But the question is—can you charge a laptop with your phone? In this guide, we’ll show you how you can charge a laptop using your smartphone. We’ll also go over alternative methods, such as how to charge your laptop with a phone charger. Read this guide to learn more.
How to Charge a Laptop Using your Phone
Although there are several ways to charge your laptop, the last thing on your mind is to use a smartphone as a charging device. Smartphones, like laptops, also have a rechargeable battery and are usually charged using their charging cord. But the good news is newer smartphones can also be used as a power source.
1 How to Charge a Laptop Using your Phone2 Charging your Laptop Using a Phone Charger3 Charging your Laptop using a Power Bank4 Use a Universal Adapter5 Final Thoughts
However, not all phones can provide power; your phone must have a USB Type-C port for it to be considered a power source. All other types, such as USB type-B—which is common on older phone models—can only receive power and transfer data. But it’s best to temper your expectations since a phone battery is significantly smaller than a laptop battery in terms of size and power; hence, it can only provide limited power. To charge a laptop using your smartphone, you’ll need a double-ended USB Type-C cable and a fully charged smartphone. Just plug the USB-C cable on both the laptop and your phone and select the USB option that indicates supplying power—it should begin transferring power from your phone’s battery. Once it’s charging, here are other tips to get the most out of your phone’s battery:
Turn off all wireless features – Since you won’t be using your phone’s Wi-Fi, location services or GPS, mobile data, and other wireless features while charging, it’s best to turn them off to reserve all power on charging.
Switch your laptop to Airplane Mode – On a similar note, you can enable Airplane Mode on your laptop to effectively turn off all its wireless features and preserve battery power. Use a quality charging cable – Quality USB-C cables can handle up to 100 watts of power; that’s why investing in a quality one is a great choice. USB-C cables can theoretically charge your laptop, especially when using an adapter.
There are several disadvantages to this method; first off, you’re getting limited power from your smartphone. Even if you’re able to drain your phone’s battery, it still won’t significantly increase the laptop’s battery power. Also, it’s not healthy for your phone battery to be drained daily. So, this should be considered as a last resort to power up your laptop.
Charging your Laptop Using a Phone Charger
Although it’s not the most practical thing to do, it’s possible to charge a laptop using your phone. But what if your phone dies out or you forgot it at home? Can you charge a laptop with a phone charger? The answer is, yes. So, if you have your phone’s charger with you, that’s a great alternative. As mentioned earlier, it’s possible to charge your laptop using a USB-C connector. Since it can hold as much as 100 watts of power, you can easily charge your laptop using this type of connection. However, the main thing that enables a laptop to receive similar power as using a USB-C charger is the adapter. Assuming you have a phone adapter with you, it can only deliver 5 watts of power. It’s a huge difference if you have a quality laptop adapter that can deliver up to 30 watts of power. So, expect to have a slow charging process if you’re going to use a USB-C cable with a phone adapter. To charge your laptop using a phone charger, just plug the charger into your laptop’s USB-C slot like you would do on your smartphone— it will soon deliver power to your laptop. If you’re still looking for other alternatives, read on below.
Charging your Laptop using a Power Bank
Similar to your phone, you can also charge your laptop using a power bank. If it supports USB-C connections, it’s even more ideal. But while your phone can seamlessly charge on most budget power banks, your laptop needs to have a larger one to effectively be considered as a practical power source. Ideally, you can use power banks that have 10,000 mAh or greater to charge your laptop. To use a power bank as a charger, just plug the USB-C cord into your laptop and power bank and it should begin receiving power.
Use a Universal Adapter
For older laptops, it’s best to invest in a universal adapter since it has various interchangeable tips that should support your laptop’s power port. In some situations, you can connect this device to a car’s cigarette lighter that holds up to 12 volts. These tips are widely available online; so, in case you lose one, you can replace it for cheap. Using a universal adapter is similar to using your laptop’s original power supply. However, there’s sometimes a higher risk of using universal adapters—due to fluctuations in voltage or amperage, the laptop battery can overheat and be damaged in the long run. So, it’s still best to use your original power supply to preserve your laptop’s battery.
Final Thoughts
Charging your laptop is an easy task to do once you have it that supports a USB-C connection. Also, if you’re using a newer model of smartphone, you can use it as a temporary power supply, along with your phone’s charging cord. Fast charging adapters are a better option to charge your laptop better than your phone’s original adapter. Hence, this guide will hopefully help you when you’re looking for ways to charge your laptop using your phone. Just remember to use a quality USB-C charging cable to avoid risks such as overheating and short circuits.
