What is true that having a notebook always plugged in ruins the battery?

The battery care It is one of the topics that generates the most doubts among cell phone users, as well as in notebooks especially since teams adopted lithium-ion batteries and smart charging systems.

Among the most repeated questions among users, one in particular appears: Is it better to use the laptop always connected or is it better to let the battery discharge and charge it again?

According to several technicians specialized in repair and diagnosis of this type of laptop computers, The answer is clearer than it seems and debunks some myths that still circulate.

The starting point is to understand what a lithium ion battery. Every time the battery is charging or discharging, that internal reaction is activated. And each cycle—that is, each process of losing and regaining energy—contributes to the natural wear of the component.

This wear is not immediate, but it is cumulative.. The more it is loaded, the more it degrades. It does not only refer to having it plugged into the power, but to the act of charging and discharging, which is what progressively reduces the total capacity that the battery can store over time.

However, what may sound contradictory to many users is quickly clarified: Using a plugged-in laptop does not mean that the battery is constantly charging. In fact, it works differently.

“When the battery reaches 100%, it stops charging. “The process stops,” say specialized technicians. This happens because all modern batteries include a key component: the battery management chipsknown as battery management ICs.

These chips monitor the status of the battery in real time and are capable of interrupting the current input directly to it when it reaches its maximum level.

At that point, the power the computer needs to operate comes not from the battery, but from the power supply, in the same way a desktop computer would.

A technician sums it up with a concrete example to avoid confusion: “When that light turns green, the battery is not receiving power. It is being powered like a desktop PC.” This means that the device remains on and running, but the battery remains “at rest”, without entering charge or discharge cycles that they wear it out

The explanation applies to both notebooks and other mobile devices. According to the specialist, “It’s the same if you plug in an iPhone: when it reaches 100%, it stops charging.” In both cases, internal management system prevents overloadsstops the flow of energy to the battery and diverts consumption directly to the charger.

This debunks one of the most persistent myths: the idea that having your notebook connected “ruins it.”

Technical evidence shows the opposite: when it is at maximum and stops receiving current, the battery is not being forced or stressed. It is just there, without intervening, while the charger is in charge of feeding the equipment.

“In today’s notebooks—both for corporate and consumer use— Keeping the device plugged in does not damage the battery.. Modern devices incorporate power management systems that automatically stop charging when the battery reaches 100%,” said Laura Kofman, Operations Supervisor and ITAD Pc Discount, to Clarion.

He added: “At that point, the notebook runs directly from the power (that prevents over-cycling and reduces wear and tear).”

And he added: “What really affects the life of a battery is heat, frequent charging cycles and the passage of time. An important fact: some batteries can lose capacity if they remain unused, stored or disconnected for months. That is why it is recommended to use them periodically.

Estefania Vivas, Business Development Manager Monitors and Accessories at Dell, clarifies that “It’s not a myth, but it’s not accurate either” say that the battery “is ruined” just by always being plugged in.

“What really affects it is keeping it constantly at 100% charge. To avoid this, there are tools and configurations that allow adjust the load threshold and prevent the battery from reaching 100% permanently. These options help preserve battery health for those who use their equipment plugged in most of the time,” he explains.

The technicians’ explanation provides one more detail that helps contextualize the concern: “Unloading and loading makes the capacity increasingly slower“This behavior is the typical aging that all users see after months or years of use, when the percentage drops faster or the equipment needs more frequent recharges.

In this framework, the recommendation is simple: if the notebook is used at home, in an office or in a place where a plug is available, keeping it connected is a valid and less harmful practice than forcing it to complete discharge cycles.

It is not necessary to unplug it to “care” for the battery, nor let it drop to very low levels before charging it again. Quite the opposite: deep cycles are the ones that wear it out the most.

The myth, then, can be clarified: modern notebooks are designed to Protect your batteries when plugged in. Once they reach 100%, they behave like a desktop PC and leave the battery to sleep. Degradation exists, as in any device with lithium, but it does not come from having it connected, but from natural use and charging cycles.