Overcharging Earbuds [ Case and Device Charging Together ]

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Wireless technology has made our lives much easier and simpler. Nowadays, most of us own Bluetooth headphones, but we have confusion regarding the charging time of such devices. The ongoing rumor in the wireless community is that overcharging your earbuds will lower the overall battery life of the device. How authentic do you think this statement is?

Overcharging your wireless earbuds won’t affect the device in any way. There was a time when the majority of all electronic device batteries were nickel-based, and the lifespan of these batteries was reduced due to overcharging. Since most batteries are now lithium-ion, overcharging does not affect them.

Now that I’ve discussed whether or not overcharging your earbuds has any ill effects on the device, I’d like to share some additional information.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, can you overcharge wireless earbuds and I’ll go into great detail about that right now.

If you want to know more about this subject, make sure you read the whole thing.

Can You Overcharge Your Earbuds?

When it comes to charging wireless devices, many people are unsure whether they should leave the device plugged in or not.

The ongoing rumor within this industry is that overcharging kills the battery life of a device. This rumor actually started for some pretty good reasons.

There was a time when nickel was used to make the majority of batteries since it significantly reduced the overall cost of battery production.

But the problem with such construction was that the overall battery life would significantly drain due to overcharging.

But that was a long time ago. Nowadays, most batteries have lithium-ion technology, which completely resolves this huge issue. In simple words, you can keep your earbuds charging all day and still shouldn’t face any issues. 

However, the charger of your earbuds might be affected by it. For instance, if you keep your wireless headphone plugged in, the charger will keep on pushing electrons inside the device, and in a regulating voltage situation, might get damaged.

Although it is highly unlikely, I would still recommend you disconnect your device after it is fully charged.

Should You Drain Your Battery Completely Before Charging Again?

There is another misconception regarding the charge time of a wireless device. Some people believe that charging the earbuds after the battery has been completely depleted is necessary; otherwise, the device’s overall battery life will suffer.

Again, this misconception has spread throughout the earbud community due to past events. When all the batteries were nickel-based, it was important to fully discharge them before recharging

Since the batteries could not figure out the currently charged percentage, it would start overcharging even soon.

But thanks to lithium-ion technology, batteries nowadays don’t have such issues.

The cell of the earbuds has a built-in Ai technology that can determine the exact juice of the device, and it will stop taking any charge after the indicator reaches 100 percent.

Therefore, draining the whole battery before recharging it would be a complete waste of time.

Can You Charge The Case While Keeping The Earbuds Inside?

People frequently ask me “Can I charge earbuds while charging the case?” Charging your case while keeping the earbuds inside is not only safe, it is highly recommended.

When it comes to wireless headphones, many people believe that charging them overnight by keeping them inside the case might affect their overall lifespan. But that’s not the case at all. 

Let’s say, the case of your earbud has around 50 percent charge, and you start charging it while keeping the buds inside.

The new battery technology will help to stop taking any electrons from the case when it is fully charged. Meaning, in spite of being attached to the charger, the case won’t be charging.

The same technology was injected into the earbuds as well. After reaching 100 percent charge, they won’t receive any electrons as well. Meaning, there is absolutely zero possibility of the earbuds being overcharged and getting damaged.

Especially, if you are using a premium wireless earbud such as AirPods, most of them have a built-in protective circuit inside the body, which helps to prevent any sort of overflow of the charges. 

So, if you accidentally keep the case of your earbuds plugged in and fall asleep, there is no reason to panic. It won’t affect the lifespan of the earbud’s battery or damage them in any way.

What Affects The Battery Life of Earbuds?

Although the concept of overcharging is pretty much history now, there are some facts that can affect your earbud’s battery life.

I will talk about some simple facts that you should keep in mind to ensure a healthy battery life for your wireless headphones.

Over-discharging

For those who don’t know, over-discharging basically means using your earbuds and case until the battery drains completely. Now, doing this on a regular basis might adversely affect the battery life of your wireless device.

While discharging, the earbuds are basically converting electrical energy to sound energy, and this process will obviously create some unwanted heat inside the device.

A hotter temperature is never a good thing for electrical circuits, and over a long period of excessive heat, the battery will start to charge less than it should to prevent any accident. 

To prevent any explosions, almost all wireless devices have a protective mechanism that simply degrades the overall capacity of the battery and, thus, reduces the heat. This is why almost all the batteries will start to degrade after 3 to 5 years of use.

But you significantly increase the lifespan of your earbud’s battery life by not over-discharging. I would highly recommend you recharge your wireless headphones when the battery percentage is around 25 to 30.

Keeping The Earbuds Outside The Case 

Keeping the earbuds in the case is a good practice, as you will find the battery in them at 100 percent every time you use them. And this process will keep the battery of these wireless buds healthy. 

You see, if you keep them outside the case, the chances of over-discharging will significantly increase. And as I mentioned earlier, it will seriously affect the battery life of the device in the long run.

Moisture

As we all know, moisture and water are very bad for any electronic device. But did you know, they are particularly dangerous for batteries?

Not only will moisture degrade the battery life of your earbud, but it may also completely destroy the functionality of the cell. 

I am not saying you should hide your wireless headphones under the pillow whenever it rains, but bringing them outside on such a day might not be a good idea.

Yes, most expensive earbuds are waterproof to some extent, but once that limit is reached, you’re left with a useless piece of plastic.

Hot Temperature

As you may already know, a hot environment is bad for most electrical devices, and it is particularly true for earbuds.

Keeping your wireless headphones exposed to heat will permanently degrade their overall battery life.

So, if you are planning a trip to the desert, use your earbuds with caution as a temperature above 50 degrees isn’t good for wireless devices.

Conclusion

Overcharging your earbuds has no effect on the battery life whatsoever.

Can you overcharge wireless earbuds is one of the most commonly inquired questions I get, and I hope I’ve covered it extensively enough for you in this article today. 

Hopefully, this article has answered all of your questions about the subject. See you next time, bye.

About the author

2 responses to “Overcharging Earbuds [ Case and Device Charging Together ]”

  1. Damian Avatar
    Damian

    If I over charge my earbuds case can it get damaged and how many times can this happen until it is eventually damaged
    Cheers

    1. Josh Koop Avatar
      Josh Koop

      I have yet to accomplish a real “failure” while charging when it is wasteful all night, hard to say exactly but you would notice it in decreased ability to charge the earbuds or less time in charge total from the case but you will need to know your specific case and the power it is supposed to provide you.

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