Sometimes you only have a few minutes to charge your phone and want as much capacity as possible during that time. With these tips, you can ensure that your device charges as quickly as possible.
1. Don’t charge wirelessly
Most smartphones have two ways to charge: you can plug a cable into the bottom, or you can place it on a wireless charging mat. In most cases, the wired option is faster.
For example, an iPhone can charge at a maximum of 15 watts via the wireless MagSafe charger on the back of the device, while the USB-C port can charge at around 27 watts.
Android phones can often also be powered with around 25 watts. And the higher the wattage, the faster your device charges.
2. Plug the cable into your adapter, not a laptop or PC
For example, you can insert the charging cable into an empty laptop port to power a smartphone. But in that case, you get less capacity than when you connect it directly to a charger.
Most laptop ports only provide around 15 watts of power. Charging via your laptop also causes it to drain faster, which means your laptop needs to be charged sooner. As a result, the battery also wears out faster in the long term.
3. Turn off the phone or put it in airplane mode while charging
Your phone always uses power, even while it is charging. By switching off the device, you can be sure that all the energy goes directly to your battery. Of course, you have to accept that you will be unavailable for a while while charging.
An alternative is to turn on your phone’s airplane mode, and turn off wifi if necessary. This ensures that wireless antennas do not try to connect and your device consumes slightly less energy.
4. Use (or buy) a fast charger
The charger that comes standard with your phone works fine. But there is a chance that it does not offer the maximum capacity with which your phone can be charged. You can often buy a so-called fast charger with a higher wattage, which provides your phone with power faster.
The charging speed differs per device. Check the manual to see how many watts the phone supports at most, and then see how many watts your charger has. Can it handle more? Then you can order a charger online that offers this wattage.
5. Use the correct cable
In addition to different chargers, there are also several variants of the cable you use. Pay particular attention to the USB port that you plug into the power adapter. Does it have an old, thicker USB-A connection as shown below? Then it can charge with a maximum of 18 watts. More modern USB-C cables work with higher wattages.
With even higher charging capacities, you must also ensure that the cable you are using can handle this. Some stores advertise the supported wattage of a cable. But you can also test this yourself by installing an app such as Ampere on your smartphone. It shows how many watts a cable sends power to your phone.
