Gary, this is why I am a subscriber. You give excellent, reliable, and quick explanations for everything and I do not expect you to work for nothing. You deserve to be paid. Thank you for all your hard work.
This is an excellent and accurate video. I have gotten into so many arguments over the years with people trying to say that a high amp charger can damage your device and that's just not the case. As long as the volts are the same, you're good to go. The device will only pull what it needs.
My takeaway was that you can use the MacBook charger to charge an iPhone (using the right cable). I hadn't realised that the device being charged will take what it needs even if the charger has a high output.
I use a MacBook Pro for work, and did not realize you could use its USB-C ports for charging. If I need to bring it on the road, I can leave the power brick and MagSafe cable at home. Thanks for the video!
Very useful, thanks Gary. I have read that Apple chargers protect iPhones and iPads by slowing down the charger when the battery is nearly full. Is this true, or is it the iPhone or iPad that slows down the charging?
One point you didn’t really touch on regarding the differences between usb A and C is that usb A is only ever capable of supplying 5 volts. USB C can negotiate different voltages…if the charger supports it. (ie 5v, 9v, 12v, 20v, etc). So using ohms law, if a device can negotiate a higher voltage, this equates to more wattage at less current than lower voltages which allows for smaller wire gauges to be used. It’s really cool that it’s able to do this now, but unfortunately adds more complexity that the average user would likely not understand. The cable is important too. Some really cheap USB C cables may not have the data lines to support the auto negotiation or worse allow negotiation of more power than the conductor size can handle without heating up. For that reason I try to avoid the really cheap cables.
Just as long as the charger supports USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 or 3.1 specifications, you should be able to safely charge newer iPhones with no issues. I have a Baseus 120 watt USB-C charger and I can safely charge my iPhone 12 with a USB Type C to Lightning cable.
but charging cables are important a 65 W charger with a wrong cable may charge only in 15 W, I personaly tested it and you can see it in system report/hardware/power section the power your macbook is charging with.
Thanks for this. My Canon R3 camera can charge from USB C but is VERY picky about which chargers it will accept a charge from. It will not accept a charge from my Powerbook Charger. But it will accept a charge from my MacBook. This is with the same cable...
I do. I'm too clumsy and it would get scratched up otherwise. But made sure nothing impedes it closing normally. Even the smallest bit of material between the screen and keyboard could break it.
my suggestion is to buy 65W and 85W GaN chargers. 65W GaN chargers will handle any 14" MBP and smaller. They are much smaller than Apple 60w MBP charger, much cheaper, and have multiple USB C and A ports. You have a lot more versatility and a much smaller package. For each 65W GaN charger, I will have both a Magsafe 3 cable and USB-C 65 watt connected to it. This way I can plug in my phone, MBP, or PC laptop, Android tablet..whatever I throw at it. Another tip is for the rather limiting single port MBP charger, is that if you have a cheap unused USB mobile dock sitting around, you can plug that dock into the MBP charger then plug the Magsafe or USB cable into the Power Delivery port. This way you will have additional USB C and USB A ports to plug other stuff into.
Thank you for that. I think it’s so wrong that we pay so much for phones and get no charger. I’ve been using chargers that came with my older phones until I got my 15 pro. Last year I got a new iPad and use that charger for my phone. I now have a drawer with several chargers that I can’t use (I know I could buy compatible cables, but object to paying out more).
Many years ago I had to replace the nicad battery in my acer laptop, I bought what I thought was was a suitable replacement, when it failed and caused some minor damage both acer and my insurer refused to pay out stating my only choice was a recommended but expensive official product, my cheap purchase put me out of any cover as stated in the small print. When I moved over to the Apple ecosystem I always ensure I am using official Apple products purchased from them directly or through their stores, chargers, cables, etc, yes I know its expensive but it gives me peace of mind, I also avoid cheap Chinese made adapters, they claim they are safe & certified but I wouldn’t risk using them on an expensive macbook.
I really appreciate this information. I just purchased a new MacBook and was wondering if it was necessary to use the charger that came with it. Thank you so much!
I bought an adapter kit so I could use a normal charging cable. Dam near broke the thing so a tech buddy had to help me. I'm gladly running on USB-C with a gas station charging cable. It's slightly faster, but that's not really a problem.
I have been using Anker IQ chargers with both my iphone and my M1 macbook air. They work great. I use a 45w Anker charger for the macbook air and it charges really fast. I believe I got 50% charge in less than 45 mins, maybe even more charge. I think my MBA only came with a 30w or possibly a 20w charger. I have an anker IQ 30w I use with my phone and Ipad and both of those charge fine, the iphone 13 pro charges very fast as well. Seems like I get better charging over that than my 45w charger that I use with my MBA. So thats why I have multiple charging blocks.
The M1 air comes with a 30w charger by default. I have the same model. Good move to get a higher power aftermarket charger. I bought a 30w aftermarket charger, but it won't charge my M1 air, as it actually provides far less than 30 watts, despite what the label says. Works fine with tablets and phones though, which draw less power. I will get another aftermarket charger in the future, but like you, I will go for at least 45w. I guess the only difference between the aftermarket and the apple charger brick, is that both are labelled 30w, but only one of them actually provides that much power. Lesson learned.
I almost never buy true (OEM) chargers or cables. I’ve noticed that while Apple chargers tend to have a long useful life, a few of the non-Apple chargers and cables just don’t last long. They flat quit working. Does someone make a cable or charger tester that will tell me if a charger block or cable still has continuity?
Thank you and Im so sorry! I have a question... I just recieved a replacement printer- the other one had issues. They are exactly the same model and make, although this one of course is a few years newer (2021 vs 2024) Would it be best to remove the printer, and uninstall all the drives and then when i plug the new one in, Re-install them as a ‘clean’/fresh install to set up the new printer (or it will do it automatically like last time)? I hope that make sense! Thank you! I have a macbook pro and the printer is an epson workforce printer Oh! When i got the first printer, I didnt actually go to the site and dowload it all... Just did it automatically when i hooked it all up. I would hate to uninstall it and have issues re-installing but thought it may be best to install the new one as if I never had one before.... what would you do? And sorry this must sound dumb
One issue that could be addressed is using charging devices in your car. In 2018, I bought a new iPad. Twice after charging it in a friend's car, the iPad screen became distorted. I exchanged those iPads at Best Buy and haven't had problems after avoiding charging it in a vehicle. Someone suggested the problem was my friend having a cheap charger in his car.
I can't think of why a charger would cause this. I think it must have been something else non-power related. Like the heat or sun in the car, or how it was sitting while charging.
@@macmost I also had a similar experience with my iPhone 11. I had reported this issue to Apple support (in an Apple retail outlet). Apple support had me check on some confounding factors like exposure to Sun, phone case, kind of cable, etc.. but there was no explanation. Problem 1: As soon as I got into my car, I used to put my phone on the power mat. It used to charge my phone wirelessly but past 30 min of wireless charging my device used to heat up! Problem 2: My car doesn't support wireless CarPlay. During long drives, I used to connect my phone using a cable to get CarPlay features like navigation, music, etc.. Again my device used to heat up. I could not enjoy CarPlay features on my car because of the fear of heating up my phone. Problem 3: Even if I did not want to charge my phone (either wirelessly or via cable), I could not put my phone securely while driving. I hate to keep my phone in my pockets while driving. The power mat was a perfect shaded place. I finally ended up insulting the power mat with a thin wooden brick as recommended by one of the Apple representatives in the store. My wife also had an iPhone 11 at that time but her phone did not show any of these heating problems when she used my car. However, my iPhone 11 did well for 4 years despite these issues. The battery health was at 85% when I traded it for iPhone 15 plus. I am glad I don't have these issues now with iPhone 15 plus.
Thanks for this! I've been using ugreen's power brick that can accommodate max of 3 charging cords for my iphone, ipad and watch for some time now. but when my partner bought his samsung s24 he was told by the sales person to specifically use only a 20w power brick since anything higher would damage his phone -- that got me thinking about my charging practices for apple
Two items I wish you had covered… First, You didn’t mention anything about charging an Apple Watch. Would love to hear about third-party products to could do that or even cables. My second question would be if there’s any harm to leaving your MacBook Pro plugged in when not use.
You need to have that special charging pad to charge the watch, but third party ones are fine. I use a cheap compact one while traveling in fact. And you can plug it into any USB power and it should work. There's definitely no harm to leaving your MacBook plugged in while not using it. That's the normal way to do it. Why wouldn't you? Keep it charged so if you need to use it away from power it is ready.
@@macmost I was a little concerned about battery degradation if left plugged in. Not many years ago, it was recommended to completely discharge and recharge a battery regularly for phones and laptops.
@@macmost Well yes my last laptop was probably that long ago but my MBPro health is at 88% after only a year and appears to have lost 1000 mAh in just a year
@@OMG-2 Not great, but how many cycles? If you were not keeping it plugged in and draining battery needlessly when you weren't using it, then you may have used a lot more cycles than you needed to, which could account for it.
I am using the 12 mini and I am still using an old 2A USB-A brick with 2 outlets. I charge my iphone and my backup nexus 5 on it. been using that charger since my iphone 5s
Great video! I have a couple of portable phone chargers I am not looking to upgrade right away… if I use a USB-A to USB-C cable, will I still get the fast charging “PD” from the USB-C portion of the cable?
Good one! I always had these questions in mind. Q: Can I charge iPad Pro and iPhone using MacBooks charger? (Will they heat up or won’t work? You mentioned I can use iPads charger to charge the macbook, however would that be totally fine? In the past I remembered it was okay to use lower watts charger but not higher, but to be clear now it’s totally fine to use higher or lowrr
Very useful video. Btw I had charging issues with two different apple chargers [for the same macbook] and simply had to buy a third-party charger, so thanks Apple. I used to believe that the proprietry hardware was superior but not any more!
@Betterthings000 - I strong believe that we no longer have any sort of good quality control anymore, even on reputable brands. Today whatever you buy is gonna be a total gambling game if you gonna get a good product or not. Sure, I might be generalizing too much, but I think you gonna get the point.
A guy at a repair store told me my iPhone 13 which had a sudden power off, and subsequently diagnosed to be a charging IC fault, that you should never use any other charger apart from the 20W plug from Apple. But I used my 2020 iPads 10W charger to charge the phone daily! Or very rarely a 15W wireless charger from portronics. Could you explain if he was right?
I’ve got a question: why have I heard that if you use a charger with higher voltage than your original charger, that this can damage your Device - but you say if your mac does not have quick charge but you use the quick charge, it will default to regular five volts? What is happening that’s special in Mac to make sure it defaults and doesn’t damage it? Why don’t all devices use this like vacuums for example? I was searching if I could do this with my vacuum and people said no - higher current is OK and higher watts is OK (as long as the combo of current and voltage is such that Voltage is lower than what you need) but you cannot use a charger that has a higher voltage as this may damage the vacuum! Sorry for the long question!
A thing you missed out is charging iPad with a higher wattage charger. I used my Macbook 30W charger to charge my M1 iPad Pro. It does charge quicker but the iPad gets very hot till a warning message appears saying that "your device has overheated and charging will stop until the temperature has fallen". If I'm not mistaken iPad doesn't officially have "Quick Charge" unlike iPhone and Apple Watch. Just something for everyone to take note of.
@@macmostYes. I did had Apple's official magnetic folio case on, standing on the table with cover open. Happened a few times both while working on it and left idle. I've since stopped using the 30W charger.
3:50 it answers to my question/comment I put under your video on how chosing a monitor for a Mac, but now I have another question 😄 If I connect a MacBook Air M3 to a usb-c powered on a Monitor, will the Mac be "on charge" all the time? Even if the monitor is off? Is it good for the battery of the Mac? 🤔 Thank you for your answer 🙏😊
If the display supports power out back to the Mac over the connection, then yes it would be getting power. Not sure if the screen is off. That probably depends on the screen. But why would you turn it off (as opposed to letting your Mac sleep?) It is fine to keep your MacBook plugged in all the time. It will handle battery health automatically.
The iMac mail app is preventing OSX Sonoma to enter sleep mode and thus the external usb hub has all its led ON all the time. The external usb hub has a printer and other devices connected that are using usb A. How to setup a shortcut/automation i can run that closes the Mail app and puts the system to sleep? Or better would be to choose Sleep from the menu and the Mail app will automatically close
Not really. I mean technically heat isn't good for a battery, but I don't think the heat from wireless charging will be enough to bother that. I wouldn't inconvenience yourself over many years (assuming wireless is more convenient for you) just to get a potential maybe 1% more out of a battery.
@@macmost Thank you kindly for the reply and answer. It is much appreciated. I thoroughly enjoy the videos, find them very helpful and always look forward to the next one.
So, if traveling, I guess if you want to cut down on chargers and be as minimalistic as possible, get the highest watt charger possible with USB-C / USB-A ports and the required cables?
Yep. Or if you know that the place you are going to has USB power (meeting rooms, a lot of hotels, etc) you don't need any. Though I always chicken out and bring one anyway, plus a backup one in case I actually forgot my first one.
I like this idea so much and I hope one day everything would need one charger. But I like to take to take them all just incase I need to charge them simultaneously overnight
really helpful video, thank you. What about the adapter of the charger? the one the you change when you travelling in another country, does it make a difference if is it from apple rather than a cheap one from amazon?
You don't need to buy that from Apple. Just get a travel plug adapter. Should cost a few dollars. Anything too expensive is converting the power voltage which you don't need since the chargers work at both voltages. Also, note you may not need anything but a cable. On a recent trip to the UK I had enough USB outlets in my room that I never needed even a power adapter.
From the video I discovered that the wireless charger for the iPhone works with my S22 Ultra! An observation: when plugging a USB C cable next to the MagSafe connector, on my MacBook Air it is easy to forget the USB C cable is not an easy tilt and pull off one.
Thank you for this video . Might I suggest a video topic of certain cable for example various type of Lightning Cables some only charge the device, others also does data transfer, others charge as 2.4 amp, and so on.... Thank you for your consideration.
Lighting cables? I don't think there are many lightning cables that ONLY charge and don't do data. Maybe there are, but I've never seen them. I'd imagine if the cable costs $2 or something that would be it.
Not sure what you are asking. You can't use the USB-A ports on a 2017 MacBook to charge it. You can use them to charge other things. Not sure how many watts, sorry.
@@macmost Yrah charge other thins like the phone A weak chareger is better for the battery life time. Slower tempo charging but heathier. I can not find how many watts USB A delivers, I c'n't find that info anywhere.
I have a question, so I can use without any problem my iPad power adapter to charge my iPhone 14 (that doesn't come with one) but can I use the same lightning cable from the iPad to charge my iPhone or is it better to use the cable that came with my phone to do it?
@macmostvideo... Is there anything to be concerned about using the iPhone charger to charge my MacBook pro, while using an adapter for North America to Europe power...??? I've always traveled with my big, heavy charger that came with the laptop (and long cord) and I am only learning now that I can use the little phone charger block that can connect to my computer.... so now I need to know if there is any risk/concern with plugging in the little power charger into the adapter I need to use while in Europe... travelling soon.... Hope to hear back:) Thank you in advance! (And thank you for this video!)
No issue there other than being aware that the lower wattage of the iPhone charger will mean it takes longer to charge your MacBook. So if you are using it most of the day, you'll want the regular charger or equivalent. But for using it a bit here and there , and then charging overnight or during the day doing other things it isn't an issue. I do exactly this, but bring a mid-range charger that has multiple USB ports so I can charge both my iPhone and MacBook at night together. Why not, since they are pretty cheap?
Is it just a charger with a USB connection? Then no. I don't know how powerful it is, and whether it would be able to charge it while you work, but it won't "harm" it.
I’m sorry to say but the video is wrong. Yes all the talk about the type and amps is correct, but some third party charges are “noisy” and can cause all sort of issues including killing Macs. Google it if you don’t believe me. Not all chargers that claim a certain voltage provides the same clean power.
What happens when you charge using two different ports on your MBP? I ask this because my LG monitor uses USB-C for both display and charging AND I have my MBP charger plugged into a separate USB-C port. A previous MBP was hooked up this way and the battery swelled. I had to get the "top plate" and battery replaced. I can't say for sure if this two port hookup caused the problem, and would be curious if it did. (I kinda think it did not).
Macbooks will only "draw" power through one port at a time, whichever is providing the most power. They can supply power out through multiple USB-c ports at the same time, however. The battery swelling during the same period was probably just coincidence. From my understanding, if your monitor provides power through the USB-C cable, you should be able to just use that to power your laptop, and not even use the charging brick. Give it a try and see if it works.
@@jdillon8360 It works. It takes a rather specific USB-C cable, which I have. This cable allows me full resolution and refresh rate with my somewhat older LG monitor and power to the Mac. My concern has been the power delivered FROM the monitor to the MBP. Using the USB-C cable, you can't turn off the power from the monitor to the MBP. I've always had distrust for non-Apple chargers. This Mac Most ( @macmost )video was quite helpful, giving me confidence to use the power from the monitor, with one fewer cable plugged into my Mac.
@@thebroz1138 Glad to hear that it works! Yes it can be a bit of surprise to realize that a monitor can supply power to a laptop, but that's the beauty and versatility of USB-C. I also distrusted non-apple chargers in the past, but it seems these days with USB-C there is less reason for concern. The charger might work, or not, but it won't damage our equipment. Yeah MacMost is a great source for reliable information.
Yes. But realize that if your laptop isn't plugged in, then you are going to run down your laptop's battery, of course. "Using" your battery generates heat, yes. But that's true of any use. I doubt you'll find any deals on Apple's chargers. If you want to save money get a good quality charger from another brand. Tons to choose from.
@@reviewsbymohitmybloggingid4241 "mfi certified" has to do with lightning cables and adapters. This is just about power charging and the adapter itself wouldn't be anything but plain USB.
When we use an external monitor with the MacBook with the lid closed using clamshell mode and it continues to charge the MacBook. Isn't this constant charging dangerous for the health of the battery ?? Is there any other way we can work on the external monitor with the laptop lid closed without clamshell mode ??
No. It isn't "constant charging" as your MacBook knows how to handle this properly. Lots of people use their MacBook all day in clamshell mode like this. It is perfectly normal.
These USB chargers are very complex now. If a cheap charger does something bad, it can’t fry your very expensive Apple product. I’ve seen a nice iPad Pro ruined by a cheap charger. Wrong voltage being delivered will ruin the power input chip in the device. Nothing to do with the rated power delivery. (The “very complex” bit has to do with the charger being able to delivery a selection of voltages, adapted to the device’s wants.) I only ever buy second hand genuine Apple chargers, rather than cheap 3rd party ones. (Be careful to get a real one!)
Look at the Apple Store and every one is shown with "xxW." (www.apple.com/shop/accessories/all/charging-essentials) Search on Amazon and you get mostly watts too.
You mixed up two different things. USB Quick Charge is a proprietary protocol developed by Qualcomm. Please see here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quick_Charge Apple devices are *not* compatible with Quick Charge. Instead, they are compatible with USB Power Delivery protocol, which is a different protocol that became an industry standard. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_hardware#USB_Power_Delivery
I think I didn't realize that "Qualcomm Quick Charge" was anything. I was simply looking at Apple's docs and they reference fast charging and I was using "quick" as a synonym for "fast." All the research I did was on Apple's high-voltage charging. So as long as the quick/rapid/high voltage charger says it will do its thing for Apple devices, you should be OK, right?
@@macmost I would say using the term Power Delivery is definitely better. Or USB PD. This is an industry standard now and you know you are getting the right thing. If you buy a cable that says it can fast charge and it is compatible with Apple devices, still you can be fooled to get something that can fast charge for example Xiaomi and is compatible with Apple when slowcharging only.
@@honzaskypala Yes. I think the main point I'm trying to convey here is that you CAN change with other chargers. Because some people think you can't use anything but the official charger made for that model. Knowing you can get a regular-speed charge is better than thinking you are just stuck with a dead battery (when traveling, forgetting your charger in the morning, etc).
Interesting, but you should talk about current, not watts, but that's another story, since USB voltage is or should be constant as you noted. Watt = current x volt.. My 2023 Toyota Sienna comes with wireless charge pad, but it is not strong enough to charge a qi iphone battery case. So not all wireless chargers are the same. It is hard to figure out ratings.
I thought about whether to use watts or amps (current) and decided on amps after reviewing tons of product listings and finding that watts were used almost all the time.
I find that the Apple wireless magnetic charger takes longer to charge my phone and the phone tends to get warmer than when I plug a charger into the port.
Yes. I didn't realize that "Quick Charge" was a specific brand. I was using "Quick" as a synonym for "Fast" and referring to Fast Charge (which is what Apple calls it in their docs).
I think it's worth mentioning that the iPhone (in my case 11) throws up a "liquid detected" error and refuses to charge on some third-party cables, even if they are sold as iPhone comptabile. Others work, there's no real logic, except for Apple being cheeky.
@@macmost Happened straight out of the box. Had to use a different one. Works fine on my iPad without warning. And I've seen others report this too. I appreciate that the cable might not be to spec, but it's still an erroneous warning.
I’ve been enjoying watching you for many years, but I don’t know about this. @LuisRossman has a Mac repair channel and many times he has taken apart MacBook pros and explained what broke them were cheaply made chargers.
Gary, this is why I am a subscriber. You give excellent, reliable, and quick explanations for everything and I do not expect you to work for nothing. You deserve to be paid. Thank you for all your hard work.
That was a tough video to make, given the complexities of USB charging, nice job of simplifying it!
This is an excellent and accurate video. I have gotten into so many arguments over the years with people trying to say that a high amp charger can damage your device and that's just not the case. As long as the volts are the same, you're good to go. The device will only pull what it needs.
A very interesting class today! A very useful and informative video tutorial today! Thank you, Gary! 👏🏻❤️
My takeaway was that you can use the MacBook charger to charge an iPhone (using the right cable). I hadn't realised that the device being charged will take what it needs even if the charger has a high output.
Thank God for you ! Finally someone has actually answered these questions super clearly.
I’m really glad that Apple (was forced to) switched to USB C For iPhone and iPad. Someday soon, I’ll only need one chord to charge all my devices
Great summary on this topic Gary
Great job explaining that complex concept in layman’s terms.
I use a MacBook Pro for work, and did not realize you could use its USB-C ports for charging. If I need to bring it on the road, I can leave the power brick and MagSafe cable at home. Thanks for the video!
That was news to me, too.
I think the MagSafe charger is a joke. I only use the USB-C to charge mine....
Very useful, thanks Gary. I have read that Apple chargers protect iPhones and iPads by slowing down the charger when the battery is nearly full. Is this true, or is it the iPhone or iPad that slows down the charging?
The devices do that, not the chargers.
@@macmost Gary that's really good to know. Thanks for confirming this.
Thanks for another very informative video. Will share this with my family.
One point you didn’t really touch on regarding the differences between usb A and C is that usb A is only ever capable of supplying 5 volts. USB C can negotiate different voltages…if the charger supports it. (ie 5v, 9v, 12v, 20v, etc). So using ohms law, if a device can negotiate a higher voltage, this equates to more wattage at less current than lower voltages which allows for smaller wire gauges to be used. It’s really cool that it’s able to do this now, but unfortunately adds more complexity that the average user would likely not understand. The cable is important too. Some really cheap USB C cables may not have the data lines to support the auto negotiation or worse allow negotiation of more power than the conductor size can handle without heating up. For that reason I try to avoid the really cheap cables.
Very useful information. Many thanks!
A key thing I would suggest is getting a charger from a reputable brand to reduce the chance of a fire.
I like Anker myself. Not only are they a good brand, they are very compact.
Just as long as the charger supports USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 or 3.1 specifications, you should be able to safely charge newer iPhones with no issues. I have a Baseus 120 watt USB-C charger and I can safely charge my iPhone 12 with a USB Type C to Lightning cable.
but charging cables are important a 65 W charger with a wrong cable may charge only in 15 W, I personaly tested it and you can see it in system report/hardware/power section the power your macbook is charging with.
Awesome information Gary. What about charger in the car? I found out my vehicle has a USB, 120 volt and surprisingly 180 watts!
You should be able to use any USB power in a car too.
Thanks for this. My Canon R3 camera can charge from USB C but is VERY picky about which chargers it will accept a charge from. It will not accept a charge from my Powerbook Charger. But it will accept a charge from my MacBook. This is with the same cable...
Superb coverage of this topic. Concise and clear. Thanks!
Ps: do you have advice as to whether to use a hard shell case on a 14” MacBook Pro M3 Max?
I do. I'm too clumsy and it would get scratched up otherwise. But made sure nothing impedes it closing normally. Even the smallest bit of material between the screen and keyboard could break it.
my suggestion is to buy 65W and 85W GaN chargers. 65W GaN chargers will handle any 14" MBP and smaller. They are much smaller than Apple 60w MBP charger, much cheaper, and have multiple USB C and A ports. You have a lot more versatility and a much smaller package. For each 65W GaN charger, I will have both a Magsafe 3 cable and USB-C 65 watt connected to it. This way I can plug in my phone, MBP, or PC laptop, Android tablet..whatever I throw at it.
Another tip is for the rather limiting single port MBP charger, is that if you have a cheap unused USB mobile dock sitting around, you can plug that dock into the MBP charger then plug the Magsafe or USB cable into the Power Delivery port. This way you will have additional USB C and USB A ports to plug other stuff into.
Gary, Thank you this was information we very much needed!
Thank you Gary, many clarifications!
Great Job! This single video gave me clarity about whether I should buy a 3rd party charger or not ❤
Love this info! Thank you for breaking all this down to understand easily ❤
Thank you for that. I think it’s so wrong that we pay so much for phones and get no charger. I’ve been using chargers that came with my older phones until I got my 15 pro. Last year I got a new iPad and use that charger for my phone. I now have a drawer with several chargers that I can’t use (I know I could buy compatible cables, but object to paying out more).
Thank you for this information
Great video, Gary!
Many years ago I had to replace the nicad battery in my acer laptop, I bought what I thought was was a suitable replacement, when it failed and caused some minor damage both acer and my insurer refused to pay out stating my only choice was a recommended but expensive official product, my cheap purchase put me out of any cover as stated in the small print. When I moved over to the Apple ecosystem I always ensure I am using official Apple products purchased from them directly or through their stores, chargers, cables, etc, yes I know its expensive but it gives me peace of mind, I also avoid cheap Chinese made adapters, they claim they are safe & certified but I wouldn’t risk using them on an expensive macbook.
I really appreciate this information. I just purchased a new MacBook and was wondering if it was necessary to use the charger that came with it. Thank you so much!
Really excellent and helpful video. Thank you.
Great explanation. Thank you!
Thank you!!!
I bought an adapter kit so I could use a normal charging cable. Dam near broke the thing so a tech buddy had to help me.
I'm gladly running on USB-C with a gas station charging cable. It's slightly faster, but that's not really a problem.
Absolutely love all of your videos, thank you so much
I have been using Anker IQ chargers with both my iphone and my M1 macbook air. They work great. I use a 45w Anker charger for the macbook air and it charges really fast. I believe I got 50% charge in less than 45 mins, maybe even more charge. I think my MBA only came with a 30w or possibly a 20w charger. I have an anker IQ 30w I use with my phone and Ipad and both of those charge fine, the iphone 13 pro charges very fast as well. Seems like I get better charging over that than my 45w charger that I use with my MBA. So thats why I have multiple charging blocks.
The M1 air comes with a 30w charger by default. I have the same model. Good move to get a higher power aftermarket charger. I bought a 30w aftermarket charger, but it won't charge my M1 air, as it actually provides far less than 30 watts, despite what the label says. Works fine with tablets and phones though, which draw less power. I will get another aftermarket charger in the future, but like you, I will go for at least 45w. I guess the only difference between the aftermarket and the apple charger brick, is that both are labelled 30w, but only one of them actually provides that much power. Lesson learned.
I almost never buy true (OEM) chargers or cables. I’ve noticed that while Apple chargers tend to have a long useful life, a few of the non-Apple chargers and cables just don’t last long. They flat quit working. Does someone make a cable or charger tester that will tell me if a charger block or cable still has continuity?
Thank you and Im so sorry! I have a question...
I just recieved a replacement printer- the other one had issues.
They are exactly the same model and make, although this one of course is a few years newer (2021 vs 2024)
Would it be best to remove the printer, and uninstall all the drives and then when i plug the new one in, Re-install them as a ‘clean’/fresh install to set up the new printer (or it will do it automatically like last time)? I hope that make sense! Thank you!
I have a macbook pro and the printer is an epson workforce printer
Oh! When i got the first printer, I didnt actually go to the site and dowload it all... Just did it automatically when i hooked it all up.
I would hate to uninstall it and have issues re-installing but thought it may be best to install the new one as if I never had one before.... what would you do?
And sorry this must sound dumb
Just add the new printer and use it. Don't overcomplicate it.
Great info as always, thanks!
Ooo this in need. Unless you say no. Then I’m in trouble
One issue that could be addressed is using charging devices in your car. In 2018, I bought a new iPad. Twice after charging it in a friend's car, the iPad screen became distorted. I exchanged those iPads at Best Buy and haven't had problems after avoiding charging it in a vehicle. Someone suggested the problem was my friend having a cheap charger in his car.
I can't think of why a charger would cause this. I think it must have been something else non-power related. Like the heat or sun in the car, or how it was sitting while charging.
@@macmost I also had a similar experience with my iPhone 11. I had reported this issue to Apple support (in an Apple retail outlet). Apple support had me check on some confounding factors like exposure to Sun, phone case, kind of cable, etc.. but there was no explanation.
Problem 1: As soon as I got into my car, I used to put my phone on the power mat. It used to charge my phone wirelessly but past 30 min of wireless charging my device used to heat up!
Problem 2: My car doesn't support wireless CarPlay. During long drives, I used to connect my phone using a cable to get CarPlay features like navigation, music, etc.. Again my device used to heat up. I could not enjoy CarPlay features on my car because of the fear of heating up my phone.
Problem 3: Even if I did not want to charge my phone (either wirelessly or via cable), I could not put my phone securely while driving. I hate to keep my phone in my pockets while driving. The power mat was a perfect shaded place. I finally ended up insulting the power mat with a thin wooden brick as recommended by one of the Apple representatives in the store.
My wife also had an iPhone 11 at that time but her phone did not show any of these heating problems when she used my car. However, my iPhone 11 did well for 4 years despite these issues. The battery health was at 85% when I traded it for iPhone 15 plus. I am glad I don't have these issues now with iPhone 15 plus.
@@macmost Perhaps that's possible because I was in Texas at the time. However, I'm watchful not to leave electronics exposed to the hot sun.
@TRPost - I was thinking if any sort of magnetic field inside the car, where the iPad was sitting, could have caused this damage to the screen.
Video is absolutely right 👍👍
But cheap chargers can done this if the cable is broken or shortage in the charger
So I'm saving a lot of money knowing this info, thanks!!!!!
Great overview of charging !
Thanks for this! I've been using ugreen's power brick that can accommodate max of 3 charging cords for my iphone, ipad and watch for some time now. but when my partner bought his samsung s24 he was told by the sales person to specifically use only a 20w power brick since anything higher would damage his phone -- that got me thinking about my charging practices for apple
It is fine. Probably fine for Samsung devices too, I can't imagine they are that poorly engineered.
Excellent, as ever. Thank you.
Very informative, I thought you were Dave Lombardo in the thumbnail.
Two items I wish you had covered… First, You didn’t mention anything about charging an Apple Watch. Would love to hear about third-party products to could do that or even cables. My second question would be if there’s any harm to leaving your MacBook Pro plugged in when not use.
You need to have that special charging pad to charge the watch, but third party ones are fine. I use a cheap compact one while traveling in fact. And you can plug it into any USB power and it should work.
There's definitely no harm to leaving your MacBook plugged in while not using it. That's the normal way to do it. Why wouldn't you? Keep it charged so if you need to use it away from power it is ready.
@@macmost I was a little concerned about battery degradation if left plugged in. Not many years ago, it was recommended to completely discharge and recharge a battery regularly for phones and laptops.
@@OMG-2 That was back in the Nickel-cadmium battery days, which had "memory" issues. Lithium-ion batteries have been in MacBooks for almost 20 years.
@@macmost Well yes my last laptop was probably that long ago but my MBPro health is at 88% after only a year and appears to have lost 1000 mAh in just a year
@@OMG-2 Not great, but how many cycles? If you were not keeping it plugged in and draining battery needlessly when you weren't using it, then you may have used a lot more cycles than you needed to, which could account for it.
I am using the 12 mini and I am still using an old 2A USB-A brick with 2 outlets. I charge my iphone and my backup nexus 5 on it. been using that charger since my iphone 5s
Useful.
Great video! I have a couple of portable phone chargers I am not looking to upgrade right away… if I use a USB-A to USB-C cable, will I still get the fast charging “PD” from the USB-C portion of the cable?
Probably. Try it and see.
Good one! I always had these questions in mind. Q: Can I charge iPad Pro and iPhone using MacBooks charger? (Will they heat up or won’t work?
You mentioned I can use iPads charger to charge the macbook, however would that be totally fine?
In the past I remembered it was okay to use lower watts charger but not higher, but to be clear now it’s totally fine to use higher or lowrr
Yes, sure you can do that. The iPhone/iPad will not pull more power than it can take.
Very useful video. Btw I had charging issues with two different apple chargers [for the same macbook] and simply had to buy a third-party charger, so thanks Apple. I used to believe that the proprietry hardware was superior but not any more!
@Betterthings000 - I strong believe that we no longer have any sort of good quality control anymore, even on reputable brands. Today whatever you buy is gonna be a total gambling game if you gonna get a good product or not. Sure, I might be generalizing too much, but I think you gonna get the point.
Are you talking about pre-USB chargers?
@@macmost I'm not so sure to whom is your question for, but I was speaking in general, about any brand, about any manufactured product.
A guy at a repair store told me my iPhone 13 which had a sudden power off, and subsequently diagnosed to be a charging IC fault, that you should never use any other charger apart from the 20W plug from Apple. But I used my 2020 iPads 10W charger to charge the phone daily! Or very rarely a 15W wireless charger from portronics. Could you explain if he was right?
Using the other charger was fine. See the video.
I’ve got a question: why have I heard that if you use a charger with higher voltage than your original charger, that this can damage your Device - but you say if your mac does not have quick charge but you use the quick charge, it will default to regular five volts? What is happening that’s special in Mac to make sure it defaults and doesn’t damage it? Why don’t all devices use this like vacuums for example? I was searching if I could do this with my vacuum and people said no - higher current is OK and higher watts is OK (as long as the combo of current and voltage is such that Voltage is lower than what you need) but you cannot use a charger that has a higher voltage as this may damage the vacuum! Sorry for the long question!
Thank you for your informative video ❤️
According to the video , I can use the 61 W Apple charger coming with M1 MacBook to charge iPhone 15 pro max ?
Yes.
A thing you missed out is charging iPad with a higher wattage charger. I used my Macbook 30W charger to charge my M1 iPad Pro. It does charge quicker but the iPad gets very hot till a warning message appears saying that "your device has overheated and charging will stop until the temperature has fallen". If I'm not mistaken iPad doesn't officially have "Quick Charge" unlike iPhone and Apple Watch. Just something for everyone to take note of.
It sounds like something is wrong with your iPad. A charger won't force more power to the device if it doesn't take it. Do you have a case on it?
@@macmostYes. I did had Apple's official magnetic folio case on, standing on the table with cover open. Happened a few times both while working on it and left idle. I've since stopped using the 30W charger.
Very helpful 👍👍
3:50 it answers to my question/comment I put under your video on how chosing a monitor for a Mac, but now I have another question 😄
If I connect a MacBook Air M3 to a usb-c powered on a Monitor, will the Mac be "on charge" all the time? Even if the monitor is off? Is it good for the battery of the Mac? 🤔
Thank you for your answer 🙏😊
If the display supports power out back to the Mac over the connection, then yes it would be getting power. Not sure if the screen is off. That probably depends on the screen. But why would you turn it off (as opposed to letting your Mac sleep?) It is fine to keep your MacBook plugged in all the time. It will handle battery health automatically.
The iMac mail app is preventing OSX Sonoma to enter sleep mode and thus the external usb hub has all its led ON all the time. The external usb hub has a printer and other devices connected that are using usb A.
How to setup a shortcut/automation i can run that closes the Mail app and puts the system to sleep?
Or better would be to choose Sleep from the menu and the Mail app will automatically close
Are you sure the Mail app is causing the problem? What makes you think so?
Thanks for the inormation.
Does wireless charging diminish the device battery life faster than wired charging?
Not really. I mean technically heat isn't good for a battery, but I don't think the heat from wireless charging will be enough to bother that. I wouldn't inconvenience yourself over many years (assuming wireless is more convenient for you) just to get a potential maybe 1% more out of a battery.
@@macmost Thank you kindly for the reply and answer. It is much appreciated. I thoroughly enjoy the videos, find them very helpful and always look forward to the next one.
So, if traveling, I guess if you want to cut down on chargers and be as minimalistic as possible, get the highest watt charger possible with USB-C / USB-A ports and the required cables?
Yep. Or if you know that the place you are going to has USB power (meeting rooms, a lot of hotels, etc) you don't need any. Though I always chicken out and bring one anyway, plus a backup one in case I actually forgot my first one.
I like this idea so much and I hope one day everything would need one charger. But I like to take to take them all just incase I need to charge them simultaneously overnight
really helpful video, thank you.
What about the adapter of the charger? the one the you change when you travelling in another country, does it make a difference if is it from apple rather than a cheap one from amazon?
You don't need to buy that from Apple. Just get a travel plug adapter. Should cost a few dollars. Anything too expensive is converting the power voltage which you don't need since the chargers work at both voltages. Also, note you may not need anything but a cable. On a recent trip to the UK I had enough USB outlets in my room that I never needed even a power adapter.
Great information. Thank you.
From the video I discovered that the wireless charger for the iPhone works with my S22 Ultra! An observation: when plugging a USB C cable next to the MagSafe connector, on my MacBook Air it is easy to forget the USB C cable is not an easy tilt and pull off one.
Thank you for this video . Might I suggest a video topic of certain cable for example various type of Lightning Cables some only charge the device, others also does data transfer, others charge as 2.4 amp, and so on.... Thank you for your consideration.
Lighting cables? I don't think there are many lightning cables that ONLY charge and don't do data. Maybe there are, but I've never seen them. I'd imagine if the cable costs $2 or something that would be it.
Gary wondering if the trackpad and keyboard can also be charged using any charger and in specific the macbook charger?
Yes. Though just plugging them into the Mac itself is enough, and you get an instant WIRED connection while you charge.
Gary, how many watts in the older macbook air 2017 with the USB A ports do you know? How to find out?
Not sure what you are asking. You can't use the USB-A ports on a 2017 MacBook to charge it. You can use them to charge other things. Not sure how many watts, sorry.
@@macmost Yrah charge other thins like the phone A weak chareger is better for the battery life time. Slower tempo charging but heathier. I can not find how many watts USB A delivers, I c'n't find that info anywhere.
I have a question, so I can use without any problem my iPad power adapter to charge my iPhone 14 (that doesn't come with one) but can I use the same lightning cable from the iPad to charge my iPhone or is it better to use the cable that came with my phone to do it?
You don't need to use the cable that came with it.
@@macmost Thank you so much for answering and for the video
@macmostvideo... Is there anything to be concerned about using the iPhone charger to charge my MacBook pro, while using an adapter for North America to Europe power...??? I've always traveled with my big, heavy charger that came with the laptop (and long cord) and I am only learning now that I can use the little phone charger block that can connect to my computer.... so now I need to know if there is any risk/concern with plugging in the little power charger into the adapter I need to use while in Europe... travelling soon.... Hope to hear back:) Thank you in advance! (And thank you for this video!)
No issue there other than being aware that the lower wattage of the iPhone charger will mean it takes longer to charge your MacBook. So if you are using it most of the day, you'll want the regular charger or equivalent. But for using it a bit here and there , and then charging overnight or during the day doing other things it isn't an issue. I do exactly this, but bring a mid-range charger that has multiple USB ports so I can charge both my iPhone and MacBook at night together. Why not, since they are pretty cheap?
excellent sensible thank you
Is there a way to see how your iPhone battery is being charged? Quick charge? 5 watts? etc.
Not sure. I think if it is fast charging it should be apparent in the Settings, Battery section.
thanks
Would using a lenovo laptop charger to charge my iphone 16 pro max damage the phone in any way?
Is it just a charger with a USB connection? Then no. I don't know how powerful it is, and whether it would be able to charge it while you work, but it won't "harm" it.
I’m sorry to say but the video is wrong. Yes all the talk about the type and amps is correct, but some third party charges are “noisy” and can cause all sort of issues including killing Macs. Google it if you don’t believe me.
Not all chargers that claim a certain voltage provides the same clean power.
Thank you very much!!!!😳
What happens when you charge using two different ports on your MBP? I ask this because my LG monitor uses USB-C for both display and charging AND I have my MBP charger plugged into a separate USB-C port.
A previous MBP was hooked up this way and the battery swelled. I had to get the "top plate" and battery replaced. I can't say for sure if this two port hookup caused the problem, and would be curious if it did. (I kinda think it did not).
I don't think you can. I think it just takes power from one port. The battery swelling was almost certainly unrelated to that.
Macbooks will only "draw" power through one port at a time, whichever is providing the most power. They can supply power out through multiple USB-c ports at the same time, however. The battery swelling during the same period was probably just coincidence. From my understanding, if your monitor provides power through the USB-C cable, you should be able to just use that to power your laptop, and not even use the charging brick. Give it a try and see if it works.
@@jdillon8360 It works. It takes a rather specific USB-C cable, which I have. This cable allows me full resolution and refresh rate with my somewhat older LG monitor and power to the Mac. My concern has been the power delivered FROM the monitor to the MBP. Using the USB-C cable, you can't turn off the power from the monitor to the MBP.
I've always had distrust for non-Apple chargers. This Mac Most ( @macmost )video was quite helpful, giving me confidence to use the power from the monitor, with one fewer cable plugged into my Mac.
@@thebroz1138 Glad to hear that it works! Yes it can be a bit of surprise to realize that a monitor can supply power to a laptop, but that's the beauty and versatility of USB-C. I also distrusted non-apple chargers in the past, but it seems these days with USB-C there is less reason for concern. The charger might work, or not, but it won't damage our equipment. Yeah MacMost is a great source for reliable information.
Isn't charging more slowly an advantage, in terms of battery life?
Not really. The big factors are cycles and temperature variation. But a lot of randomness in there too.
@@macmost Okay; thanks!
Can I charge iPhone 16 using my laptop? Will it make it heat? Can I get original charger at a lower cost?
Yes. But realize that if your laptop isn't plugged in, then you are going to run down your laptop's battery, of course. "Using" your battery generates heat, yes. But that's true of any use. I doubt you'll find any deals on Apple's chargers. If you want to save money get a good quality charger from another brand. Tons to choose from.
@@macmost you mean a mfi certified adapter ..right? I got the wire with the iPhone.
@@reviewsbymohitmybloggingid4241 "mfi certified" has to do with lightning cables and adapters. This is just about power charging and the adapter itself wouldn't be anything but plain USB.
When we use an external monitor with the MacBook with the lid closed using clamshell mode and it continues to charge the MacBook. Isn't this constant charging dangerous for the health of the battery ?? Is there any other way we can work on the external monitor with the laptop lid closed without clamshell mode ??
No. It isn't "constant charging" as your MacBook knows how to handle this properly. Lots of people use their MacBook all day in clamshell mode like this. It is perfectly normal.
@@macmost thanks
Does the same apply to Android?
I'd imagine so, yes.
So is it safe to charge iphone 13 overnight with a good quality 10watt charger?
Yes, of course.
How can’t we just change the bloody number page in the little square in the left corner for the thing to rearrange the pages easily ??????
These USB chargers are very complex now. If a cheap charger does something bad, it can’t fry your very expensive Apple product. I’ve seen a nice iPad Pro ruined by a cheap charger. Wrong voltage being delivered will ruin the power input chip in the device. Nothing to do with the rated power delivery. (The “very complex” bit has to do with the charger being able to delivery a selection of voltages, adapted to the device’s wants.)
I only ever buy second hand genuine Apple chargers, rather than cheap 3rd party ones. (Be careful to get a real one!)
Arnt they measured in Mah? None of my chargers have watts on them mine are volts and Mah
Look at the Apple Store and every one is shown with "xxW." (www.apple.com/shop/accessories/all/charging-essentials) Search on Amazon and you get mostly watts too.
You mixed up two different things. USB Quick Charge is a proprietary protocol developed by Qualcomm. Please see here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quick_Charge
Apple devices are *not* compatible with Quick Charge. Instead, they are compatible with USB Power Delivery protocol, which is a different protocol that became an industry standard. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_hardware#USB_Power_Delivery
I think I didn't realize that "Qualcomm Quick Charge" was anything. I was simply looking at Apple's docs and they reference fast charging and I was using "quick" as a synonym for "fast." All the research I did was on Apple's high-voltage charging. So as long as the quick/rapid/high voltage charger says it will do its thing for Apple devices, you should be OK, right?
@@macmost I would say using the term Power Delivery is definitely better. Or USB PD. This is an industry standard now and you know you are getting the right thing. If you buy a cable that says it can fast charge and it is compatible with Apple devices, still you can be fooled to get something that can fast charge for example Xiaomi and is compatible with Apple when slowcharging only.
@@honzaskypala Yes. I think the main point I'm trying to convey here is that you CAN change with other chargers. Because some people think you can't use anything but the official charger made for that model. Knowing you can get a regular-speed charge is better than thinking you are just stuck with a dead battery (when traveling, forgetting your charger in the morning, etc).
@@macmost Oh yes, definitely.
@@honzaskypala And thank you for your insight here.
Interesting, but you should talk about current, not watts, but that's another story, since USB voltage is or should be constant as you noted. Watt = current x volt.. My 2023 Toyota Sienna comes with wireless charge pad, but it is not strong enough to charge a qi iphone battery case. So not all wireless chargers are the same. It is hard to figure out ratings.
I thought about whether to use watts or amps (current) and decided on amps after reviewing tons of product listings and finding that watts were used almost all the time.
I find that the Apple wireless magnetic charger takes longer to charge my phone and the phone tends to get warmer than when I plug a charger into the port.
Yes, that is because some of the energy is lost as heat. Wired is better, but then wireless/magnetic is more convenient.
I use a Spigen dual port charger, simply because it’s less than half the cost of an Apple dual port charger. 😅
Always scared to use cheap chargers in case they catch fire
Can you do another video on this subject entitled "In a Nutshell" ..... (less than 2 minutes).
You want another video on the same subject, but with LESS information?
Apple does not support quick charge!
Apple use PowerDelivery! 😉
Yes. I didn't realize that "Quick Charge" was a specific brand. I was using "Quick" as a synonym for "Fast" and referring to Fast Charge (which is what Apple calls it in their docs).
i use a cheap adapter and my iphone overheats with original cable
Do you get a message telling you it is overheating? What does it say?
👍🏽
I think it's worth mentioning that the iPhone (in my case 11) throws up a "liquid detected" error and refuses to charge on some third-party cables, even if they are sold as iPhone comptabile. Others work, there's no real logic, except for Apple being cheeky.
Haven't heard of that. This page suggests it may be a damaged cable, bot the charger: support.apple.com/en-us/102643
@@macmost Happened straight out of the box. Had to use a different one. Works fine on my iPad without warning. And I've seen others report this too. I appreciate that the cable might not be to spec, but it's still an erroneous warning.
I’ve been enjoying watching you for many years, but I don’t know about this. @LuisRossman has a Mac repair channel and many times he has taken apart MacBook pros and explained what broke them were cheaply made chargers.
I think I know the one you are talking about, and that was an older MacBook Pro pre-USB, which is what I'm talking about here.