Apple issues warning to anyone who charges their iPhone while they're sleeping

Published on Jan 14, 2026 at 7:21 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson

Last updated on Jan 15, 2026 at 1:21 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

If you charge your iPhone while you’re sleeping, it might be time to rethink, as Apple has issued a warning on the common practice.

Let’s face it, most of us will plug our phones in to charge whilst we catch some shut-eye.

Because it’s both satisfying and convenient to wake up to a fully charged phone.

But after reading this warning from Apple, you might be thinking twice about doing an overnight charge.

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Apple has warned against charging your iPhone whilst you sleep

To be fair, Apple hasn’t outright said you need to stop charging overnight.

But it has issued a caution about how your iPhone is charged in the nocturnal hours.

Basically, your iPhone needs to be uncovered and able to ventilate – otherwise, there’s a risk of overheating.

In the ‘Important safety information for iPhone’ memo on Apple’s website, it’s advised that 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’.

So if you’ve ever found yourself dozing off whilst scrolling through TikTok, it’s time to reconsider this bedtime habit.

Apple’s memo cautioned users not to sleep on a device or charger, or to place it underneath a pillow or blanket when it’s connected to a power source.

The odds of this causing a fire are pretty slim, but who wants to take the risk?

What else have we learned about our iPhones over the years?

Some people might think this warning was a statement of the obvious – who would think it was ideal to sleep on top of a charging iPhone?

But it’s common practice to keep a phone charging overnight, whether it’s kept in the bed or on a bedside table – 64 percent of Americans charge up at night, according to a consumer study.

It’s not the first time Apple has advised against a common practice – the company previously spoke out against swiping apps to close them.

There’s so much we don’t know about our smartphones, despite having them near us around the clock.

For example, did you know what this black dot on the camera is for?

And if you need to protect your iPhone from thieves, there’s a hidden setting that can come in handy.

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Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.