This post has been updated since it was originally published on December 26, 2021.
There are times when you just need your phone to charge fast. You have one foot out the front door and don’t have time to sit around and wait for your device to power up to 80 percent. While it’s important to use the right charger type for your phone (and to make sure your iPhone is only charging via an Apple-certified charger) there’s only so much your charger can do. There are a few tricks of the trade that tech experts rely upon to get their phones up and running faster than usual. Read on to find out two things you didn’t know you could do to make your iPhone charge *so much* faster.
Turn off your iPhone while charging
If you’re like many iPhone users, when it’s time for a charge you simple plug in your charger and let it be. You may even continue to use it while it’s charging (because you have things to do, right?). But neither of these charging habits is recommended if your goal is to charge your device faster.
For starters, says Tech Expert Johnathan Smith, founder of CamperGuide, make sure you turn off your iPhone while it’s charging.
“The reason this trick makes your iPhone [charge faster] is because it allows your iPhone to regain all of the power that was lost after you’ve used it for hours without disruption,” Smith says. “Another explanation would be when your phone is on while charging it, it still consumes power that slows down the charging process. You can compare the whole charging trick to your body. As you sleep, your body gains all the energy spent to for work and all forms of physical activities that consumes your strength.”
Don't use your iPhone while it’s charging
Another great tip Smith says to keep in mind? Leave your iPhone alone while it’s charging. “The principle of this hack is still quite the same as with the previous one — it lessens power consumption provided by charging,” Smith says. “If the first hack doesn’t work for you because you’re expecting someone to video conference you, might as well save the energy of your phone by not using it unless the video conference started. This will charge your iPhone faster and at the same time, prevent any damages to the battery health that may be brought about by using your iPhone while charging.”
Making these two simple changes to your charging routine could get you out the door worlds faster — with a fully charged device. But, wait, there's even more.
According to Morshed Alam, the founder of Savvy Programmer, these three simple hacks for making your iPhone charge faster can make even more of a difference (and we can use all the help we can get, so we’ll take it).
Use a Higher Wattage Charger
Yes, the charger you use does still matter. “If you have an iPhone 6 or earlier, use a 10-watt charger or higher,” Alam recommends. “For the iPhone 7 and 8, use a 12-watt charger or higher. And for the iPhone X and up, use an 18-watt charger or higher.”
Don't Fully Discharge Your Battery
“Each time you fully discharge your battery, it takes more time to recharge it because you're killing off some of the battery's capacity each time,” Alam says. “Partial discharges are fine though - in fact, they're recommended - so keep using your phone even if it says it has 0% left.”
Plug In Your Phone Whenever Possible
And, finally: try not to wait until 8pm every night to charge your phone — after it’s been through a day of working hard for you and having its power zapped. Providing your device with short bursts of charging, rather than waiting until it dips below 10 percent and rushing to charge it, is one of the best tips for ensuring your phone charges faster and more efficiently.
