Featured Image Credit: RoxiRosita/Alavinphoto
Topics: Apple, Technology, World News
Niamh Spence
Most of us habitually plug our phone in as we're about to head to bed - but now Apple has issued a warning asking us to be more careful of how we charge our iPhones.
Charging your phone overnight is the most sensible thing to do, you would think. Nobody wants to keep having to go to the plug socket to check their notifications while charging their phone during the day.
But Apple has released a warning aimed at those who plug their phones in as they're hitting the hay.
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The tech giant hasn't asked us to stop charging our phone overnight altogether, but it has flagged that we need to make sure we're not charging our phone somewhere where it's going to overheat.
For anyone who's ever fallen asleep while scrolling Instagram, this one's for you.
The warning explains that charging an iPhone while it's covered and unable to ventilate could result in injury.
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The warning can be found in the 'Important safety information for iPhone’ memo on the Apple website, and details how iPhone users 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'.
The memo also adds: "Sleeping or sitting on the charging cable or connector should be avoided."
It isn't just sleeping with our phone on charge that Apple warns about, it also explicitly warns against phones being covered by a duvet or pillow.
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It continued: "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."
And while falling asleep and your phone overheating and causing a fire might seem like a farfetched outcome, in reality it's not.
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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.
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"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."