How To Make Your Phone Charge Faster When Traveling

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One of the scariest “first world problems” of technology that can happen while you’re traveling is when your phone is about to lose power. I mean, think of all the things you use your phone for when you’re traveling – travel documents, confirmations, membership numbers, addresses of places you’re going, maps, ride-sharing programs – SO MUCH! So when your phone battery is down to 2%, you want to charge your phone as much as you can as quickly as you can.

There are a bajillion (well, maybe not a bajillion. More like 3 or 4) ways to charge your phone but some will be faster than others.

Turn your phone onto airplane mode

When your phone’s on airplane mode, you stop your phone’s access to cell, Bluetooth and radio signals, all of which continually suck power from your phone, even if you’re not using it. Of course, you won’t be able to make or receive calls or texts, or use data or GPS while you’re in airplane mode, but your phone will charge faster because of that, as well.

Shut your phone off

Not a popular option but if your phone is turned all the way off, it won’t be using any power at all, which means it will get closer to 100% charge that much faster.

Use a wall charger

Wall chargers usually have a stronger amp output than USB ports on your laptop, computer or that you’ll sometimes find in walls, in hotel rooms, etc. There are even plug-in chargers available that do the job even faster.

If you do use a wall charger at an airport, be aware of these kinds – we don’t recommend using them, as they won’t charge your phone at all.

When it’s just as fast to use a USB charger

• if you’re using an iPhone and have a newer model Macbook or iMac, your Apple product will recognize your iPhone when it’s connected via USB, and will increase the output to your phone to help speed up charging.
• There are specially designed cables with 2 “male” USB connectors and one micro USB connector. If you have that and 2 USB ports, you can charge a single device using the power from 2 ports at the same time.
• There are also devices that claim to boost the power from your laptop or computer’s USB port so your phone can charge faster.

If you do use a wall charger at an airport or hotel, be aware of this.

Be prepared

Sometimes it’s just better to be prepared for your battery going low – just have a fully charged battery pack, or a phone case that doubles as a charger. They won’t necessarily charge your phone faster, but they allow you to charge while you’re on the go, instead of being connected to a wall charger.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary