But from a technical perspective - and according to manufacturer guidelines - the answer isn’t so straightforward. Shutting down your phone every night is neither required nor always beneficial, though regular restarts can provide meaningful advantages.

Tech giants like Apple and Google now generally recommend keeping devices powered on, so they can receive updates, perform automatic backups, and maintain background services like push notifications or “Find My” features.

Apple, in particular, emphasizes battery health practices focused more on temperature control and charging habits than on whether the phone is turned on or off regularly.

On Android devices, manufacturers have introduced automatic maintenance tools, including scheduled reboots after extended uptime, which support system health and security without requiring users to power off their phones manually.

Is powering off good for your battery?

Modern smartphones use lithium-ion batteries, which age based on charge cycles and time - not whether the phone is switched off when not in use. In other words, turning off your phone at night does not prevent battery capacity from declining with age or usage.

Experts suggest more important battery practices include avoiding high temperatures, not keeping the battery at 100% for long periods (especially when hot), and limiting frequent deep discharges.

In short, smart charging and environmental control matter far more than powering down.

When is restarting useful?

Although nightly shutdowns aren’t necessary, restarting your device periodically - perhaps weekly or when your phone feels warm, laggy, or frozen - can be helpful.

A reboot clears stalled background processes, applies critical security patches, and refreshes essential system services. In fact, cybersecurity agencies in some regions recommend periodic restarts to reduce persistent threat exposure.

Numerous tech analysts and media outlets also report that regular reboots can noticeably improve user experience over time.

Downsides of nightly shutdowns

Turning off your phone each night means missing emergency calls, urgent messages, and essential overnight processes like automatic backups or updates.

If your phone functions as an alarm clock, smart home controller, or remote access device, shutting it down can become inconvenient. While frequent power cycles won’t damage the hardware, they also don’t significantly improve battery health compared to well-managed charging habits and cooling.

Expert recommendations

Here’s a balanced approach most users can follow:

Keep your phone on overnight if you rely on real-time alerts, background sync, or scheduled backups. There’s no need to shut it off routinely.

Restart your phone once a week or whenever performance issues arise. This helps clear memory, refresh services, and apply updates effectively.

Manage charging and heat: Avoid overheating during charging, use optimized battery charging features if available, and prevent long stretches at 100% charge when the phone is warm. These are the real factors impacting battery longevity.

Stay updated: Keep your operating system and apps current, and monitor background processes to reduce unnecessary battery drain and enhance security.

In conclusion, shutting down your phone each night is not a “magic fix” for prolonging battery life or protecting your device. Instead, focus on safe charging, temperature management, and timely restarts to maintain smooth performance and safeguard your data.

That said, powering down is still appropriate in specific cases - during flights, events requiring silence, or when you need to conserve energy completely. Just don’t make it a nightly ritual without reason.

Hai Phong