is it ok to leave an iPhone plugged in

[iCheese]

Is there any sort of problem with leaving an iPhone plugged into a charger or computer for a long amount of time?

[iCheese]

anyone?

Is it possible to overcharge the battery and cause any sort of damage if you leave an iPhone plugged in?

[JayLenochiniMac]

You'll get worse battery performance over time.

[zeeflyboy]

It should take care of itself.... any problem with overcharging etc would only be through faulty hardware.

I see no reason not to leave it plugged in for extended periods, as long as the battery is getting used on a regular basis to keep it healthy. it's a phone so it's pretty much taken for granted that it won't be plugged in permanently (like a laptop being used as a desktop replacement could be) and will thus have some electrons flowing every now and again to keep the battery happy.

Go for it imo...

[iCheese]

I am just wondering because I prefer to have a fully charged battery when I leave the house, just in case. If I am sitting at my laptop I would like to leave the phone plugged in sometimes, just to charge up the battery and do some syncing. I would rather not unplug it any more than necessary.

[lostprophet894]

You'll get worse battery performance over time.

This is not true.

Once the battery is fully charged, you'll notice the icon in the upper-right changes from the lightning bolt to a plug. That means the phone is running on power straight from the outlet. You can't "overcharge" the battery.

For a more in-depth explanation of all things iPhone battery, see this thread: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=525741&highlight=battery

[iCheese]

I have noticed that it changes to a plug when it is fully charged. I guess I already knew the answers to my own question, but I thought I would ask.

Thanks for the link, I am checking it out now.

[zeeflyboy]

Like I said, it shouldn't be a problem.

If it was plugged in for days on end, yes you would get worse battery life over time, but as long as the thing gets used off the charger and the battery gets a bit of "exercise" it'll be fine, i imagine you'd discharge a fair bit every day anyway.

from apple:

"Use iPhone Regularly
For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally. Be sure to go through at least one charge cycle per month (charging the battery to 100% and then completely running it down)."


full link http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html

[Rat-Boy]

Here is how I handle my batter7:

Once a month, I run the phone till it cuts off due to 0% battery.

Other than that, I use it all day, plug it up at night and leave it plugged up over night.

Haven't had a single issue or noticed any battery degradation.

Hope this helps.

[coolwater]

People say it shouldn't matter, but my own experiences tell me it really does shorten the battery life relatively quicker.

[TLewis]

from apple:

"Use iPhone Regularly
For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally. Be sure to go through at least one charge cycle per month (charging the battery to 100% and then completely running it down)."

full link http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html
It's important to note that this is likely done for battery circuitry recalibration issues, and not for the battery itself. Periodically, the battery meter circuitry needs to be recalibrated (so that it properly reads 100%, etc.). Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion

[Rat-Boy]

People say it shouldn't matter, but my own experiences tell me it really does shorten the battery life relatively quicker.
Interesting.

My year old 3G gets the same usage now it did a year ago.

[lostprophet894]

People say it shouldn't matter, but my own experiences tell me it really does shorten the battery life relatively quicker.

You really shouldn't say things like this around here unless you're willing to provide evidence.

People call it FUD.

[JayLenochiniMac]

Once the battery is fully charged, you'll notice the icon in the upper-right changes from the lightning bolt to a plug. That means the phone is running on power straight from the outlet. You can't "overcharge" the battery.


Not talking about overcharging the battery, but leaving it plugged in for days without discharging, leading to worse performance over time.

[zeeflyboy]

People say it shouldn't matter, but my own experiences tell me it really does shorten the battery life relatively quicker.


I imagine you had a duff battery....

I've never had a problem with any lipo battery by using it in such a manner.

[lilmitchmitch]

You really shouldn't say things like this around here unless you're willing to provide evidence.

People call it FUD.

Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt?

[frov]

When i asked about laptop batteries at the apple store they specifically said that leaving the laptop plugged in basically causes repeated charging cycles and WILL actually reduce the lifespan of the battery. Note that for laptop batteries they're often associated with a certain number of charge cycles--this is why my MBP battery is fairly worthless now.

So if the iphone battery is anything like a laptop's, I would think it could be an issue.

update: just read this from the apple site (http://www.apple.com/batteries/), so I suppose I'd go with this before a techie at the apple store

"A charge cycle means using all of the battery’s power, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a single charge. For instance, you could listen to your iPod for a few hours one day, using half its power, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two, so you may take several days to complete a cycle. Each time you complete a charge cycle, it diminishes battery capacity slightly, but you can put notebook, iPod, and iPhone batteries through many charge cycles before they will only hold 80% of original battery capacity. As with other rechargeable batteries, you may eventually need to replace your battery."

[TLewis]

Other things to note about lithium-ion batteries:


The battery starts to slowly degrade once it's made. You really can't do anything about that (and it's also a good reason for not buying a "spare" unused battery, for those devices with replaceable batteries).


Heat decreases the battery longevity. DO NOT LEAVE THE iPhone IN THE SUN. This may also be an issue with laptops, as the circuitry around the battery can get warm/hot. Low temperatures increase battery longevity (but note that you shouldn't charge the battery once it gets below freezing).

See here for more info:

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

[MadGoat]

My phone is always plugged in because I like a full charge. I've never noticed any impact to battery performance.

[hokiepokie07]

Here is how I handle my batter7:

Once a month, I run the phone till it cuts off due to 0% battery.

Other than that, I use it all day, plug it up at night and leave it plugged up over night.

Haven't had a single issue or noticed any battery degradation.

Hope this helps.

that's exactly what I do. Except I usually fully recharge mine once every other day. I usually don't need to recharge it every night, sometimes I do though.

but for the most part, I let it completely die once a month, then fully recharge it to 100%. The rest of the time I just recharge it as needed.

[Mystikal]

I charge my phone overnight, every night!

[thor79]

It doesn't sounds like he's talking more than a couple days at most. He occasionally takes it out of the house but when he's home he leaves it in the charger at as much as possible.

I do this myself since I work from home and only occasionally do errands. You should have no issues with battery life. What you're doing is fine.

They're talking about leaving it for truly extended periods...like I do with my Dell laptop. It is a 17" laptop with a lot of power that has effectively become a desktop. It's battery life (on a brand new battery) is pitiful...but then again it was made as a gaming laptop...not a battery king. Also it's a pain to lug around so I just leave it there as a desktop hooked up to my 24" HDTV for dual monitors. It sits there for months at a time. I try to remember to discharge the battery at least once a month to try to keep it in good condition and properly reporting the battery level.

[hokiepokie07]

It doesn't sounds like he's talking more than a couple days at most. He occasionally takes it out of the house but when he's home he leaves it in the charger at as much as possible.

I do this myself since I work from home and only occasionally do errands. You should have no issues with battery life. What you're doing is fine.

They're talking about leaving it for truly extended periods...like I do with my Dell laptop. It is a 17" laptop with a lot of power that has effectively become a desktop. It's battery life (on a brand new battery) is pitiful...but then again it was made as a gaming laptop...not a battery king. Also it's a pain to lug around so I just leave it there as a desktop hooked up to my 24" HDTV for dual monitors. It sits there for months at a time. I try to remember to discharge the battery at least once a month to try to keep it in good condition and properly reporting the battery level.

I leave mine in over night to charge it. So I know it is 100% before I unplug it in the morning. I seriously doubt, like you said, it does any damage to it, or if it does, it is minimal.

haha my laptop sounds just like yours. my MacBook Pro last about an hour or less off my charger. I've used the heck out of it though, and leave it plugged in a lot.

[lavinci]

On my 2G from iDay, I have never let it run down to 0% and it still functions fine. But, the phone was given to my friend recently, so who knows what her usage is.

[Stunod7]

I leave mine in over night to charge it. So I know it is 100% before I unplug it in the morning. I seriously doubt, like you said, it does any damage to it, or if it does, it is minimal.

haha my laptop sounds just like yours. my MacBook Pro last about an hour or less off my charger. I've used the heck out of it though, and leave it plugged in a lot.

I do the same thing and so do a few other friends with iPhones and they claim it's no issue but I only charge it when I need it outside of overnight charging.

[ajohnson253]

This is not true.

Once the battery is fully charged, you'll notice the icon in the upper-right changes from the lightning bolt to a plug. That means the phone is running on power straight from the outlet. You can't "overcharge" the battery.

For a more in-depth explanation of all things iPhone battery, see this thread: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=525741&highlight=battery

What I'd it shows the plugin sign and my percentage is at 98%? It has went down from 100% to 98% and I've left it plugged in.

[SongtotheKing]

i went into an at&t store this past fall and they told me u can hurt ur battery.

They said it depends on the charge. They said certain chargers do not have the proper chip build in to prevent multiple recharge cycles.

[ScottNWDW]

I got my iPhone 3G the day it was released and have never had a battery issue with it. I use it all day long and at the end of the night put it in the Apple charger base and it sits in the charger all night long. When I am at home it is also usually in the charger base if I am working on the computer. I also carry a charger plug with me in my backpack for the rare occasions where I may need to recharge. I have probably only needed to use the plug for that purpose a few times. Mostly I use the plug to sync the iPhone with the computer. At this point I've had the iPhone for over a year and a half and have not experienced any degradation of the battery at all.

With the new iPhone expected in June or July I don't think I'll see much degradation, if any, before then. Unless the batery completely fails all of a sudden I think I can live with it a few weeks or months until the new iPhone is launched.

[ngenerator]

i went into an at&t store this past fall and they told me u can hurt ur battery.

Yes! Because when I have hardware issues with phones, electronics, etc. I go to my at&t store with my questions and expect the best, most correct answer EVER!:rolleyes:

/sarcasm, don't take an at&t rep's advice, EVER

[SongtotheKing]

Yes! Because when I have hardware issues with phones, electronics, etc. I go to my at&t store with my questions and expect the best, most correct answer EVER!:rolleyes:

/sarcasm, don't take an at&t rep's advice, EVER

wait.... so when ur phone is malfunctioning u take it to the maker? Huh... I have a Palm Treo on sprint... im not sure where a palm store is.... I have always just taken it to the sprint store and had them work on it. They always seem to know what they are doing cause the problem always gets fixed... "seem" being the keyword.

sarcasm. Sorry. Had to do it.

[ngenerator]

Last time I checked, Sprint ≠ AT&T. I'm not sure if you've had any experience with AT&T's reps earlier than your little "visit", but they aren't the sharpest crayons in the box. If you had problems with your Palm, I'm not sure what would have been so difficult about calling them directly. I'm just the person who would rather not waste money driving to the store and would rather call the manufacturer directly.

[ramsecoline]

I have an iPhone 3GS and i have been looking for answers about this, i have some time with the iphone and i found out that is better not to let the battery percentage go below 40% before you charge it again, if you let the battery drain it will be bad for your battery lifespan since this is bad for lithium-ion batteries, i've heard that when The iPhone is plugged in the charger it does not use the battery at all but uses the AC power from the connection and it is charging the battery at the same time, i don't know if this is accurate.....

The one thing i know is that it doesn't matter if you keep the iphone plugged in the charger, it will recognize when the battery is full and will not overcharge or overheat, but it is recomended not to keep it connected more than 12 hours because it will still be charging from time to time 1% or so

[chinarut]

I have an original iPhone and macbook whose batteries are in pristine condition after 3.5 years (ie. they pretty much still act like new - esp my iPhone which I must say I'm quite impressed - best rechargeable battery I've ever owned!)

When i asked about laptop batteries at the apple store they specifically said that leaving the laptop plugged in basically causes repeated charging cycles and WILL actually reduce the lifespan of the battery.

I kept my macbook plugged in while "docked" at my desk traveling with it several times a week for the first year. Over the past 2 years, it pretty much stays home and stays plugged in.

when I go out into the field 3 or 4 days a month, the macbook is used sufficiently enough for it to drop to almost 0% which keeps it in better condition (ie. it is a good idea to completely discharge the battery at least once a month)

the only conclusion I've come to is because the light on the plug is almost always green, no cells are ever charged when it is at 100% thus not damaging any cells.

if the iphone battery is anything like a laptop's, I would think it could be an issue.

I thought the same thing to be true in the reverse. For the first 3 years, my iPhone had been discharged daily and charged nightly via USB. It is only in the last 2 days I decided to leave it plugged in 100% using a wall outlet (to use an app that requires I turn off auto-lock)

It gets noticeably warm which is my concern.

anyone know definitively if the original iPhone

has a circuit to stop supplying juice after it hits 100%?
changes [battery charging] behavior whether or not auto-lock is on?


for the record: the iPhone is in Airplane mode and WiFi and bluetooth are off