Charging to 80% can help extend your battery's lifespan, but you'll start each day with 20% less charge.
The feature works best if 80% easily lasts all day. Heavy users, travelers, and gamers are usually better off charging to 100%.
No matter how you charge, avoid excessive heat and use your phone's built-in battery protection features to help preserve long-term battery health.
A recent MakeUseOf experiment put one of the internet's most common smartphone tips to the test: charging a phone to only 80% for an entire year.
The results showed that while the practice can help preserve long-term battery health, it also comes with a daily trade-off that isn't worth it for everyone.
The trade-off is real
Limiting your phone to an 80% charge reduces stress on lithium-ion batteries, which tend to age faster when they spend long periods at 100% charge or are exposed to excessive heat.
That's one reason Apple, Google, Samsung, and other manufacturers now offer built-in battery protection features that slow or limit charging. The downside, of course, is that you start every day with 20% less battery available.
Who should use the 80% limit?
You'll likely benefit if you:
Keep your phone for four years or longer
Usually finish the day with plenty of battery left
Work near a charger most of the day
Want to maximize your phone's resale value
If your phone already lasts all day on an 80% charge, the feature is an easy way to reduce long-term battery wear.
Who should skip it?
Charging to 100% still makes sense if you:
Regularly end the day below 20%
Travel often
Use battery-intensive apps like GPS, gaming, or video recording
Spend long hours away from a charger
Having enough battery to get through your day is generally more valuable than squeezing a little extra life out of the battery years from now.
Five smart battery habits
Use your phone's built-in battery protection. If available, turn on Optimized Charging or an 80% charging limit instead of trying to manage charging manually.
Keep your phone cool. Heat is one of the biggest causes of battery degradation. Avoid leaving your phone in a hot car or charging it under blankets or pillows.
Charge to 100% when you need it. Heading on a trip or expecting a long day? Don't hesitate to fully charge your phone.
Don't stress over exact percentages. Modern smartphones already include software designed to help protect battery health.
Replace the battery when necessary. Even with perfect charging habits, all rechargeable batteries wear out eventually. Replacing the battery is often more practical than sacrificing battery life every day.
The bottom line
MakeUseOf's year-long test tells us that battery-saving features tend to work best if your phone already has more battery life than you typically need. If 80% comfortably gets you through the day, the feature can help extend your battery's lifespan. If not, charging to 100% is still the smart choice.