In a pinch, we’re all prone to using a laptop cable to charge our phones. However, I have noticed that even though a laptop USB-C port can charge a phone, it may not be very good at it. This is primarily because of slow charging. That begs the question: Why does a laptop charge your phone so slowly?
In most cases, the reason behind slow charging on a laptop is because of the fact that laptop USB-C ports are a secondary source of power. As a result of this, the phone will charge a lot slower. In some cases, you can fix this issue by changing the USB-C port or the cable, but there is a limit to the availability of power in the USB port.
If you are interested in learning what makes a USB-C port charge slower than a wall outlet, keep reading this article. We will explore the ways that USB-C charging ports work and the steps you can take to rectify this issue.
Why Do Laptops Charge So Slow?
We sometimes associate cost with the quality and versatility of an object. This, however, is not true when it comes to mobile charging. No matter how expensive your laptop is, you will find that a phone will always charge faster on a wall plug. Part of this is because manufacturers make it hard to identify the specific power output of each charging port. However, there are methods out there that you can use to improve charging speed, even from a laptop USB port.
How To Improve Charging From USB-C Port
In most cases, manufacturers recommend that you charge your phone directly from the wall plug. However, you can charge your phone from a USB-C plug if you need. While charging from a laptop port can be difficult, you can take a few steps to improve your charging ability.
Check The Cable
In most cases, a wall socket plug can give you a power output of between 1000 and 2000 mA. When you compare that to a laptop USB-C charger, you will see a dramatic difference. This is because you can only get an output that is between 600 and 900 mA. However, one way to improve the possible output is to consider the USB cable and port you are using.
Another way to improve output is to understand the difference in output depending on which laptop USB-C port you use. For example, most laptops will have at least two ports available. Both of them will not be ideal for charging. Therefore, you need to identify the correct port, and this may lead to better charging results, along with a higher speed.
Disable Selective Suspend Setting
One of the settings on your computer that you can use is the Selective Suspend Setting. This setting allows you to suspend power dispersion to one or more of the USB ports. As a result of this, you can change the power output, but it won’t affect any of the other ports on the laptop. The benefit of this comes from the fact that the laptop will direct all power towards the one port you want to use. Therefore, the charging speed can increase as a result, and your phone will accumulate battery power faster.
Disconnect Other Devices
The motherboard on your computer makes a decision about dispersing power depending on how many devices are connected. Therefore, disconnecting all of the other devices that are connected to the USB ports can help. The fewer devices there are out there, the motherboard will allocate the more power to the USB port connected to your phone, which will help it charge faster.
Related: 2 Ways To Connect Your Canon Printer To Your Laptop / PC
Check Specifications
The specifications of the USB ports also matter, as I talk about above. There are different types available that can offer various speeds when it comes to transferring data and charging devices. For example, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port is effective because the phone can charge faster than an older USB 2.0 port on your computer. So, this is one thing you can consider when choosing a laptop. The specifications of the port are often listed out in the laptop specs.
Check Battery Capacity
The USB port isn’t the only thing you want to consider. There is also the battery capacity for your phone or whatever device you connect to the laptop. If the battery on your phone cannot handle a larger voltage, it doesn’t even matter what port you connect it to. So, when charging the phone, you must also consider how the battery capacity plays into things.
Check Phone Software Compatibility
The phone you use utilizes software that can be compatible with various laptop operating systems. However, in some phone software options, there is a limit to the load they can handle and can detect as a power source. This can be about 500 mA, which means that it will not be able to recognize a source that does not fulfill these requirements.
How To Charge Your Phone Using Your Laptop
If you want to be able to charge your phone with your laptop, you now know the ways that you can make this happen faster. However, here is the method to use to get the best possible result when charging your phone using a laptop USB port.
- Use a compatible USB charging cable that you can purchase from a reliable provider.
- Connect the cable to your phone and the laptop USB port.
- Plug the laptop into the power outlet to keep it charged.
- Switch on the laptop, allowing the phone to start charging.
Conclusion
Charging a phone with a laptop should be something you only do in emergencies. However, there is a lot you may not consider when choosing a reliable method to make this happen. Hopefully, this article gives you a clearer idea of what you need for a faster and more effective charge.