How Long Does It Take for a Phone to Charge (Ultimate Guide) (2024)

The first thing you notice when you wake up in the morning is your smartphone. You reach for it, check your email and messages, and plan for the day ahead. This can be a very routine practice for many people who use their phones daily.

However, how often do you pause and ask yourselves how long does it take for your phone to charge when dead? In this article, we will explore everything behind charging your phone, as well as provide some tips to make sure that you get the most out of your battery life. Keep reading!

Should You Charge Your Phone to a True Full Battery?

If you really aim to get the most out of your smartphone's battery, you must charge it properly. Did you know? Most smartphones nowadays use a lithium-ion battery that lives longer when charged regularly. Unlike the nickel batteries used in older phones, lithium-ion batteries do best when kept above 50%.

But, at what percent should you charge your phone exactly? Most experts recommend the 20% and 80% rule, which means charging your phone no more than 80% and not letting your phone die below 20%.

In fact, the battery's overall capacity will significantly decrease and its lifespan will be shortened when repeatedly allowing the battery to drain fully. This means that you'll have to charge it more frequently, and it may last only a few hours before needing a charge.

On the other hand, shortening the battery's life is what happens if you keep your phone charging after 100 percent, especially if you do it repeatedly. So, to sum it up, you should neither let your phone battery be too empty, nor let it be too full.

How Long Does It Take to Charge a Phone?

1. How long does it take to charge an iPhone?

For iPhones, how long until my phone is fully charged? The Apple iPhone charging speed relies primarily on the battery capacity, battery health standing, and charging adapter.

The quickest method for how long does it take to charge a phone is through the use of a 20-watt fast power adapter with a USB-C to Lightning phone charging cables. As long as you own an iPhone 8 or later, you can fast-charge your phone from dead back up to around 50% battery in just 30 minutes. Also, just 10 mins of fast charging can increase your battery by double numbers, so always choose a fast charger if you're running out of time.

2. How long does it take to charge an Android smartphone?

For Android like Samsung, the total time it takes for your phone to charge fully depends on the type of charger you're using. If you have a fast USB-C charger, it'll charge your phone faster than if you have a standard Micro USB charger. But in general, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours to fully charge your Android smartphone, depending on the battery capacity of your device. The larger the capacity, the longer it takes to charge.

Moreover, it depends on how much battery life is left in your device when you begin charging it—the less charge it has when you start, the longer it will take to reach full capacity.

Now, how long does a phone battery last when fully charged? Generally, new Android phones must last 5-8 hrs on a single full charge. But usually, this depends upon different factors, such as use frequency and the variety of battery-draining apps.

How Long Does Wireless Charging Take?

Wireless charging is a kind of technology that enables you to charge your phone without plugging it in. It works by harnessing the power of electromagnetic induction. Your phone has an electromagnetic coil built into it that can pick up energy from another source—like a wireless charging pad—and convert it into electricity for powering your phone.

Now, how long does wireless charging take? The speed at which a device charges with a wireless phone charger depends on its receiver and transmitter coils, as well as the technology used. For example, if you have a flagship phone from iOS (iPhone 14 Pro Max) or Android (Samsung S23 Ultra), it will take about 2 hours and a half to charge each from 0% to 100% fully.

Why Does Your Phone Take So Long to Charge?

It's a common problem: your phone seems to take forever to charge. You plug it in, and the battery level barely moves. Why?

Here are a few reasons why this happens:

1. Old Battery – The first is that the battery itself might be old and no longer hold a charge well. This can happen if you have had your phone for a few years already.
2. Improper Charger – Another reason is that you may not be using your device's proper charger. If you're charging from a computer or other device that isn't built for charging phones, it might take longer for your phone to charge than it should—which can make it seem like the battery is dying when it's actually just taking longer than usual to charge.
3. Overheating Issue – Some users have reported seeing error messages on their phones that indicate their device has stopped charging because of overheating issues. This can happen when you leave your smartphone plugged in overnight or when there are problems with the lithium-ion batteries inside many modern devices.

Ways to Conserve the Battery of a Phone

Here are the top 10 ways to conserve the battery of your phone:

1. Reduce push notifications.
2. Delete apps you're not using.
3. Use an auto-brightness setting.
4. Use airplane mode when necessary.
5. Avoid charging your phone overnight.
6. Update your phone operating system.
7. Keep your phone away from heat sources.
8. Turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS when not in use.
9. Don't leave apps open in the background if you don't need them.
10. Use your app’s dark mode when possible.

Conclusion

Indeed, there are lots of factors/considerations that go into how long it takes for your phone to charge. We hope you found this information helpful. And now that you already know how long it takes for your phone to charge from 0% - 100%, you should be able to make better decisions about when it's best to plug in or not.

FAQ

Here are some commonly asked questions on how long does it take for a phone to charge.

Is it that bad to charge your phone multiple times a day?

Yes. You shouldn't charge your phone too often because it stresses the lithium-ion battery inside your device. Lithium-ion batteries can only be charged/discharged between 300 and 500 cycles before they start to degrade. So, if you're not charging your phone more than once or twice a day, you should be fine!

Does using your phone while charging really damage the battery?

So, does using your phone while charging damage the battery? The short answer is no. It's not harmful to use your phone while it's charging. This misconception sparks the fear of why should we not use phone while charging, which concerns batteries overheating back then. Still, we should be careful as some lithium-ion batteries can be unsafe if they have any kind of defect from the manufacturer, which is unusual in most cases.