Help Should my phone be on or off to charge

[flyinjoe13]

Just wondering which is better for charging overnight, phone on or phone off?

 

[euph_22]

Just wondering which is better for charging overnight, phone on or phone off?

Off. It's better both for the lifespan of the battery, and for the capacity.

 

[flyinjoe13]

Thanks for the info. I'm coming from an LG Ally and it could not be turned off while charging (automatically turned itself on) so I thought maybe there was a reason they designed it that way and it was better to charge with the phone on.

 

[defkorn]

Pretty sure the phone will turn itself on once connected to a power source. Maybe the Incredible is different. . .
And it wouldn't matter anyways. If its charging, its charging.

 

[euph_22]

Pretty sure the phone will turn itself on once connected to a power source. Maybe the Incredible is different. . .

It is.

And it wouldn't matter anyways. If its charging, its charging.

And no. When it's off, there isn't a drain on the battery. That charge makes the battery hotter, which is bad for Li-ion batteries. Also, that drain prevents the phone from fully charging. The cells are constantly draining and being recharged, which reduces the life of the battery (unless you're CONSTANTLY plugged in, not something I'd lose sleep over, but it's worth mentioning).

When it's off, it charges faster, then stops (ok, there is some self discharge, but that's a very small effect in comparison).

The upshot, off charging is better. Not something I'd sacrifice any real functionality for, but since the OP asked, I'm mentioning it.

 

[wayrad]

Just wondering which is better for charging overnight, phone on or phone off?

Actually, most people bump charge - see this thread for an explanation: http://androidforums.com/htc-incredible/232682-bump-charge-fully-explained-we-may-have-deal.html

 

[Podivin]

Yep, the phone should be either on or off when charging.
I agree that an 'off' phone will charge faster, and that a phone that is ACTIVELY being used and charged at the same time may cause the battery to overheat. But if you're charging your phone overnight while both it and you are asleep then the potential for noticeably shortening the life of the battery is negligible. I've been using the same battery in my phone for 14 months now, always charge it while it's asleep overnight - if there has been harm caused to the battery it's so small that I'm not able to notice it.