Is it better to turn off your phone every night or not? It turns out that many people are doing it wrong, and it's a pity!

In this era of 24-hour online, we can't do without mobile phones. However, there has been a fierce debate between the tech community and ordinary users about this "mobile phone maintenance method", especially the habit of "turning off the phone every night".

Some people insist that shutting down can allow the phone to "rest" and prolong its life; The other school of thought believes that modern smartphones do not need this kind of "retro maintenance" at all. Which is more reliable? Let's end this debate with data and science.

1. The reason for shutting down the party: the "mobile phone health regimen" we believed in in those years

There are a few core points of view among those who support nightly shutdowns. The most popular is the "hardware rest theory" - the belief that continuous operation will lead to the aging of components. Indeed, according to the principles of materials science, electronic components are subject to the phenomena of "metal migration" and "dielectric aging".

However, MIT's 2023 study shows that modern mobile phone chips will only have measurable performance degradation after 5 years of continuous operation at normal use temperatures, while most users only have a 2-3 year replacement cycle.

Another common reason is the "memory cleanup theory". This is actually a beautiful misunderstanding. Both Android and iOS systems use advanced memory management mechanisms that automatically terminate background processes when memory is low. Experimental data shows that a forced shutdown and then power on consumes about 12% more power than automatic system management because all core services need to be reloaded.

The most interesting is the "battery maintenance theory". Lithium batteries do have a charge-discharge cycle life (usually the capacity drops to 80% after 500 full cycles), but shutting down does not reduce the number of cycles. Conversely, the instantaneous high temperature (about 3-5°C higher than the normal operating temperature) generated by sudden current changes during frequent switching on and off may accelerate the decomposition of the electrolyte.

Second, the scientific basis of the no-shutdown school: the real needs of modern mobile phones

Engineers who oppose nightly shutdowns have come up with more hardcore evidence. The first is the issue of system stability. Both iOS and Android perform important maintenance tasks overnight, including defragmentation, error log analysis, and security updates. According to Apple's official data, the average crash rate of devices that stay on is 37% lower than that of daily shutdowns.

Network maintenance is also a key factor. Your phone will automatically receive carrier configuration updates between 2-4 a.m. Nokia Bell Labs found that devices that shut down daily require an additional 15 minutes to renegotiate network parameters, which can lead to a decrease in signal strength of about 8% in the long term.

The most surprising thing is the security considerations. According to a report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), phones that are powered off are more susceptible to certain types of firmware attacks, as the reboot process briefly deactivates some of the security protections. Keeping the device on will allow the security monitor to run continuously.

Third, the third option: a smarter maintenance plan than shutting down

Since extreme shutdowns can do more harm than good, is there a compromise? The tech editors have put together a few really effective maintenance tips:

1. Soft reboot once a week: Press and hold the volume button and the power button at the same time for 10 seconds (may vary depending on the model), this method can clear the system cache but will not affect the background task scheduling. Tests by Dell engineers show that devices that regularly soft-reboot run 11% faster than those that shut down daily.

2. Night Optimization Mode: Turn on airplane mode to connect to WiFi and charge at the same time. In this state, the system maintenance will be completed with the lowest power consumption. Samsung Labs has found that this mode saves 3 times more power than a complete shutdown and can complete 90% of background tasks.

3. Temperature management: Avoid charging in a high-temperature environment. The life decay rate of lithium batteries doubles for every 10°C increase above 40°C. It's best to remove the case when charging before going to bed, or use a charging stand with heat dissipation.

4. Background Restrictions: Manually limit the background activities of 3-5 infrequently used apps. Big data shows that the average user only uses 7-8 core apps 80% of the time, and the background refresh of other apps is purely power-consuming.

4. Scenario-based suggestions: Your living habits determine the maintenance method

Different users should adopt a differentiation strategy:

"9 to 5" office workers: no need to shut down at all. A weekly soft reboot is sufficient to take advantage of commuting time (when connected to in-car charging). The data shows that the average lifespan of the mobile phone of users with regular work and rest is 17% longer than that of frequent shutdown.

Business people across time zones: It is recommended to set up an automatic airplane mode time slot (e.g., 1-5 a.m. local time). The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) study found that this mode reduces network switching power consumption by 67%.

Minimalist users: can try a full shutdown once a month (no more than 2 hours). This frequency allows for deep system verification without affecting daily use. Google's Project Zero team confirmed that a moderate shutdown can help detect potential hardware failures.

Mobile game enthusiasts: the focus is not on turning on and off, but on charging timing. Lithium batteries play games at 40-60% charge and have the least impact on lifespan. According to data from Tencent Game Lab, playing while charging will increase the temperature of the battery by about 9°C, and it is recommended to use a cooling clip.

5. Future Trend: Does a self-repairing phone still need to be turned off?

Breakthroughs in materials science are changing the rules of the game. Several new technologies to be released in 2024 are worth noting:

• The "self-healing electrolyte" developed by Panasonic can automatically repair the microscopic damage of the battery at an early stage, and it is expected to be commercialized in 2026
• The "phase change heat dissipation material" invented by the MIT team can absorb instantaneous high temperatures, and has been applied to some flagship motherboards
• Apple's patented "predictive sleep" technology predicts the user's schedule and automatically adjusts the system status

Perhaps in the near future, mobile phones will have "light sleep" and "deep sleep" states like humans, and there is no need for the "rough" operation method of manually shutting down.

Conclusion: Instead of struggling with turning on and off, it's better to build digital health habits

At the end of the day, a modern smartphone is like a professional athlete – a proper "warm-up" (soft restart) is better for your health than a sudden "coma" (shutdown). Instead of obsessing over the on/off ritual, develop these habits that really work:

1. Monitor battery health with a professional tool (e.g., AccuBattery) on a quarterly basis

2. Use original or MFi certified charging equipment

3. Keep your system up to date (security patches fix 90% of potential issues)

4. Avoid extreme temperature environments (below 0°C or above 45°C)

Remember, your phone is smarter than you think. Give it a little trust, and it will look its best when you need it – whether you press that power button or not. After all, in this digital age, the best "maintenance" may be: don't treat smart devices as fools, and don't turn yourself into slaves to devices.

Source: CG Says Technology