The way you’re charging your tablet is slowly killing it – 3 ways to avoid it (and the right way)

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ZDNET Highlights

• Unplug at 100%, and keep the battery between 20% and 80%.
• Avoid drainage up to 0%; Store unused tablets at 50%.
• Use a certified charger to avoid strain and overheating.

As someone who uses a tablet daily, I’m constantly looking for ways to make its battery last longer. However, some habits you don’t think twice about can actually harm your battery over time. There are many ways to extend the battery life of your tablet, and there are some things you should avoid that may have the opposite effect.

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Most tablets last for six to eight hours of use on a single charge, although battery life decreases with time and continued use. Although there are many things you can do to save battery life, here are some things you should avoid to ensure the longevity of your battery.

1. Leave your tablet plugged in overnight

This isn’t always a problem with newer tablets, but most tablets on the market will suffer from being left plugged in overnight. Tablets typically charge to 100% and stop using power. However, leaving your tablet plugged in may require it to constantly charge the battery to keep it full, which can put a strain on the battery over time and reduce its lifespan.

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Instead, unplug your tablet when its battery reaches 100%. As a general rule, it’s best to keep your battery charged between 20% and 80%.

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Like all the common charging mistakes we make with our tablets, leaving it plugged in overnight once or twice won’t permanently damage it. Battery damage occurs when these bad practices become habits and are followed frequently.

2. Letting the battery drain to 0% (and forgetting about it)

I’m guilty of draining my tablet’s battery to 0% only to put it aside and forget to charge it for a few days. Repeatedly draining your battery at 0% causes it to age much faster, putting the battery at risk of dying and requiring replacement or repair to revive it.

Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way after leaving my discharged Nintendo Switch Lite in a drawer for a few months, only to learn that its battery was irreparably damaged.

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Lithium-ion batteries are not meant to stay empty, so most tablets never actually reach 0% when turned off. Instead, they turn off after charging slightly to protect the battery, which is why the low battery screen appears when you try to turn them on. If you leave your tablet with an empty battery for several days, weeks or months, the battery will slowly discharge until the voltage drops too low, damaging the battery’s internal chemistry.

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Doing this repeatedly can cause the battery to become less able to hold a charge or, worse, unable to recharge completely.

To prevent this and extend the life of your battery, avoid letting the battery drop below 20%. If you won’t be using your tablet for a while, charge it to 50% capacity and turn it off before storing.

3. Using the wrong charger

Your local dollar store may be a good place to get party and craft supplies, but not electronics. As tempting as the idea of ​​buying a $1 charger may seem, it’s probably best to avoid it. Using a cheap, non-certified, or incorrect charger for your tablet may result in inconsistent power, overcharging, or inefficient charging. All this increases the stress on your battery and reduces its lifespan.

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Using the wrong charger on your battery can do more than just increase its charging time. If the charger’s wattage doesn’t properly match the battery, it may overheat your device as it struggles to supply enough power, or even overload the tablet’s circuitry if it can’t control the power draw. Cheap chargers can also cause voltage fluctuations, which puts a strain on the battery and degrades its chemistry.

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Many certified chargers, such as Apple-certified or USB-PD ones, have built-in security measures that off-brand and cheaper chargers skip. These measures prevent surges and overheating that could damage the battery and charging port.

When charging your tablet, it’s best to look for a charger that is either certified or properly matched to your device, from cable to brick.