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Does your phone charge faster in low-power mode?

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  • 5 min read

All phones, be they Android or iOS, have a low-power mode to switch to when their battery comes to a level where the phone predicts, in advance, its looming death. In iPhones, this setting is known as low-power mode and as a battery saver in Android. Now, if you were to charge your battery in low-power mode, would it charge faster as it would directly cut off any high-power-consuming apps?

In this article, we will find out whether your phone will charge faster if you place it on low power or battery saver mode.

Also read: What is Optimized Battery Charging? How does it work?


What is the low-power mode?

When you are tired of working on something, your productivity naturally goes down and you end up finishing the task at hand either rather slowly or not at all. Your phone works in the same manner if used continuously or if it goes long durations without charge, the battery level of your phone will drop. It will continue dropping if you don’t switch on your phone’s battery saver on an Android or the low-power mode on an iPhone.

Your phone switches on the battery mode or your iPhone switches to low power mode to limit the battery consumption of the background apps on your phone. This not only helps lower the temperature of your phone but also prolongs the battery’s life without inconveniencing you. Any backups, email syncing, updating, and other background activity will be limited on your phone when low-power mode is active due to low battery. There is a switch to the dark theme to conserve energy.


Does the low-power mode lead to a fast charge?

To cut the chase short, low-power mode or battery-saver mode does not lead your device to charge quickly. You can view the same performance during charge as it is in regular mode. The low-power mode in both Android and iPhone works in the following way:

iPhone

Low power mode does help prolong the charge in your iPhone, but it plays no role when you place your iPhone on charge. While in some cases, low-power mode switches on and off automatically, you can also do it manually. You can try charging your phone, once with the low-power mode on and once without for the same time duration. You will barely notice any difference and your iPhone will probably charge better without the low-power mode enabled.

An iPhone has optimized battery charging which limits the iPhone from charging beyond 80% if enabled. This feature is not related to low-power mode and works only when you place your iPhone on charge. So whether you charge your iPhone when it is at 20% or when it is at 50%, iPhone will automatically cap at 80% and charging will slow down as extended periods of charging can cause a strain on the battery.


Android

Low power mode or battery saver in any Android phone can be set with a timer and will switch off periodically when no longer required. While the battery saver feature does save the life of the battery and keeps a minimal amount of charge in the phone going for a long duration, it does not have any impact when you charge your phone. Even though it limits background functions, if your optimized charging is enabled, your phone’s charge will be affected when it reaches 80%.


What leads to a fast charge?

So what does lead to a fast charge especially when you are in a hurry, and is it even possible for your phone to charge quickly? Given below are three ways in which your phone can charge faster:

Airplane Mode

Placing your phone in airplane mode restricts not only background apps but also cuts off the phone from any available network. Without any internet, apps that cannot work offline, stop working as they are unable to refresh. You can still use your offline available apps only you will not receive any calls or messages either. Placing your phone on charge and switching on airplane mode can help your phone to focus only on charging without any distractions.


Plug to wall

It is recommended to charge your phone using the authorised lightning cable and 20W power adapter for iPhones. One should use the cable and adapter recommended by the manufacturer for Android phones as well. Directly plugging into a wall to charge leads to a fast charge, instead of a secondary charged device like a laptop or a car with the exception of power banks, which will result in your phone charging slowly. Plugging your adapter directly into the wall socket allows direct and high-voltage consumption by your phone which will allow it to charge fast.


Switch off

If your phone usually drains faster than anticipated or if you are in a hurry to get somewhere, you can switch off your phone, be it an iPhone or Android, and place it on charge. Since all functions are switched off, your phone will be swiftly charged. It helps prevent any battery drain from open apps or tabs during charge.

Also read: Is charging your phone overnight bad? 5 ways to improve battery life

Sania Usmani

Sania Usmani

Always curious, calm, and a little crazy, you can find me daydreaming or studying. An avid reader, traveler, and graduate of Aviation Science, I love gaining new experiences in life and star gazing. You can contact her here: sania_5008@proton.me

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