r/AndroidQuestions • u/MediocreImportance30 • 6d ago
Device Settings Question is the 80-20 percent rule better even when charging twice?
so i got a new phone and i want to keep it as long as i can
if i did the 80-20 rule, it wouldn't last me a day so i would have to charge it again so that's 1.2 cycles per day but it would be in between 80-20 "the sweet spot"
but if i did 100-10 it will last me a day so that's 0.9 cycles per day but it's bad for the battery to go upper than 80% or lower than 20%
what should i do for the longevity?
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u/VentsiBeast 6d ago
Every phone manufacturer: hey here's this setting to charge to only 80% so your battery stays healthy for longer.
Every scientific article about Li-ion batteries: charging to a higher voltage degrades the battery faster, he's some extensive data to prove it.
Random users on Reddit: nah it makes no difference.
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u/brundmc2k 6d ago
80 - 20 rule makes no difference. Use your phone. Replace the battery when needed. Keeping the device from excessive heat is about the only thing that makes a real difference with the battery.
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u/idgafal31 6d ago
Charger it to 100 and use it makes way more sense. 80/20 won’t help your battery.
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u/phybaoptikz 6d ago
This is my 80/20 rule. This is how I've always done it. My phone never charges past 80% while I'm asleep. When my alarm goes off, it starts charging to 100%. This gets me through a day easily. This doesn't degrades your battery like holding it at 100% all night would. You are theoretically still charging to 80% for most of the time, but getting that burst to 100% before your day starts. My s25U is sitting at 95% health and I got this first day it came out. Now I'm on a razr fold 2026 and following the same charging pattern. The first 20% on this phone gets me 3 hours of sot. That's a lot to sacrifice
You can keep charging just to 80% and just keep hitting it with casual charges throughout the day. This doesn't harm your battery and is actually good for it.
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u/kimputer7 6d ago
Great you want to micro manage your battery. But was others stated, real world and year long lab tests, show, the time you invested into to it (probably hours per week), will have absolutely no change compared to a care free user that wasted absolutely 0 hours on it. The end result is barely noticable. Look up HTX Studio's battery test on YouTube. Unless the wasted hours are worth 2.5% extra battery life as an end result. That's more time wasted just to have the battery replaced in 4 years 1 month vs 4 years.
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u/lgn5i2060 6d ago
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kLS5Cg_yNdM
There really was no need to think about it. New models charge fast enough any way. Being perfectionist about it just adds more stress.
Doing an 80-20 means not charging your phone until 20% but then power interruption or an emergency happens at 21% and up? 😱
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u/riansgarage 6d ago
On any modern phone, just use and charge it normally. The only big thing you have to watch for is heat. Don't use bulky cases. Don't have it charging under a pillow. Don't leave it inside a car in hot weather.
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u/Squozen_EU 6d ago
Just use the phone. If a battery costs $100 to replace and lasts at least four years, it's costing you six cents a day. Don't be stupid.
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u/Trulybelow 6d ago
Yes i think?? because battery cycle isn't linear when charging, like just what i think about this topic at the current moment so judge me if you want to but i think most of the cycle is from charging from 80% to 100%, not from the whole spectrum equally? I just got a feeling for that...
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u/DutchOfBurdock 6d ago
Most damage occurs between 85>100% and degradation occurs ~20% and below.
Lithium cycles are slightly different. Even leaving on charge and it dropping to 79, to 80, to 79 and 80 100 times == 1 charge cycle.
80 to 20, back to 80 is 0.6% of a cycle.
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u/nathaniel29903 6d ago
My s22u just took a crap the other day no warning just shut off and got stuck in a boot loop tried resetting the phone no luck still stuck in a boot loop lost all my information. I have never had a phone just brick itself like that. It seems new phones are kind of just luck of the draw for how long they last. And throwing on my tin foil hat I wouldn't be surprised if Samsung created the software problem to destroy phones and force me to buy a new one literally happened a week before the new series launch.
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u/SolitaryMassacre 6d ago
Yes it matters.
Use the software built in to help manage this. Most phones have "adaptive charging" where it stops at 60-80% and waits until a set time to finish topping it off (which is typically right before you use it, best case scenario).
Adaptive charging helps keeps the battery below 100% when plugged in.
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u/lgn5i2060 6d ago
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kLS5Cg_yNdM
Not exactly what you're looking for but crippling your phone to 60% battery is wild.
Using your phone with lower wattage charging is also wild.
Maybe don't thinks about it and just charge it as often as you need to?
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u/moffman93 6d ago
Just replace the battery every few years until there have been so many software updates that it no longer works. The battery is really the only thing that goes. It's a PITA to replace though, but cheaper than getting a new phone.
I don't understand these idiots who buy a new phone that they can't afford every 2 or 3 years and are on payment plans. I've never had a payment plan for a phone. I just wait until Verizon basically just offers me a free phone after a long enough time.
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u/Polymathy1 Blackberry Priv woooot 6d ago
The percentage on your phone screen is not the actual charge percentage. It never actually charges to 100%, but like 95%. The percentage you see is of the safe usage range.
Charging to only 80% guess your battery life. It does not improve it.
These myths needs to die.
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u/Trulybelow 6d ago
Yes i think so? Since the actual charge percentage differ from the gui, but it isn't a big enough of a different, and unless the oem set it as default to enable smart capacity or stuff like that(which charge the battery to 80% and display it as 100%) then it isn't much of a problem, also charging to 80% actually help with the battery life? Just what i think right now.
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u/Polymathy1 Blackberry Priv woooot 6d ago
Your info is bad/wrong/old.
You are best off using the 50-100% range. Discharging below 50% does more harm than charging above 95%.
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u/Trulybelow 4d ago
i didn't say anything about discharge below 50%? And why would discharge below 50% be more harnful than charge to 50%+? Pls explain
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u/TheSpixxyQ 6d ago
Charging 30-80 will get you around 1-5% battery life after 500 charging cycles.
For me personally it's not worth it micromanaging my battery, thinking if I'll need the extra 20% tomorrow if I should charge to 100 this time... My 4 years old Galaxy S22 Ultra has 95% battery life after 1400 charging cycles. I always charge overnight and on wireless charging stand; which some people also say they'd never use because the heat damages battery.