8 ways to charge your iPhone faster, including using the right charger and taking it out of direct sunlight
Use a wall charger
First thing's first: Using a wall charger — any wall charger — is going to be faster than plugging your phone into a computer's USB port. Use a wall charger if you have one.
But not all wall chargers are equal. In general, the higher the device's wattage, the faster it can deliver a charge to your iPhone. The wall charger that comes with your iPhone is relatively anemic, rated at 5 watts.
If you have an iPad, use the wall charger that came with it instead, since it delivers 12 watts and charges about 33 percent faster.
If you have a new iPhone, use a fast charger
The newest crop of iPhones (which include the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X family) include fast charging. Paired with the right wall charger, these phones can go from empty to 50 percent charge in half an hour.
Apple doesn't include a fast charger in the box, though. You need to purchase a fast charger and a USB-C to Lightning cable. Apple offers its own 30 Watt USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C to Lightning adapter cable.
There are other fast charging options as well. Anker offers a 30 Watt USB-C Wall Charger, for example, and iClever has its own 30 Watt USB-C Charger. There are a lot of affordable choices.
Don’t charge wirelessly
Wireless charging (if you have a newer iPhone, or you've put an old iPhone in a wireless charging case) is admittedly a convenience. But like most conveniences, this one has an unintended cost: slow charging.
Wireless chargers work much more slowly than plugging the phone into a Lightning cable, which is why you should skip wireless if you're in a hurry.
Turn the phone off
Your iPhone will charge more slowly if it's powered on and performing tasks while it's also trying to send current to the battery. The best solution is to simply power it down.
Start the Settings app, tap "General," and then tap "Shut Down."
Put it in Airplane Mode
Sometimes it isn't practical to turn your phone off completely, but the next best thing is to put it in Airplane Mode. In Airplane Mode, your phone disables Wi-Fi and cellular service, which can save a significant amount of power, letting the phone charge faster.
To do that, pull down the Control Panel from the top right of the screen and tap the airplane icon at the top left. Or, if you're using an iPhone older than the iPhone X, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap the airplane icon at the top left.
Avoid using it
You can probably guess where this is going: Just avoid doing anything with the phone while it charges. Don't stream music, browse the web, or check email. Put the phone down and leave it alone to charge in peace.
Keep it cool
Batteries are little chemical factories, and when you charge a phone, the electric current causes chemical reactions to happen deep inside your phone.
These chemical reactions tend to heat up the battery, but they work most efficiently when the phone is cool. You can help the phone to charge faster by keeping it out of direct sunlight and in a cool location if possible. If you keep the phone in a case, consider taking it out of the case while it charges — many cases trap heat, which is bad.
In fact, if the phone gets too hot (about 95 degrees), it may stop charging completely until it has an opportunity to cool down.
Cycle the battery occasionally
This isn't something you can do in the moment, but put this on your to do list.
Your iPhone's battery will charge more efficiently if it has a chance to cycle — to go from 100 percent to completely dead about once a month or so. Every once in a while, let your phone run down all the way until it shuts down.
Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:- 'Why won't my iPhone charge?': How to diagnose and fix common iPhone charging problems
- How to properly clean your iPhone's charging port when it won't charge
- Tips for fixing an iPhone or iPad charger that appears to be broken
- 'Why won't my iPhone turn on?': 3 ways to troubleshoot an iPhone that won't restart
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