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How to fast charge an iPhone

Hannah DaviesBy 3 Mins Read
How to fast charge an iPhone

Have you ever been on your way out the door only to realise your phone has less than 10% battery? This is where fast charging comes to the rescue. Scroll down to learn everything you need to know about fast charging your iPhone. 

Apple originally introduced fast charging to its smartphones in 2017 with the iPhone 8 and, while its 18W charging isn’t anywhere near as fast as that on some Android phones like the 120W Xiaomi 12 Pro, it still promises to give you that initial 50% boost in just half an hour. 

The key to unlocking these faster charging speeds is to pick up an 18W (or 20W if you use an iPhone 12 or 13) power adapter. Sadly, Apple doesn’t provide a charging brick in the box anymore, but you can pick one up from Apple or a third-party brand for around $19/£19/€25. 

You can also get 15W fast charging wirelessly on the iPhone 12 or 13 using Apple’s MagSafe charger, though the Mini models are limited to 12W. That said, this guide covers how to charge your phone with a cable and adapter for the fastest possible charging speeds.

Keep reading to learn how to fast charge an iPhone. 

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What you’ll need: 

  • An iPhone 8 or above 
  • An 18W minimum power adapter (20W minimum for the iPhone 12 and 13) 

The Short Version 

  1. Get an 18W (or higher) power adapter 
  2. Plug in your phone 
  3. Wait 30 minutes

How to fast charge an iPhone

  1. Step 1.

    Find a power adapter

    Apple lists its own 18W, 20W, 29W, 30W, 61W, 87W and 96W adapters all as supporting fast charging, along with “comparable third-party power adapters” that support USB Power Delivery.

  2. Step 2.

    Plug your phone in to charge

    You’ll need to use a USB-C to Lightning cable alongside your adapter.

  3. Step 3.

    Wait

    You should see your phone hit 50% in around 30 minutes.

Troubleshooting

Where can I find the wattage of my adapter?

If you’re using an Apple power adapter, you can find the exact number of watts your adapter carries on the certification label on the top or bottom of the charging brick.

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Hannah Davies

Hannah Davies

Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions as a video production assistant and multimedia consultant at Washington College and has built websites and written content for Hometown Multimedia in Chestertown, Maryland.

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