phone plugged in for extended periods without fear of overcharging.

When constant charging can hurt

Even with these safeguards, some conditions can accelerate battery wear. As mentioned before, the most common culprit is high temperatures. Even for a short period of time, leaving your phone charging in direct sunlight, in a car or under a pillow can push temperatures into unsafe zones.

Heavy use, such as gaming or 4K video editing, while charging can also cause temperature spikes which can degrade the battery faster. And cheap, uncertified cables or adapters may deliver unstable current that stresses cells. If your battery is already several years old, it will naturally be more sensitive to this kind of strain.

A smarter way to charge a phone

There is no need to overhaul your habits, but a few tweaks can help your battery age gracefully. Start by turning on the optimization tools on your phone: Optimized Battery Charging on iPhones, Battery Protect on Samsung devices and Adaptive Charging on Google Pixels. These systems learn your routine and adjust charging speed so your phone is not sitting at 100% all night.

Keep your phone cool while charging. According to Apple, phone batteries perform best between 62 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 22 degrees Celsius). If your phone feels hot, remove its case or move it to a better ventilated or shaded spot. Avoid tossing your phone under a pillow or too close to other electronics, like your laptop. Skip wireless chargers that trap heat overnight. Use quality chargers and cables from your phone manufacturer or trusted brands. Those cheap «fast-charge» kits you find online often deliver inconsistent current, which can cause long-term issues.

Finally, try not to obsess over topping off the charge. It is perfectly fine to plug in your phone during the day for short bursts. Lithium-ion batteries actually prefer frequent, shallow charges rather than deep full cycles. There is no need to keep it between 20% and 80% all the time, but just avoid extremes when possible.

The bottom line

Keeping your phone plugged in overnight or on your desk all day will not destroy its battery. That is a leftover myth from a different era of tech. Modern phones are smart enough to protect themselves, and features such as Optimized Battery Charging or Battery Protect do most of the heavy lifting for you.

Still, no battery lasts forever. The best way to slow the inevitable is to manage heat, use quality chargers and let the software on your phone do its job. Think of it less as «babying» your battery and more as charging with intention. A few mindful habits today can keep your phone running strong for years to come.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for March 25 #752

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for March 25, No. 752.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a fun one, but it might make you hungry. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Intermission mission.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Movie candy.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

ROBE, BORE, WEEDS, WEED, RENT, RIND, CORN, SCAN, SPAN, SPANS, SAND, CANE, CANT, CROSS, COIN

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

BEER, SODA, CANDY, FRIES, WATER, POPCORN, PRETZEL

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is CONCESSIONS. To find it, start with the C that’s three letters to the right on the top row, and wind down.

Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest.

#1: Dated slang. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook. Again, it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 25, #548

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 25 No. 548.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition features a fun yellow category that’s really more games-centered than sports-focused. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Rec room staples.

Green group hint: Footwear.

Blue group hint: Same team.

Purple group hint: Hoops league.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Games played on a table.

Green group: Nike shoes.

Blue group: Giants greats.

Purple group: NBA ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is games played on a table. The four answers are air hockey, foosball, pool and snooker.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Nike shoes. The four answers are Air Force 1, Blazer, Pegasus and Shox.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Giants greats. The four answers are Bonds, Mays, Ott and Posey.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is NBA ____. The four answers are All-Star Game, Cup, Draft and Finals.

Toughest Connections: Sports Edition categories

The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle can be tough, but it really depends on which sports you know the most about. My husband aces anything having to do with Formula 1, my best friend is a hockey buff, and I can answer any question about Minnesota teams.

That said, it’s hard to pick the toughest Connections categories, but here are some I found exceptionally mind-blowing.

#1: Serie A Clubs. Answers: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma.

#2: WNBA MVPs. Answers: Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles and Stewart.

#3: Premier League team nicknames. Answers: Bees, Cherries, Foxes and Hammers.

#4: Homophones of NBA player names. Answers: Barns, Connect, Heart and Hero.

Technologies

Go iPhone-Free This Spring Sale With $400 Off a Cellular Apple Watch

This might not be the latest model, but it’s still a great smartwatch at a fantastic price during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale.

Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is now officially underway, and that means that the deals are coming thick and fast. One of those deals gets you a 41mm stainless steel cellular Apple Watch Series 9 for just $299, a massive $400 off the usual asking price. You’ll need to act fast, though, because this deal will only be available for a few more hours.

This lightning deal is selling fast, so we definitely recommend ordering your new Apple Watch sooner rather than later, otherwise you really do risk missing out.

In her Apple Watch Series 9 review, Lisa Eadicicco lauded the wearable’s improved performance when using Siri as well as its «wide variety of health and fitness features.» And with the added cellular support thrown in, you can continue to use your Apple Watch even when your iPhone isn’t nearby. That alone is worth the price of admission here.

As for the rest of the package, this model comes in the 41mm case size, so it won’t take over your wrist. Prefer the larger 45mm model? No problem, that’s also available at a discount — you’ll pay just $349, but again, time is running out.

Read more: Should You Upgrade to Apple Watch Series 11? Here Are the Key Features You Get

This model also features the popular always-on display feature, so you can always see the time even when your wrist isn’t raised. That might sound like table stakes, but it’s a feature that the Apple Watch didn’t have for far too long.

SMARTWATCH DEALS OF THE WEEK

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm, M/L Black Sport Band):

$359 (save $70)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band):

$250 (save $100)
Google Pixel Watch 4 (41mm, Wi-Fi, Matte Black):

$300 (save $50)
Garmin Venu Sq 2 GPS Smartwatch (Shadow Gray):

$150 (save $100)
Fitbit Versa 4 Fitness Smartwatch (Black):

$120 (save $80)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

A great smartwatch can be a huge deal in your quest for better fitness. Whether you’re getting fit or staying that way, the Apple Watch is hard to beat, but prices can be steep for the latest models. Getting this previous-gen model gets you in the door for cheap, while still nabbing a premium stainless steel finish and cellular connectivity that you’d usually pay a lot more for.