‘The reason for this gets down to the chemicals’: Expert warns you may want to think twice before charging your phone to 100%

If you've ever dealt with a perpetually draining phone battery after just a couple of years of ownership, you're not alone. Forums like Quora and Reddit are filled with perplexed smartphone users who say their devices won't hold a charge. But one expert says there's a hack that may improve the longevity of your battery.

In a TikTok with over 724,000 views, Battery Scientist and Engineering Consultant Jill Pestana (@jillpestana) explains why you might not want to change your phone fully.

"First, I want to say that you can charge your device to 100% capacity, and it's going to work fine," she says. "But if you really want to extend your battery life, 'swinging it' is the way to go."

@jillpestana Replying to @TG626 , optimizing your battery life ⚡️???? #batterylife #battery #batteries #chemistry #redoxreaction #electrochemistry #evbattery #electricvehicle #tesla #materialsscience #science ♬ original sound - jillpestana

What is 'swinging it?'

Pestana explains that "swinging it" is intentionally avoiding charging your battery to its total capacity or letting it fully discharge. For example, you might plug in your charger at 13% and remove your device around 80%.

"The reason for this gets down to the chemicals," Pestana says.

Smartphone and electric vehicle batteries have positive electrodes called "cathode materials," which start to degrade when fully charged.

"When you're fully charged, you have the minimum amount of lithium in the cathode," she says. "When you take out a lot of the lithium in the cathode, the cathode structure can collapse."

So, what's the big deal? As the cathode structure collapses, the battery can't hold as much lithium as it did when it was brand new. In other words, it won't hold a charge.

Do batteries fully charge?

Even if you leave your phone on the charger all night, you may still be safe. Commenters point out that many battery software programs may block a battery from becoming fully charged, which protects against "poor charging habits."

"I think, in most, if not all, EVs, the software won't let the battery fully charge or discharge. When the user charges 100%, the battery is actually only charged 80-90%," one wrote.

"The phone manufacturers already hide the top end and bottom end of the battery from you. So we are all already not charging 100% or discharging 100%," another said.

"I think this discussion needs to include that what the software says is 100% vs actual state of charge," a third added.

Pestana responded, "The % is an arbitrary number, really."

The Daily Dot contacted Pestana via website contact form and Instagram direct message.

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