Because it’s quick and handy, many people in everyday life will use their laptop’s USB port to immediately charge their smartphone. People often use this technique for emergencies, particularly in public locations with scarce outlets, like airports. However, it seems that the phone is using power more quickly than it would after being charged via a charger. The question of whether it is safe to charge a cell phone with a laptop will then arise. If you are wondering the same, you are at the right place. This blog will explain everything you need to regarding charging your smartphones from a laptop
Is it safe to charge your phone with a laptop charger?
How long will it take to either purchase a new portable charger or receive your old one back?
When you come home and realize what you did wrong, you begin to consider your choices.
To prepare for scenarios like these, you may want to get a solar charger and battery bank.
Then your laptop comes to mind. It is connected to a power source that refuels its battery pack as well.
The connector seems to fit into your phone if you have a more recent model laptop.
DO YOU RISK IT?
Will your phone pleasantly recharge to 100% or will it sputter, smoke, and eventually turn into an expensive paperweight?
You can charge your phone securely if the plug fits, at least theoretically.
Take some time to understand why that is and why it may not function before you connect it.
If the plug fits, is it safe to use your laptop charger to charge your phone?
You may not have thought to attempt such a thing with older computers.
A round hole that fits into a round socket is the standard for laptop chargers.
You could have imagined that an adaptor should be created to change a laptop connector into a phone plug.
But it wouldn’t have been safe, and it wouldn’t have done any good either.
You see, the phone would not have received a sufficient charge from an earlier laptop adapter because the voltage and amperage levels were too high.
Two things need to occur for a laptop charger to securely charge a phone.
- The plug must first slide into the socket.
- A protocol must be shared by both the charger and the phone.
That’s just a fancy way of stating that they must communicate in the same language.
The charger must recognize the amount of power the phone requests from it and must adapt accordingly.
Is It Safe to Charge Your Phone With a USB-C Laptop Charger?
Phones and laptops used to have a wide variety of chargers.
Therefore, if you lost your charger, you had to be cautious to get the exact same charger for your gadget.
You need a Macbook charger for your laptop.
It has to have the appropriate connection for your phone’s charging port.
Customers were outraged by this, and even the industry acknowledged that it was an issue.
Finally, a group named the USB Implementor’s Forum (USB-IF) took action.
Major companies from the industry, including Intel, Apple, and Microsoft, are members of the USB-IF.
A USB-C CONNECTOR was introduced by USB-IF in 2014. It would enable a universal charger and become the industry standard.
The USB-C connector is compact and strong enough to refuel a laptop battery while fitting inside a phone.
The USB-C standard has finally arrived after many years of waiting for a variety of gadgets.
Any major-brand laptop or Android smartphone will come with a USB-C port.
Even Apple has joined the movement.
Newer iPhone models use USB-C instead of their proprietary lightning connection.
Why Should You Care About USBs?
Universal Serial Bus, or USB, has been in use since the mid-1990s.
It offered a standard plug and socket as well as a standard protocol for computers and connected devices.
For connecting external USB devices like CD players and external hard drives, one would typically utilize a USB port.
The USB port on a laptop may also be used to charge USB-compatible devices, such as e-readers.
It was necessary to use a special charging cable (it was included with the e-reader or other device) to charge your laptop using an old USB port.
On one end, a conventional USB connector was required, and on the other, a piece that could be inserted into the reader.
1 USB Size Is Important
Previous USB connectors were big, far too big to be useful for a phone.
However, a USB-C connector is an ideal size. Here is one more benefit of USB-C. The older USB connectors fit into the slot in a certain direction. They wouldn’t move if you flipped them around on their side.
The same annoying truth applies to outdated phone charging plugs. There is no upside-down while using USB-C connectors. No matter how you position them, they work the first time because they are reversible.
USB-PD Protocol
You could consider your charger to be a reasonably simple gadget that just connects to an outlet and produces electricity.
But that’s underselling it.
An uninformed wall charger is not all that a USB-C charger is.
It must be able to understand a protocol, which is equivalent to speaking a language.
USB Power Delivery, often known as USB-PD, is that protocol.
Even if the plug and socket fit, charging your phone without a USB-PD-compliant charger is risky.
It is unable to build a relationship with the phone to choose the right power output level.
When your phone and charger are both USB-PD compliant, they may communicate with one another.
How much voltage and amperage the phone can handle is sent to the charger. The level that the phone needs is provided by the charger.
A USB-C charger is a kind of power adaptor with many power output levels; the phone detects which level is needed and uses that.
Another layer of security is added by a contemporary smartphone battery.
It contains an internal charge controller that controls input voltage and prevents overcharging of the phone.
Does Your Laptop Charger Charge Your Phone More Effectively Than Your Phone Charger?
If you have the proper laptop charger, it can operate more quickly than the charger that comes with your phone.
This is due to the fact that it has a higher energy capacity than a typical phone charger.
The protocol that permits rapid charging is USB-PD.
Even if you ultimately replace your outdated phone charger, you could discover that the laptop charger recharges your battery up to 100% quicker.
The Potential Pitfalls of Fake USB-C Chargers
Do you recall when I said that charging was probably safe as long as the plug fits the socket?
Sadly, there are a few rare instances when it isn’t.
The good news is that you won’t probably encounter them.
Some dishonest producers created FAKE USB-C CHARGERS in the early days of USB-C charging.
They seemed to function, but they didn’t.
Furthermore, they don’t speak the correct language, even if their plug fits into the socket. They don’t follow the USB-PD standard, to put it more precisely.
Finding these imposters is becoming more and more difficult.
Retailers like Amazon have BANNED THEM from their websites as a consequence of doing so.
You’re set to go if your brand-name laptop comes with a charger that works with your phone.
On the other hand, if you purchased a charger at a yard sale, make sure it is a true USB-C charger with USB-PD protocol by giving it a close inspection.
How Can I Tell If My Phone Charger Is Fake?
It might be difficult to distinguish between excellent and substandard chargers from a photo on eBay. However, if you actually have the said charger in your hands, there are a number of characteristics that separate the genuine from the fake.
- The plug of a legitimate charger will contain text and safety markings. Between the two bottom pins on the underside, there should be a CE mark. All text will be appropriately spelled.
- Real USB-C chargers feature uniformly high-quality and finished plugs. The fake plug often has flaws and is glossy or shiny.
- Fake chargers often weigh less. This is a result of important components being omitted to save costs. The portion of the wall adapter that plugs into the outlet must weigh at least 40 grams. This equates to 1.4 ounces. Even so, the phony USB cable can be a tiny bit lighter than the real one.
Buy a new charger from a reputable vendor if you need to replace your USB-C laptop charger or simply want a more efficient charger for your smartphone!