Apple issues warning for people who charge their iPhone while they're sleeping

Since we are no longer in the days of the brick phones and their long-lasting batteries, most people tend to charge their phone overnight, but Apple has a warning for iPhone users who do this.

You might have a big day ahead of you and not know where you are going to end up, in which case you'll want your phone well charged.

You plug it in before you go to sleep and hit the hay, so the next day you aren’t forced to ask for a charger when you're out and about.

But the tech company Apple has issued a warning for iPhone users that have a habit of doing this. Don't worry though, they haven’t asked us to outright stop charging overnight.

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 through 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.

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."

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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."

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

And while falling asleep and your phone overheating and causing a fire might seem like a farfetched outcome, in reality 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.”

Topics: Technology, iPhone

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.