Airplane mode
The easiest way to speed up the charging process is to switch your phone toAirplane mode before connecting your charger. What this does is shut off your handset’s connections to the cellular, Bluetooth, radio and Wifi services that sneakily suck power in the background, even when you’re not using your device.
Whether you’re an Android, ios or Windows Phone user, you can turn on Airplane mode by tapping the Settingsapp on your home screen, selecting‘Airplane Mode’, and sliding the toggle toOn. You’ll know this mode is enabled by the small airplane icon that will appear at the top of your phone’s screen .
Wall chargers vs USB ports
When it comes to how to charge your phone, official wall chargers that come packaged with your smartphone are the optimal choice. Wall chargers have a stronger amp output than the USB ports on your laptop or computer, and a charger produced by your phone’s manufacturer will work better than a cheap, third-party imitation.
Be warned: suspect imitation chargers have been associated with electrocutions and overheating, so we recommend avoiding them altogether and sticking with chargers approved by your phone’s manufacturer.
While a wall socket is best, if you regularly rely on your computer to keep your smartphone charged, you can work around the slower output from USB ports. Devices such as the ChargeDr claim to boost the power from your laptop or desktop computer’s ports, so that your smartphone will charge in half the usual time.
You can also hunt down specially designed cables with two ‘male’ USB connectors and one micro USB connector, so that you can charge a single device using the power from two USB ports at the same time.
And if you’re using an iPhone and have a newer model Macbook or iMac at home, your Apple product will automatically recognize your iPhone when it is connected, and will increase the output to your phone to speed up charging. Genius.
Quick chargers
If your device's official wall charger just isn't getting the job done fast enough, your phone may be compatible with quick charging accessories such as HTC'S Rapid Charger, or Samsung's Fast Charging pad. Newer Android devices support extra-fast charging, which basically just allows more power to be sucked up by your smartphone without damaging the battery - meaning you can take your handset back to 100% in record time.
Most quick chargers offer around 1.4 times the charging speeds of standard models, but you'll find that while your device will bounce back to 50% in no time, this may taper off as your phone's battery gets closer to 100%. Slowing down charging as your battery reaches capacity is necessary to prevent damage to your device, and although it's safe to use, you may notice that quick charging generates much more device heat than a standard wall charger.
Alternatively, you may also want to invest in an external battery pack for emergencies when you can't get to a power outlet. External batteries are priced at around $50 - $100, depending on capacity and capabilities, and can help make sure you're not stuck with a dead device on those long days when a powered-up smartphone is essential.
One last thing...
While all these tips are designed to help you get some extra juice for your handset when time is a factor, we don’t recommend using them on a daily basis. Overall, slow and steady charging is much better for your phone’s long-term battery life than pumping it full of power every time your device needs a top up
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