Can You Use A USB-C Laptop Charger To Charge Your Phone?

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If you compare any modern laptop, like the Asus Zenbook Duo, and a smartphone, like the iPhone 16, you will find a lot of similarities in terms of what they can be used for. For instance, both devices can be used to access social media platforms, work on documents, join meetings, and more. Another thing that you will find common in laptops and smartphones these days is the use of USB-C technology. Interestingly, the technology has become a standard lately. As a result, it’s no longer limited to smartphones and laptops, but you’ll also find it on external hard drives, keyboards, mice, and more.

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If both your smartphone and laptop support USB-C charging, you might wonder if you can use your USB-C laptop charger to charge your smartphone. You’ve probably had this thought when you have lost your smartphone’s USB-C charger and are now looking for something to charge it. The short answer is yes, you can charge your smartphone with a USB-C laptop charger, but before you do so, there’s an important thing that you need to take care of.

You can use your USB-C laptop charger to charge your smartphone, but only if the charger supports USB-C PD charging. The availability of this technology allows the charger to talk with your smartphone about the maximum power it requires. It’s kind of like your smartphone saying to the charger, “Hey bro, I only need 20 W,” and the charger going along with it.

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Unfortunately, not all the USB-C chargers come with PD technology. If you use a USB-C laptop charger that doesn’t feature PD technology to charge your smartphone, you might eventually end up damaging your device’s battery. Luckily, you can easily find out if your laptop charger supports PD technology.

Usually, you’ll have a PD logo embedded on your laptop charger. If it’s not there, you can check the charger specification to confirm if it supports PD charging. Alternatively, you can check the output specification on the back of your charger. If you find multiple voltages embedded on your charger, like 5 V, 9 V, and 20 V, then it also means that your laptop charger supports PD charging.

There are two main advantages of charging your smartphone with a laptop USB-C charger. First, it ensures that you don’t have to purchase a separate charger for your smartphone. Second, and the most important, advantage is the high power rating of laptop chargers. Let’s say your smartphone is capable of charging at 65 W, but you have a mobile charger that’s capable of only charging at 45 W; then you won’t be able to charge your smartphone at its maximum capacity. A laptop charge, in this case, will provide the maximum power required by your smartphone, i.e., 65 W.

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