Is It Okay to Use a Laptop While Charging?


The main draw of a laptop is how portable and convenient it is to use. That’s why laptop sales are dwarfing desktop sales by almost double as people are just finding laptops to be better in terms of their overall portability and convenience. But, as portable as a laptop may be, you still need to charge its battery. So, is it okay for you to be using your laptop while you are still charging its battery?

It is perfectly fine for you to use your laptop while it is charging because your laptop will be drawing power from the charger or the power adapter and not from the battery. Only the excess power coming from the adapter will be going to your battery as your laptop won’t even be using the battery at all.

So, if you are in the middle of a long gaming session or if you want to get some work done in a hurry, there is no need for you to worry about whether or not you can use your laptop while it is plugged in and still charging the battery. After all, that is what the laptop was made for as you can simply switch between battery mode and charging mode whenever you need to.

laptop with external monitor

Is it okay to use a laptop while charging?

The laptop is probably the most widely used computer in the entire world as it is the best all-around piece of machine that you can use for everyday computing. And the reason why the laptop is such a big hit is the fact that it is portable enough for you to be able to carry it around wherever you go. So, if you want to game somewhere else or work remotely while you are in a coffee shop or in the middle of a business trip, your laptop is there to help you keep up with whatever you want to do.

Of course, the reason why the laptop is as popular and as convenient as it is can be attributed to its portability. The fact that the laptop can be carried around and is portable enough for you to use it almost anywhere is thanks in large part to its battery because the battery keeps it powered long enough for you to finish your work or complete a gaming session without having to plug the laptop into a power outlet.

But the fact is that your battery will eventually run out of juice and you will need to charge it again when the power level is low enough. So, if you don’t want to end up missing valuable work time or if you still want to continue gaming while the battery is still recovering, is it okay for you to use the laptop while it is plugged in and charging?

Yes, it is perfectly fine for you to use your laptop while the battery is charging. In fact, this is one of the main features of a laptop as being able to use it while it is plugged in is what people love about the laptop. In that sense, you will be able to use your laptop and continue what you are doing while the battery is still recharging without any repercussions to the machine itself. This is one of the reasons why the laptop is such an all-around machine that you can use for a wide variety of purposes and situations as you can keep it plugged in while charging when you are merely at home or in the office or you can simply use it in battery mode when you are on the go.

The reason why it is alright for you to use the laptop while it is charging is the fact that the laptop will immediately switch to using the power adapter as its main power source and not the battery. As the power adapter or the charger is connected to your laptop, your laptop will be getting its power directly from the power outlet through the adapter so that it won’t end up draining power from the battery while the battery is still charging.

What actually happens in the middle of using your laptop while it is charging is that your battery will not be in use and it will keep on charging as the battery will be getting excess power from the power adapter. So, as the charger is powering your laptop up, any excess power that goes into the laptop will be directed to the battery so that it can recharge while you are using the laptop. This allows you to safely use the laptop while it is charging as it will not drain the battery.

Battery low message on mobile device screen

Are there any drawbacks to using a laptop while charging?

So, while it might be alright for you to use a laptop while it is charging, you might be wondering if there are actually drawbacks in such a situation. In that regard, you have to know that there are a few caveats that might end up causing a bit of a negative impact on your laptop but not to the point that you would have to worry or stop using the laptop while it is charging.

First of all, your battery’s health will be fine when you use the laptop while it is charging. However, laptops batteries will eventually deteriorate over time, and there is a reason to believe that some laptop batteries (especially the older ones) may end up deteriorating faster when they are fully charged and you are keeping the power adapter plugged into the laptop. Still, newer laptops won’t find this a problem because it is fine to keep newer laptops plugged in while the battery is fully charged. But that might not be the case for the older laptops as they are still using older tech on their batteries.

The second drawback is that there might be excess heat that will be produced when you are using the laptop while it is charging and the battery is already fully charged. That’s because the excess power that should have been going to your battery is no longer going anywhere. But this should not be a problem if you have a laptop that is well-ventilated and you are using it in a cool place that allows the laptop to function at cool temperatures as well. Of course, this also won’t be a problem if your battery is not fully charged while you are using the laptop.

So, as you can see, the drawbacks to using a laptop while it is still charging tend to be minimal at best and are only going to be apparent when the laptop’s battery is already fully charged. As such, if the battery is still charging, then there are little to no drawbacks to using the laptop aside from how it might charge the battery at a slower pace in comparison to when you just keep the laptop powered off while it is charging.

Msi gaming laptop

Rob

I'm Rob, the founder of theonetechstop.com. I’m a Marine Corps vet with a master’s degree in Information Systems and have been working in the technology field for over a decade.

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