iPad Today I Learned (TIL) - USB-C iPad can charge a Lightning iPhone!

[erihp]

This really came in handy today, with a dead phone, dead powerbank, an ipad with full of battery, but spent data plan.

Hooked up USB-C to Lightning cable and the iPhone sprung back to life!
I'm honestly a little surprised this wasnt blocked by Apple

 

[BigBlur]

You can also use it to charge an Apple Watch, another iPad, or third-party USB device.

Use your iPad to charge other devices​

Away from a power outlet and need to charge your iPhone, other iPad, Apple Watch, or third-party USB device? Just connect the right cable or adapter to your iPad to share its long-lasting battery with your other devices:

• To charge your iPhone or earlier-model iPad that has a Lightning port, connect it to your iPad using the Apple USB-C to Lightning Cable (1 m). If you have a Lightning to USB cable, you can combine it with the Apple USB-C to USB Adapter, then connect the adapter to your iPad.
• If you have two iPad models with USB-C ports, you can connect them directly with a USB-C cable. One iPad will draw power from the other. If you want to change which iPad charges, unplug the USB-C cable and then reconnect them.
• Charge your Apple Watch by connecting its Magnetic Charging Cable to your iPad via the Apple USB-C to USB Adapter. If you have an Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable, you can connect it directly to your iPad.

Charge and connect with the USB-C port on your iPad - Apple Support

Use the versatile USB-C port on your iPad to charge, connect to accessories like external storage devices, cameras, and displays, and power other devices.

support.apple.com

 

[Realityck]

That's good to know its like having a 5000 mAh battery with enough to get you a out of power iPhone charged some small percentage when you need it urgently. Note previous mini 6 battery capacity was 5177 mAh,

 

[ericwn]

Why would anyone be surprised if this wasn’t blocked??? I can charge my portable stuff on Macs for ages.

 

[erihp]

Why would anyone be surprised if this wasn’t blocked??? I can charge my portable stuff on Macs for ages.

yeah, apple -never- blocks things you should just be able to do

 

[erihp]

That's good to know its like having a 5000 mAh battery with enough to get you a out of power iPhone charged some small percentage when you need it urgently. Note previous mini 6 battery capacity was 5177 mAh,

remember this value is not comparable to any other maH rating when the nominal battery voltage is higher than the traditional 3.7v spicy pillows. there is more power in an ipad battery because they are greater than 3.7v

 

[ericwn]

yeah, apple -never- blocks things you should just be able to do

In charging affairs? News to me. Software access, certainty.

 

[erihp]

In charging affairs? News to me. Software access, certainty.

ever tried to charge an iphone with another iphone? or maybe airpods with an iphone via wireless charging? competition has had it for ages.

im sure there is a great reason but to pretend 'charging affairs' are immune from what they think you should be able to do is laughable.

not big deal but we dont have to pretend

cool?

 

[ericwn]

ever tried to charge an iphone with another iphone? or maybe airpods with an iphone via wireless charging? competition has had it for ages.

im sure there is a great reason but to pretend 'charging affairs' are immune from what they think you should be able to do is laughable.

not big deal but we dont have to pretend

cool?

There’s no pretending going on here at all but interesting to see you jump to conclusions quickly. I have used iPhone for a long time and haven’t used the competition in a long time so my exposure to that experience is minimal. In fairness, the feature sounds like something I have easily lived without it and an easy to forget about “just because “ thing.
Still, the iPad having a much larger battery than a phone, it seems a useful tool in that scenario.

 

[erihp]

There’s no pretending going on here at all but interesting to see you jump to conclusions quickly. I have used iPhone for a long time and haven’t used the competition in a long time so my exposure to that experience is minimal. In fairness, the feature sounds like something I have easily lived without it and an easy to forget about “just because “ thing.
Still, the iPad having a much larger battery than a phone, it seems a useful tool in that scenario.

it is, i agree.
so much so in fact that i believe the iphone should let me do the same thing.

i should be able to determine what to do with which battery, and not hope to be 'allowed' to. pop up a choice.

maybe its coming?

 

[Abazigal]

This really came in handy today, with a dead phone, dead powerbank, an ipad with full of battery, but spent data plan.

Hooked up USB-C to Lightning cable and the iPhone sprung back to life!
I'm honestly a little surprised this wasnt blocked by Apple

I am pretty sure Apple actually marketed it as a feature of the 2018 iPad Pro (the first iPad to come with a usb-c port).

 

[erihp]

I am pretty sure Apple actually marketed it as a feature of the 2018 iPad Pro (the first iPad to come with a usb-c port).

its a damn shame its only ipad. great feature

 

[Abazigal]

its a damn shame its only ipad. great feature

I am pretty sure this would work with any computer sporting a usb c port. Has anyone tried this with the newer iPhones? I suspect it will work too.

 

[erihp]

I am pretty sure this would work with any computer sporting a usb c port. Has anyone tried this with the newer iPhones? I suspect it will work too.

i think you can power a low power device but i dont think you can charge another usb-c iphone

edit: iPhone 15 and up CAN charge a other iphone!

 

[Menge]

I can confirm my iPhone 15 Pro is able to charge my wife's iPhone 12 Pro.

 

[ericwn]

it is, i agree.
so much so in fact that i believe the iphone should let me do the same thing.

i should be able to determine what to do with which battery, and not hope to be 'allowed' to. pop up a choice.

maybe its coming?

I personally don’t need that functionality as my AirPods are always in a charging case and there’s plenty charging options in my life but that’s just me. I don’t think it’s a question of being allowed to but rather a question of what Apple is happy to spend their dev time on. As we could see with the introduction of wireless charging once there was enough momentum it was a feature on the phone.

 

[MacCheetah3]

it is, i agree.
so much so in fact that i believe the iphone should let me do the same thing.

i should be able to determine what to do with which battery, and not hope to be 'allowed' to. pop up a choice.

maybe its coming?

its a damn shame its only ipad. great feature

It’s iPhone 15 and newer as well.

Charge other devices with your iPhone​

You can use your iPhone 15 and later to charge your AirPods, Apple Watch, or another small device that supports USB Power Delivery at up to 4.5 watts.

• If you have another device with a USB-C connector, connect it to your iPhone with a USB-C cable, such as the one included with your iPhone.
• To charge a device that has a Lightning connector, connect it to your iPhone using an Apple USB-C to Lightning cable.
• Charge your Apple Watch by connecting an Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable directly to your iPhone. You can also connect a Magnetic Charging Cable to your iPhone with the Apple USB-C to USB Adapter.

Charge and connect with the USB-C connector on your iPhone - Apple Support

USB-C is a universally accepted standard that enables charging, syncing data, and playing audio and video. iPhone 15 and later models have a USB-C connector, which allows you to charge and connect to a variety of devices, including Mac, iPad, AirPods Pro (2nd generation), external storage...

support.apple.com

It apparently satisfied many who were excited by the reverse wireless charging rumors, but not all, of course. Basically, it was noted feature of these devices.

 

[erihp]

It’s iPhone 15 and newer as well.

Charge and connect with the USB-C connector on your iPhone - Apple Support

USB-C is a universally accepted standard that enables charging, syncing data, and playing audio and video. iPhone 15 and later models have a USB-C connector, which allows you to charge and connect to a variety of devices, including Mac, iPad, AirPods Pro (2nd generation), external storage...

support.apple.com

It apparently satisfied many who were excited by the reverse wireless charging rumors, but not all, of course. Basically, it was noted feature of these devices.

thanks! informative!

 

[jaytv111]

You could power share from iPads for 6 years now! (well on iPad Pros for 6 years, Air, Mini, and plain iPads came later)

On iPhones you can do this since the 15, only 1 year.

ever tried to charge an iphone with another iphone? or maybe airpods with an iphone via wireless charging? competition has had it for ages.

im sure there is a great reason but to pretend 'charging affairs' are immune from what they think you should be able to do is laughable.

not big deal but we dont have to pretend

cool?

On Lightning iPhones, they couldn't power share because when Apple designed Lightning, they didn't envision anyone would ever want that feature so they never incorporated it, kind of a nuisance for some types of USB peripherals with the Lightning to A adapter too, you'd need to plug a power adapter into the adapter.

Lightning was just behind, a shame USB-C iPhones didn't come earlier.

As far as I can tell, the Airpods magnet is in the wrong direction to work on the iPhone, they would repel each other, because they both want to bind to a magnetic charger in the same direction, like magnets repel, opposite magnets attract. Samsung and others don't do magnets on wireless charging, hence they can power share. Kind of would take magnets instead of wireless power sharing to be honest, wireless charging is a waste of energy so it's best in a plug-in scenario, not a mobile scenario. And I have enjoyed Magsafe/Qi2 because it never misses, I've had Qi and it would miss and I would have a phone not on charger because it's slightly off position, but Magsafe has not done that to me yet.