We have our cell phones with us at all times. We often have a laptop or tablet with us too. We rely on these devices to stay connected and get work done. When they don’t work, it can be devastating.

The most common reason our devices refuse to work is that the battery dies. Have you ever been out somewhere and realized your phone battery was about to die and you forgot to bring the charger but even if you did there isn’t anywhere nearby to charge it? We’ve been there too, and we try to avoid this situation at all cost.

Thankfully, there are several ways to prevent the batteries in your devices from dying at inconvenient times. One way is to close apps that drain the battery and use a low energy setting. Another way is to bring a portable charger with you so that you can charge your device without having to find an outlet.

While we recommend both of the above mentioned solutions, there is a way to make your battery last longer that has to do with the way your charge it.

When you first got your phone, perhaps the battery lasted all day, but as time goes on, the battery tends to die faster. This is because the battery in your device wasn’t designed to last forever. According to Liz Hamilton, Director, People and Customers at Mobile Klinik, “The life of a lithium-ion battery is generally 500 cycles (about a year and a half). A battery cycle is measured by one full charge of 0 to 100. So, the more full cycles your phone goes through, the sooner you have to change it.” 

That doesn’t mean that you have to buy a new phone or a new battery every year and a half. You can make your devices last longer by charging them differently. The trick is to try not to let the battery get to 0% and to try not to let it get to 100%. That might sound counterintuitive, but it works.

According to Hamilton, you want to try to keep your battery between 25% and 85%. When you charge your devices, unplug them when they reach about 85% and plug them in again when they reach about 25%.

Hamilton explained, “Lithium-ion batteries can be stressed at the extremes. One of the biggest contenders for destroying your phone’s battery health is letting the phone charge past 100 percent.”

We are completely guilty of letting our phone charge all night while we’re sleeping which is definitely charging it past 100%. That’s not necessarily going to hurt the phone, but it’s not going to prolong the life of the battery as much as possible either.

Do you usually let your devices charge past 100%? Are you going to try unplugging your devices when they reach about 85%? Have you noticed the battery life of your devices getting shorter and shorter over time?