Why you shouldn't drain your phone battery to zero: reasons that will scare you

During power outages, which have become more frequent in Ukraine due to the barbaric shelling by the Russian occupiers, it is sometimes necessary to discharge gadget batteries to zero. But how safe is it to do this with smartphones?

There is a widespread belief that a complete discharge negatively affects the state of the phone's battery and can eventually damage it. NV found out whether this is true.

Almost all modern smartphones have non-removable batteries, so replacing a damaged part is not as easy as we would like – you have to go to a service and pay a lot of money. Sometimes it is comparable to the cost of a new device. That's why experts advise taking care of the battery from the moment you buy the device. Here are five reasons why such care begins with preventing its complete discharge.

Technical limitations of lithium-ion batteries

The vast majority of batteries in modern smartphones are made using lithium-ion technology. They work best when the charge level ranges from 20% to 80%. Frequent full discharge overloads the battery and negatively affects its capacity and charge efficiency.

Battery performance

Optimal smartphone performance with adequate functioning of all its systems and applications can only be ensured with a sufficient level of charge. If your smartphone is discharged to less than 15%, it goes into power-saving mode and stops some processes, and this can lead to disruptions in its normal operation. And also to malfunctions in the settings. However, sometimes it happens that you can't charge your phone in time. In this case, do not violate the power saving mode and use the almost discharged gadget very carefully.

Data loss and corruption

A smartphone battery that is too low can lead to another unpleasant consequence – loss or damage to your data. For example, a file or document you were working on when the device was turned off will not be saved. Similarly, such an incident can lead to a malfunction of the program you were using.

Emergencies

Having a charged phone is also a safety factor during long outages. A completely discharged gadget will not do you any good if you find yourself in a dangerous situation or need help. Therefore, if you don't know when the power will be restored, try to save your charge as much as possible.

Unnecessary recharge cycles

Any battery is not designed to last forever – it has a certain number of charging cycles, after which it begins to degrade. Regular discharge to zero accelerates this process. Thus, you significantly bring the final wear of the battery closer

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