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Charging an iPhone seems like a straightforward process, but it can be slow. However, many people don’t

realise that the charging speed will Charge your iPhone faster with these tips varies depending on how you charge the device. With a bit of knowledge you can dramatically reduce the time it takes to charge up an iPhone.

The tech specs of your charger make a big difference to how long it takes to power a device. Not all iPhone chargers are born equal, though, and some charge much faster than others. iPhone chargers use a USB-to-Lightning or 30-pin dock cable, which is attached to a mains iPhone or iPad plug or a USB socket on a computer. The iPad charger may fill up your iPhone’s battery faster than an iPhone charger (we’ll cover this in more detail later), and signifi cantly quicker than a computer’s USB port. That’s because of the varying outputs (note that we’re quoting official Apple product tech specs, and third-party alternatives may differ):

The figure that’s relevant from a charging-speed point of view is wattage, which is measured by multiplying the voltage and current. Wattage is a function of time, and defi nes the speed of energy transfer. The higher the wattage, the faster the charger can fill up your battery. We say ‘can’, because other factors may limit the

charging speed, and in fact the ‘charger’ is not the adaptor, as that is found inside the phone, and it’s that which regulates the charge coming from the adaptor. Buying a 50W charger from a third-party maker wouldn’t necessarily result in proportionally faster charging. So the charger you pick has a dramatic effect on the amount of time it takes to charge up an iPhone. Given the choice you should always use an iPhone or iPad adaptor, although at times it may be more convenient to use the USB port on your computer when you

are transferring files or working at your desk, for example. 

Many people swear by this for more efficient charging: take off the iPhone’s case. We’re not convinced that this will produce appreciable benefits, but it may go some way to prevent heat buildup during charging. Excess heat can cause the battery to wear out faster and lose capacity. Keeping things cool therefore may help your battery to operate at maximum performance for longer. 

Let’s say you want to charge your iPhone via a computer’s USB port. Note that not all USB ports carry the same specifi cation. Again, wattage is what’s important here. Whereas a MacBook fitted with USB 2.0 ports specifi ed at 5V and 0.5A can offer 2.5W of power, a Mac with USB 3.0 ports specifi ed at 5V and 0.9A can offer 4.5W of power and therefore charge your iPhone faster. Plus, under certain conditions Apple claims its Macs can offer 1.1A at 5V, or 5.5W of power. For this your iPhone will need to be plugged into the Mac or display, rather than a USB hub, and that computer must be switched on and awake. On most Macs only one port will be able to offer 5.5W, and it will offer that to the fi rst connected Apple peripheral that requires it. Note that these rules don’t apply to Macs running Boot Camp. See tinyurl.com/mh9qaj7 for further details.

If you are going to charge an iPhone via your Mac’s USB port, for faster charging you should remove other Apple peripherals, attach the iPhone and then re-attach your peripherals. You should make sure that the computer is on and awake, too. If you’re charging your iPhone using a MacBook’s USB port, ensure that the laptop is also plugged into the mains. 

Yes. This is completely safe, despite fervoured debate on the Apple Discussion forums, with some people suggesting that using an iPad adaptor to charge an iPhone will fry or severely damage its battery. The general consensus is that because the actual ‘charger’ is inside the phone, not the adaptor, it won’t damage the iPhone to use a higher-wattage adaptor. The load determines the current drawn from the power source.

The power source does not push current; it supplies voltage up to a specified maximum available current and the phone or tablet will draw only what it requires.

However, this also means that using an iPad adaptor to charge an iPhone won’t necessarily charge it any faster. The iPhone will draw only what power it requires, regardless of how much power is available to it. So, whichever charger you use, the iPhone may accept only 5W. (There are rumours that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus accept a higher input, which we are working to verify.) 

Yes. It’s perfectly safe to use your iPhone charger to fill up your iPad, but it will charge up much more slowly when fed with a 5W adaptor rather than the 10.7W model shipped with the iPad or the 12W version sold separately by Apple.

One neat trick that’s worth mentioning is that you can charge an iPhone slightly faster by switching on Airplane Mode but slightly is the key word here. This is because it turns off 3G and Wi-Fi and uses less power while charging. Open Control Centre and tap the plane-shaped icon when charging. Note that while Airplane mode is activated, you won’t be able to take phone calls or use your iPhone to browse the internet; but the iPhone will charge a little bit faster.

In a similar way, switching off your iPhone during charging enables it to charge faster. Again, the difference will be fractional, but may be worth it if you’re in a rush. This is because the iPhone isn’t draining any power during charging. Plug the iPhone into the wall charger, hold down the Sleep/Wake button and tap ‘Slide To Power Off’ to switch off the iPhone. Leave it to fully charge.