Recommendations to fast-charge iPhone or iPad often include picking up the $20 20W power adapter from Apple or similar from a third-party. But what if you already have a higher-powered USB-C charger from your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air? Follow along for which iPhones and iPads you can fast charge with Apple’s MacBook chargers.
Apple used to ship an 18W USB-C power adapter with the iPhone 11 Pro models and the 5W adapter with older iPhones. However, starting in fall 2020 with the iPhone 12/12 Pro launch, Apple has stopped included a power adapter in the box with all new iPhones.
Fast charging offers around 50% battery in 30 minutes. But picking up a new USB-C to Lightning cable and 20W charging block from Apple costs $40 if you need both. Third-party options often cost less, but what about using something you already have?
The good news is that most recent iPhones and iPads work with all of the Mac notebook USB-C chargers, even the 96W model that comes with the 16-inch MacBook Pro. While it may sound risky at first, it’s safe to use any of Apple’s USB-C chargers, as your iPhone or iPad is what determines the power it receives, not the charger. Apple even does its own testing with the whole range of its USB-C power adapters.
Note: depending on the current capacity of your battery, your device will pull different levels of power. For example, a battery at 10% will draw more power than one at 80%.
Fast-charge iPhone and iPad with MacBook chargers?
Apple says the following iOS devices are compatible with the 18W, 20W, 29W, 30W, 61W, 87W, and 96W adapters for fast charging:
- iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and later
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation and later)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
- iPad Pro 10.5-inch
- iPad Air 3rd generation and later
- iPad mini 5th generation
Apple notes you can use its USB-C to Lightning cable or that “a comparable third-party USB-C power adapter that supports USB Power Delivery (USB-PD)” will also work like Anker’s Powerline series.
If you are looking for a more flexible USB-C charger or want to pick up an extra one, RAVPower makes a great dual-port 90W GaN model (reviewed) that’s more compact than Apple’s chargers. Another nice alternative is Anker’s 36W dual-port USB-C charger. Both allow you to fast charge two iPhones or iPads simultaneously.
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