While other smartphone makers are rapidly increasing the battery sizes and charging speeds of their devices, Apple has always been relatively conservative. Fortunately, the iPhone 16 series changed that with substantial upgrades to both.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide full of tips and tricks for charging your iPhone as fast as possible without degrading its battery, including the latest iPhone 16 models and older devices.
Combined with some incredibly useful life-saving iPhone battery tips given by a former Apple employee, we want to make sure that your iPhone is always fully charged when you need it to be. Here’s everything you need to know about fast charging.
How to fast charge your iPhone 16
Image source: Christian de Looper for BGRApple has increased the charging speeds for both wired and wireless charging using an updated MagSafe accessory. While a 20W adapter can still get the job done, a 30W (or higher) adapter can offer sustained charging speeds, especially if you like to use your iPhone 16 while charging it. That being said, this is what you need to fast charge the iPhone 16:
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- A 20W or 30W+ power adapter
- A USB-C to USB-C cable (like the one that came with your new iPhone)
When it comes to MagSafe, Apple has increased charging speeds to 25W, up from 15W. Now you can charge your brand new iPhone from 0 to 50% in 30 minutes, but you need the following accessories in order to do so:
- The new MagSafe charger
- Apple’s 30W adapter
How to preserve your iPhone’s battery life
Image source: Apple Inc.iOS 18 expanded charging limit options for iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. While you could previously cap charging at 80%, you now have options for 85%, 90%, and 95%. Apple says this expands the battery’s longevity over time by reducing the time the iPhone spends fully charged.
Some testing revealed that after a year, capping charging at 80% slightly improved the battery life health of an iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, it might have a greater impact over a few years. That said, if you plan on keeping your iPhone 15 or 16 for a while, you might want to utilize this feature:
- In your iPhone’s Settings app, tap Battery
- Select Charging
- Choose between 80%, 85%, 90%, and 95% charging limits
Choosing the right accessories improves your iPhone’s battery life
Newer iPhones charge at a maximum of 30W, so you don’t need to use a Mac’s 96W plug or any fancy GaN charger that could handle your car, iPad, Mac, and phone simultaneously. For example, Apple’s own 30W charger is a perfect tool.
More recently, BGR reported on a test about several different USB cable lifespans, with Apple’s USB to Lightning being more resistant than similar charging cables from Belkin, Anker, and Samsung. This means you don’t need to overthink your decision; going all in with Apple already ensures you can hit the fastest charging speeds on your device.
