Can iPhone Cable Charge MacBook – Understanding the Basics
The simple answer is yes, you certainly can use an iPhone charger to charge your MacBook Pro, but it’s not as straightforward as you might think. Having experimented with this setup countless times during travel emergencies, I can tell you it works but comes with significant limitations that every Apple user should understand.
You’ll need either a USB-A to USB-C cable if you’re using the standard old 5W iPhone charger that was supplied with older iPhones, or a USB-C to USB-C cable for newer iPhone chargers with USB-C connectors. Your MacBook Pro must have USB-C ports for this method to work at all – older MacBook Pros with MagSafe connectors won’t work since there are no USB-to-MagSafe adapters available.
Why Can iPhone Cable Charge MacBook So Slowly?
Here’s where things get tricky. iPhone chargers typically provide between 5W to 30W of power, while MacBook Pro chargers range from 30W to 140W depending on your model. My 2020 MacBook Pro comes with a 96W Fast Charger, and when I calculated the difference – that’s a massive 66W gap! What normally takes an hour with the proper charger becomes an overnight charge cycle.
The low Watt output means your MacBook will charge extremely slowly. From my experience, you’ll need to keep your laptop sleeping or completely shutdown during this process. If you try using your MacBook Pro while it’s plugged into an iPhone charger, the charger simply won’t provide enough juice to both run the laptop and charge the battery simultaneously.
Technical Compatibility and Limitations
Recent Apple devices have made this process somewhat easier. Apple has supplied newer iPhone models with more powerful USB C chargers, though they’re still lower than what’s needed to charge a MacBook Pro in reasonable time. Even the most powerful iPhone chargers are considered overkill for any phone on the market but still inadequate for laptops.
With USB-PD technology, the old concept of separate phone charger and laptop charger categories is changing. Now we have 20W power supply units well-suited for fast-charging small devices, and 60W to 100W power supplies that can charge laptops – some faster than others. For ultrabooks, a 35W to 45W charger might be adequate, but you’ll still need to turn off your MBPro and wait for it to charge eventually.
My Personal Experience and Warnings
I wouldn’t recommend this as a regular charging method. I once received warnings immediately after plugging in an incompatible charger into my MacBook Pro. After a week of doing this, the warnings never disappeared and my battery needed to be replaced – an expensive lesson learned.
The Apple charger is an adaptive charger with a specific profile set to charge your MacBook fast without attempting to shorten the life of your battery. When you use an iPhone charger, you’re bypassing these optimizations. However, when plugged in, it will reduce the power taken from your battery by that 5W, significantly extending your battery run time and potentially your battery lifetime by reducing the rate at which you use up cycles.
Alternative Solutions That Actually Work
USB sockets on computers can charge external devices effectively. I’ve connected various gadgets to my iMac to charge them, though this draws power from your Mac and will drain your battery if you’re not plugged into a wall outlet. For travel, I now use a plug-in multicharger with 4 charging ports – incredibly useful when on holiday or business trips.
If you have a 3 year old MacBook Pro or newer with USB C connections, you can theoretically make this work if the laptop is turned off and you have a suitable cable. But it will take an impractically long time – it might not even finish overnight going from empty to full.
Making the Best Decision
Rather than struggling with slow charging, consider buying a proper MacBook Pro charger as a backup. You can charge an iPhone using a USB C MacBook Pro charger perfectly fine and fast, so perhaps invest in the higher-wattage option instead of trying to make an iPhone charger do a job it wasn’t designed for.
The bottom line? While this method certainly can work for emergency situations, it’s better using the appropriate charger for each device. Your MacBook will thank you, your battery will last longer, and you’ll avoid those annoying compatibility warnings that can signal deeper issues down the road.
If you found this guide helpful and want to learn more iPhone tips and tricks, visit our site for comprehensive guides on iPhone charging solutions, cable compatibility, power bank recommendations, and troubleshooting common iPhone charging issues. We regularly publish in-depth articles covering everything from iPhone battery optimization to choosing the right accessories for your Apple devices.
