Yes. Using your phone while it charges is normal; the things to actually watch are excess heat and a damaged charger or cable.
The idea that charging phones can explode from normal use traces back to a small number of incidents involving counterfeit chargers or damaged batteries, not typical daily habits.
With a certified charger and an undamaged phone, texting, browsing, or watching a video while plugged in isn't a risk most people need to think about.
The phone splits incoming power between charging the battery and running whatever you're doing. Light use like texting or browsing barely changes anything. Heavy use like gaming, video calls, or navigation can generate extra heat because the processor and the charging circuit are both working at once.
A certified charger, look for a UL mark or a major brand name, regulates voltage and current safely. Cheap, uncertified chargers are far more often linked to overheating or safety incidents than simply using a phone while it charges.
Graphically demanding games or long video calls generate the most heat of common phone tasks. Combined with charging, this can push internal temperatures higher, which is why some phones intentionally slow charging speed during heavy use to manage heat.
A frayed cable, a loose or wobbly connector, or a charger that gets hot on its own, even with nothing plugged in, should be replaced, not taped up or kept just in case.
Using your phone mid-charge is fine day to day. Pay attention to real heat and swap out any charger or cable that shows damage.
Not typically in the short term, but the added heat from both gaming and charging together can add up to faster wear if it happens constantly.
The processor draws power for your task at the same time the battery is charging, leaving less current for the battery, especially during heavy use.
Not necessarily. Wireless charging tends to generate more heat than wired charging, so heavy use on a wireless pad can warm the phone faster.
Yes. Uncertified chargers can lack proper voltage regulation and are linked to more overheating and safety incidents than certified ones.