How to charge your phone/tablet battery faster

You need to understand the principles of charging phones and tablets.

You need to understand the principles of charging phones and tablets.

Note:The tips in this article apply to any device that charges via USB, including cameras, peripherals, and any other devices you may have.

Do not charge from a computer's USB port.

You can connect your smartphone or tablet to your computer via a USB cable, and it will charge. However, it won't charge as quickly as with a proper, dedicated charger. With USB 1.0 and 2.0, a standard USB port can deliver up to 0.5A of current. USB 3.0 increases this to 0.9A on a typical port, while dedicated charging ports can deliver up to 1.5A of current. USB 3.1, associated with the new USB-C port, supports a maximum of 3A.

For example, Apple's iPhone 6 comes with a charger that can deliver up to 1A. If you're charging your iPhone 6 from a standard USB 3.0 port, you'll only get 0.9A. If you're charging from an older USB 2.0 port, you'll only get 0.5A. Modern Android phones and other devices can draw more power than a standard computer USB port. Skip the computer's USB port and plug your smartphone or tablet into a dedicated charger.

A high-power USB port on a recent computer might be good enough depending on your device, but it's better to rely on a dedicated charger if you're in a hurry.

Use a more powerful charger.

Instead of using the charger that came with the device, you can sometimes charge your battery faster by upgrading to a more powerful charger. For example, the iPhone 6 comes with a 1A (5W) charger, but it can charge faster when plugged into an iPad 2.1A (12W) charger. If you want to charge your iPhone 6 faster, plug it into an iPad charger instead of the regular charger.

Not every device will charge faster when plugged into a USB charger that provides more power, as it depends on the device itself. USB charging is fairly standard; you can plug any device into any USB charger without risk of fire (provided it's an authentic charger, of course). Some chargers may draw the same amount of power as a standard charger, while others may draw more power from the charger for faster charging.

Use a good quality USB cable.

Not all USB cables are created equal. For best results, use the cable that came with your device. Cheap USB cables you buy may not transmit the full power, resulting in significantly slower charging speeds for your smartphone or tablet.

Put the phone down.

The power consumed while your phone is charging will slow down the process. If you're charging your phone and playing games at the same time, it will cause your phone to consume more power and slow down the charging process. Many people advise putting your phone on airplane mode or even turning it off completely while charging in emergencies, but this is really inconvenient if you want to maintain a connection.

Use a backup battery.

A power bank doesn't actually make charging your smartphone or tablet faster, but if you need to go out with your phone, a power bank will be very useful for charging.

Some power banks are even designed to function as protective cases that can fit your phone to charge it without needing to carry an extra device in your pocket. If you frequently need to quickly charge your phone before going somewhere, be sure to bring a power bank. Or, if you're driving, using a car charger can also help.

Some devices support Quick Charge – a feature of Qualcomm's mobile chips found in many modern Android smartphones or tablets. Quick Charge allows phones or tablets to charge their batteries faster from zero and slows down once the battery is full. This can allow you to charge 50% of your battery capacity in half an hour.

To use this feature, you will need a device that supports Quick Charge technology and a dedicated Quick Charge charger, which may not be included with your smartphone or tablet and can be purchased as a separate accessory.