Never switch off your smartphone? Why leaving it on is a terrible idea
We might all want our smartphones to be ready and waiting 24 hours a day 7 days a week, keeping us connected but leaving these complex gadgets switched on all the time can be a bad idea.
Most experts recommend shutting down your phone at least once a week but is this really a serious issue, and can it make any noticeable difference to the performance and longevity of your mobile device?
Here's all you need to know about giving your smartphone a much-deserved rest and whether it's a good idea to tap that power button every once and a while.
Don't make your phone the first thing you reach for in the morning (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Healthier for your battery
Sadly the batteries in our phones don't last forever. The process of charging the battery and running it down is called a cycle and every phone has a limited number of them before the battery degrades and it can hold less power than before. This is typically anywhere between 400 and 1600 cycles.
When you leave it on and even when charging a small amount of power is used to maintain a network connection which chips away at the battery life. However, you can slow this degradation by turning your phone off when charging the device.
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Better yet, switching your phone off when it's plugged in helps your phone charge faster as it doesn't need to maintain any connections or operation of the phone. This efficient way of refilling could also save you some money on killer electricity bills, especially if you have multiple devices.
Healthier for you
Most experts agree that being online all the time isn't great for your mental health as well as causing issues with sleep, maintaining concentration and eye strain.
Having the occasional break from notifications, messages and other distractions can help you relax and be more present, especially in real-life social situations. Turning it off once in while will help you avoid becoming addicted to social media which has been linked to feelings of Inadequacy, depression and isolation.
This is especially important at night time when your brain will be trying to wind down from the day's stress. Nighttime exposure to the kind of light most electronics emit can seriously disrupt your body's sleep clock or circadian rhythm making it difficult to get restful sleep.
Using your phone at night can prevent you from getting some decent sleep (Getty Images)Speeds up the device and removes errors
Every computer benefits from a restart which helps it clear temporary files and cached data that may be running in the background.
Every time you switch off your phone its RAM is cleared, this functions just like a PC. After being on for a long time your RAM becomes filled with unnecessary data, causing the system to become slower and apps to become sluggish and in some cases less stable.
While many devices have gotten better and more efficient and managing and clearing this memory there is usually some data left behind.
Turning off your device will free this up again making it ready to take on the next big task without being limited by already clogged-up memory it can also prevent crashes for the system running out of memory or from causing errors.
While restarting your phone doesn't fix all issues can clear away all manner of connection and system problems that's why people always ask if you've "tried switching it off then on again"
It's more environmentally friendly
By Switching your device off at night you can ensure it lasts longer meaning you won't need to spend money to replace it, you'll be using less power to keep it running and there will be fewer phones produced.
One of the most common drains of your energy bills and why phones battery and lose many cycles is keeping the phone charging while you are asleep where it'll keep topping up a charge between 99 to 100% you can avoid this simply by charging the phone to 100% and turning it off while unplugging it so in the morning like you, it'll be fresh and ready for the day ahead.
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Constant use could wear your phone out before it's time (Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)One Reason you shouldn't turn it off
Modern phones now use AI algorithms to determine what apps you open the most and try to optimise the RAM and background processes to have those apps ready to go. Turning off your phone will affect your phone's ability to remember and store that information.
Safety
There are also times you should absolutely turn it off in order to remain safe. Not just when around sensitive equipment like in a hospital or on a plane.
If your phone is getting warmer than usual or feels hotter than usual, it's often safer to unplug the device if it's charging and switch it off immediately which will allow the device to cool down faster and prevent any possible damage to internal components.
This can happen if it is damaged, left in direct sunlight or if it's been left running demanding tasks while plugged in if you suspect there is an overheating issue it's best to turn the device off and take it to your nearest official repair centre.
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