Wireless charging tends to generate more heat than wired charging, and heat accelerates battery wear. Jeff Carlson/CNET

A phone running a game while plugged into a fast charger gets hot, and that heat wears down the battery faster than almost any other charging habit. Leaving it at 100% for hours causes similar damage more gradually. Both habits are easy to avoid once you know what to watch for, and most phones now include settings that can help. Here’s what to change in your routine.

Voltage stress at the top of the charge range, heat from fast charging and the cumulative effects of full discharge cycles all accelerate capacity loss. The damage may not appear immediately, but it’s measurable after one year and obvious after two.

Age is part of it, sure, but the overnight charging habit accelerates the process considerably. Lithium-ion batteries lose capacity faster when they spend extended time at the top of their charge range, which is precisely where an overnight charge leaves them.…