How to charge your phone/tablet battery faster

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

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

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

Do not charge from computer USB port

You can plug your smartphone or tablet into your computer via a USB cable, and it will charge. But it won't charge as quickly as if you plugged it into 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 a dedicated charging port can deliver up to 1.5A. USB 3.1 is tied to the new USB-C port, which 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 regular 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 your computer's regular USB port. Skip your 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 you're better off relying on a dedicated charger if you're in a hurry.

Use a more powerful charger

Instead of using the charger that came with your 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 can charge faster when plugged into a 2.1A (12W) iPad charger. If you want to charge your iPhone 6 faster, plug it into the iPad charger instead of the regular charger.

Not every device will be able to charge faster when plugged into a USB charger that provides more power, it depends on the device itself. USB charging is pretty standard, you can plug any device into any USB charger without risk of catching fire (make sure the charger is genuine of course), some can draw the same amount of power as a regular charger, while some can draw more power from the charger to charge faster.

Use a good 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 transfer the full amount of power, which can make your smartphone or tablet charge much slower.

Put the phone down

Power consumption while your phone is charging will slow down the process. If you are charging your phone and playing a game, it will cause your phone to consume more power and slow down the charging process. Many people recommend putting your phone in airplane mode or even turning it off completely while charging in emergencies, but this is really inconvenient if you want to stay connected.

Use a backup battery

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

Some power banks are even designed to act as cases that can fit around your phone to charge it without having to carry an additional device in your pocket. If you often need to quickly charge your phone before heading out, make sure you have a power bank. Or if you’re driving, using a car charger can help with this too.

Some devices support Quick Charge, a feature of Qualcomm's mobile chips in many modern Android smartphones and tablets. Quick Charge allows your phone or tablet to charge faster from zero and slows down as the battery becomes full. This can allow you to charge up to 50% of your battery 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 come with your smartphone or tablet but must be purchased as a separate accessory.