I freely admit that I am not the most patient of people, though my kids and husband might (fairly) call that an understatement. So as you can imagine, I have very little patience when it comes to charging my phone.
For that reason, I carry a battery pack in my purse at all times, and I have multiple chargers in house, my purse, and my car so I’m always ready in case of a battery emergency.
But being prepared doesn’t impact how long it takes to charge my phone, and when I only have a few minutes to devote to recharging, I need to make the most of every moment of it! So I set out to discover as many tips and tricks for charging phones as quickly as possible, because when you’re in a bind, every second counts.
And I’ll be sharing those tips with you here today, so let’s dive right in and explore 7 simple tips for charging your phone quickly when you’re short on time.
Related: 3 Simple Tips That Will Make Your Phone Easier To Use
7 Simple Tips For Charging Your Phone Quickly
1. Plug It Into A Wall
The best way to charge your phone is to connect it directly to a wall outlet. Plugging your phone into your computer via USB is a convenient option, but it’s not nearly as fast.
The speed differs because USB ports usually only charge at 0.5A, and even USB 3.0 maxes out at 0.9A. Both take more time compared to a 1A power adapter, because the more amps you feed to a device, the faster it will charge.
If your charger didn’t come with a plug adapter, they’re small and cost as little as $10, so it’s worth it to get one. The simple practice of plugging into a wall can cut your charging time by up to half!
2. Use A Powerful Charger
Look up your phone’s make and model to find out what wattage it can safely handle. (For instance, my iPhone 12 is rated for up to 15W.)
The standard Apple power adapter (the little cube with the plug on it that every Apple user has at least 3 of) only delivers 5W, meaning it can’t charge your phone nearly as fast as your phone is actually capable of charging.
Plugging into a more powerful adapter, such as the 20W adapter from Anker, can save you serious charging time. And don’t worry, using an adapter that is capable of delivering more watts doesn’t mean it will—your phone will only accept the wattage it’s rated for.
3. Charge Your Battery Pack Instead
A lot of portable battery packs can charge much faster than your smartphone or tablet, so you can save time by juicing up your battery pack rather than your device. I personally never leave home without mine!
Just plug your battery pack in for as long as you can, then plug your phone into the pack once you’re on the move again.
4. Use Low Power Mode
Introduced to the iPhone in iOS 9, Low Power Mode can help extend the battery life of your iPhone when it gets low. When enabled, Low Power Mode reduces display brightness, optimizes performance, disables features like AirDrop, iCloud sync, etc.
You can still make and receive phone calls, emails, and text messages, access the internet, and more. Once you have a change to plug in and recharge, Low Power Mode will automatically switch off.
Your iPhone will automatically alert you when your battery level goes down to 20% and give you the option to turn on Low Power Mode, or you can enable it manually by going to Settings > Battery.
5A. Charge It In Airplane Mode
Your smartphone is a battleground of power usage when it’s plugged in. The radios that run Wi-Fi, the cell phone signal, and Bluetooth are all vying for the power coming in while your battery tries its best to sneak some for itself.
Turning on Airplane Mode disables a lot of these competing players, so try turning it on the next time you charge your phone. You won’t get any text messages or phone calls while it’s on, but you will be able to charge your phone faster.
5B. Charge It While Powered Down
If putting your phone into Airplane Mode helps charge your phone faster, turning it off completely is even better! With your phone powered down, it won’t be diverting power to the screen, motion sensors, applications, etc.
So for the fastest possible charge, turn your phone off. (Besides, we could all use a few minutes away from our phones, right?)
6. Keep Your Phone Cool
Let your phone get some fresh air and it’ll return the favor with a faster charge. Heat is the enemy of your phone, so try removing the case and finding a cool place to charge.
Likewise, keep your phone out of direct sunlight and hot vehicles, and never attempt to charge your phone when its hot to the touch.
7. Leave It Alone
The only thing that kills your battery faster than cell data is that big, bright screen, so stop looking at it while you’re charging. Every little bit helps, and continually turning on the display to check the battery percentage is only going to slow things down.
Even if you’re waiting for a message, try not to keep checking your phone, just put the ringer on loud. If you have to check, turn the brightness down to minimize power drain.
BONUS: Check Your Battery Usage
With iOS you can find out which of your apps are draining your battery. To view your usage, go to Settings > Battery. If you find a serious battery hog, close that app to maintain a full battery longer.
