Apple issues warning for people who charge their iPhone while they're sleeping
If you're one of the many people who habitually plugs in your iPhone to charge overnight while you sleep, you may want to think again, thanks to safety warnings issued by Apple.
The tech company has asked people to be more careful with how they charge their iPhones.
While it makes sense to give it a long boost overnight so you wake up to a fully charged battery, Apple has some advice for those who are used to plugging in their phones while they catch some beauty sleep.
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But don't worry, Apple isn't saying don't charge your phone at night altogether, but rather it's flagged that you need to make sure you are charging your iPhone in a safe environment - and specifically one that won't overheat.
So if you've ever nodded off mid-Instagram or TikTok scroll, you'll want to have a read of the latest handy guidelines.
Found in the 'Important safety information for iPhone’ memo on the Apple website, there are a whole lot of things you apparently should and shouldn't do.
Like, for instance, you should keep your iPhone, charging cable, power adapter and any charger (wireless too) in an area that's well-ventilated - when in use and/or charging.
The section also mentions specific guidelines around the charging cable and connector, saying you should "avoid prolonged skin contact with the charging cable and connector when the charging cable is connected to a power source because it may cause discomfort or injury".
You should avoid sleeping or sitting on the charging cable or connector - and be always be aware of where your phone is when dozing off.
Apple says: "Use common sense to avoid situations where your skin is in contact with a device, its power adapter, or a wireless charger when it’s operating or connected to a power source for long periods of time.
"For example, don’t sleep on a device, power adapter, or wireless charger, or place them under a blanket, pillow, or your body, when it’s connected to a power source.
"Keep your iPhone, the power adapter, and any wireless charger in a well-ventilated area when in use or charging. Take special care if you have a physical condition that affects your ability to detect heat against the body."
Hopefully those handy tips can help people sleep a bit more easy and wake up feeling refreshed and ahem, recharged.
Because while you may think falling asleep and your phone overheating and causing a fire seems farfetched, it's not.
A firefighter from Kent Fire Rescue posted on TikTok to warn about the dangers of charging phones overnight.
Speaking on the social media platform, they warned: "We get a lot of questions here at Kent Fire Rescue about why you shouldn't charge phones overnight. So here are the reasons why.
"Number one: you can't smell anything when you're asleep, so if it starts to burn, the fire won't wake you up.
"Number two: it only takes three breaths, right, to knock you unconscious.
"Number three: lots of people have cheap or faulty phone chargers, or even genuine ones have been known start fires.
"If you're able to, we advise you to charge your phone when you're there and awake from a fire service point of view. It's much safer."