Yes, and most of them benefit from it. But the answer people act on is usually the wrong half of it, because the instinct is to give a plant that has been indoors all winter as much sun as possible.
That instinct is precisely backwards, and there is a published sentence that explains why better than anything else I have read on the subject.
The sentence that reframes the whole question
From Iowa State University Extension:
"Even the brightest indoor locations are only a fraction of the light intensity compared to any shady spot outside."
Read that twice. Any shady spot outside. Not a bright spot. The shade.
The same page explains the reason: "Nearly all houseplants are tropical understory plants. These plants are used to low light and warm temperatures, which is why they do so well in our homes."
So the plant on your windowsill, in what you have been treating as the best light in the apartment, is living at an intensity well below outdoor shade. Moving it outdoors is not a small increase. It is a step change, and the shade is where that step lands safely.
Which is why full sun is the mistake, not the reward
Iowa State is direct about this:
"Never move houseplants from indoors into full sun. Leaf burn, discoloration, and drop can occur. On some species, especially succulents, the damage to the fleshy stems and leaves is permanent."
Permanent is the word to sit with, and succulents are named specifically, which matters because they are the plants people are most confident about putting in blazing sun.
That is the whole trap. The plant looks like it wants sun, the balcony has sun, and the leaves that developed under indoor light cannot handle it.
So where does it actually go
Per the same source, houseplants "will do best if they 'vacation' in a full-shade or part-shade location outdoors", and "many houseplants can be in full shade the entire summer", with others moving to part shade once acclimated.
For a balcony, that translates into a small number of usable positions:
Under the balcony above, back from the edge. On most apartment balconies this is the deepest shade available and it is where a houseplant should start.
Against the building wall rather than at the railing. The wall side is shaded for more of the day on most aspects.
Behind something. A screen, a rail planting, or furniture can produce shade on a balcony that has none by design.
Not at the railing on a sunny aspect. That is the brightest position on the balcony and it is the one people choose because it is where the view is.
If your balcony faces south, the whole surface is a strong-light environment and the shade you can find is limited; what a south aspect delivers covers how much intensity that direction carries. A north-facing balcony is the easy case here for exactly the reasons that make a north-facing window a modest indoor position.
The temperature gate comes first
Before any of the above, the source sets a threshold:
Wait until "nighttime temperatures are consistently and reliably above 50°F before moving houseplants outdoors."
Iowa State notes that in much of Iowa this is mid to late May. Use the temperature, not the date. That date is one state's answer, and if you are anywhere else it is not yours. The threshold is the transferable part.
Note that it is the night temperature that matters. A warm afternoon in early spring tells you nothing about what the plant will be sitting in at four in the morning, and the balcony is the coldest part of your home at that hour.
How to make the move, as a sequence of positions
The source's own method is a placement sequence rather than a care routine, which is why it belongs on this page:
Acclimate by "moving them from an indoor location to a full-shade location outside. Then introduce more light over 10 to 14 days."
And if you have no full shade available: "Protect plants with some cloth or shade material if a full-shade location cannot be found."
So the sequence is: indoors, then outdoor full shade, then gradually more light across a week and a half to two weeks, then the position where the plant will spend the summer, which for many plants is still shade.
The temptation is to compress this because the plant looks fine after two days. The damage the source describes is not immediate and on some species it does not reverse.
What to watch for once it is out
Iowa State again: monitor closely, "especially for the first several weeks", and watch for "any burning or discoloration of the foliage", which may mean the light is too intense. In the other direction, if the plant "starts to lean or stretch towards the light", it wants a brighter spot.
Those two signals are the whole feedback loop, and both are about position rather than anything else.
One more, worth knowing so you do not panic: the source notes that "some indoor plants, like weeping fig and tropical hibiscus, are prone to leaf drop when moved to a new location" even with the gentlest transition, and that new leaves emerge in a couple of weeks.
Everything else about summer outdoors
Water, feeding and repotting all change when a plant moves outside, and none of that is this site's subject. It is covered properly by people who specialize in it, and it is worth reading before you move anything, because the conditions genuinely change.
This page is about whether, when, and where. Those three are placement questions and they are the ones that decide whether the summer helps the plant or damages it.
If you have pets
A balcony is frequently where an animal spends warm afternoons, and plants at floor and rail height are within reach. Check any plant, by botanical name, against the ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plants database before it goes out.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is it safe to move houseplants outside?
Iowa State University Extension sets the gate at nighttime temperatures being consistently and reliably above 50°F before moving houseplants outdoors. It notes that in much of Iowa that is mid to late May, but the transferable part is the temperature rather than the date. It is the night figure that matters, because a warm afternoon tells you nothing about what the plant sits in at four in the morning, and the balcony is the coldest part of your home at that hour.
Should a houseplant go into the sun or the shade outdoors?
Shade, which is the opposite of most people's instinct. Iowa State states that even the brightest indoor locations are only a fraction of the light intensity compared to any shady spot outside, because nearly all houseplants are tropical understory plants used to low light and warm temperatures. Its guidance is that houseplants do best vacationing in a full-shade or part-shade location, and that many can stay in full shade the entire summer.
What happens if I put a houseplant straight into full sun?
Iowa State is direct: never move houseplants from indoors into full sun, because leaf burn, discoloration and drop can occur, and on some species, especially succulents, the damage to the fleshy stems and leaves is permanent. Succulents being named matters, since they are the plants people are most confident about putting in strong sun.
How do I acclimate a plant to being outside?
As a sequence of positions. The source's method is to move the plant from indoors to a full-shade location outside, then introduce more light over 10 to 14 days, then settle it in the spot where it will spend the summer, which for many plants is still shade. If no full-shade position exists, Iowa State says to protect plants with some cloth or shade material. The temptation is to compress this because the plant looks fine after two days, and the damage described is not immediate.
What should I watch for once the plant is outside?
Two signals, and both are about position. Burning or discoloration of the foliage may mean the light is too intense, so move it back. Leaning or stretching towards the light means it wants a brighter spot. Monitor closely, especially for the first several weeks. Iowa State also notes that some indoor plants, such as weeping fig and tropical hibiscus, are prone to leaf drop simply from being moved to a new location, with new leaves emerging in a couple of weeks.
The part worth remembering
Your brightest window is a fraction of the light in any shady spot outdoors. That is the published fact that should drive every decision here.
Wait for nights consistently above 50°F, start in full shade, add light across 10 to 14 days, and accept that shade may be the destination rather than a waiting room. If you have not mapped your own positions yet, the room-by-room survey is the indoor half of the same exercise.