You Charge Your Phone To 100%? Bad News
I never understood why my battery health dropped to 81% in a year while my friend’s stayed at 87% after three years.
But I went down the rabbit hole and found that longevity isn’t just about humans.
It’s also about keeping your favourite tech alive.
Whether it’s an iPhone in your pocket or an EV in your garage, battery care matters.
So what’s wrong with charging to 100%?
Modern lithium-ion batteries degrade way faster when not charged properly.
Why?
Let’s talk easy science.
(I promise, my little brother gets it now.)
Think of an empty parking lot.
Cars come and start filling it up.
At first, it’s easy.
When the lot is half full, finding a space is still okay.
After 80%, it gets harder. And keeps getting harder.
For the last car?
It has to circle around, searching for the one empty spot among hundreds.
It’s long. It’s stressful.
This process stresses drivers.
The more you stress them, the faster they die.
It’s the same with your batteries.
Lithium ions move between electrodes like cars filling spots.
At low or mid charge, they flow easily.
But near empty or full, ions struggle. A lot.
At 100%, ions are crammed. While at 0%, the system strains to pull them back.
Both put pressure on the battery, causing:
- Resistance
- Wear
- Heat
The solution?
Keep your battery between 20-80%.
It reduces stress, avoids peak strain, and extends its life.
A little effort can add years to your battery life. Worth it.
Bonus 1:
Once in a while do a few charges from 0-100% to reset how your device reads battery performance.
Meaning if you only keep it 20-80%, the software will think it’s the new 0-100%, which means smaller capacity — although it’s an illusion.
Bonus 2:
If you don’t want to think about it, turn on smart charging.
The software learns your usage patterns and charges to 100% just before you unplug.
Not as effective as staying within 20-80%, though.
If you learn one thing:
Recharge your tech like you recharge yourself.
Running at 100% all the time leads to burnout.
Sprint. Rest. Repeat.
Got insights or burning questions? Drop them below—I’d love to hear your take!
