No Phone Charger or Outlet? There's Another Way to Give Your Device a Power Boost

I'm on the go a lot. Like many people living in New York, I walk everywhere, sometimes 4 or 5 miles a day. That means I have to be strategic about the things I pack into my bag, everything from an extra sweater to snacks to chargers. An extra pound might not sound like much, but when I carry it on my back for 2 hours, it really adds up.

To lighten my load, I've taken a minimal approach to my devices and chargers. I have a single USB-C charging brick that I use for all of my daily devices. I have a super compact Anker GaN charger (about the size of a golf ball), and it works like a charm for charging both my laptop and my phone in a coffee shop.

But even when I can't find an outlet, and I don't have a portable power bank, I don't panic. Even if I forget to bring my charging brick and my phone is low on battery, I can still charge my phone with the equipment I have on hand. 

That's because my laptop doubles as a power bank. My MacBook Air has such good battery life that if it's fully charged in the morning, I'll often get through a day of work with half the battery to spare. At the end of my workday, I can simply transfer the juice from my laptop to my phone; as long as I have my charging cable (I keep a spare in my backpack), I can plug my iPhone into my laptop to top off my smaller device's battery. 

I can even do this while I'm walking or taking the subway. Because my phone will continue charging when my computer is closed, I can keep it plugged in and toss both devices into my bag. While my phone won't charge as quickly as it would with a dedicated power bank, it can make a huge difference to go from 10% battery to 25% while I travel from one destination to the next.

This charging hack works with just about any laptop and phone, provided you have the right cable to connect the two. Even if your computer has only the older USB ports, you can use a USB to USB-C cable to charge a modern Android phone or iPhone (though you'll probably get slower charging speeds with the old USB standard).

And you're not limited to just the combination of phones and laptops. This same charging trick will let you use an iPad or another tablet to charge a phone. It also works with a portable gaming console like a Nintendo Switch. However, you may have to configure your settings to make sure the correct device charges the other. Some Android devices let you change your settings and choose whether your connected device gives or receives the charge. If you use one iPhone to charge another iPhone, the device with a higher battery percentage will charge the one with less battery.

For more, read about hacks to extend your phone's battery and performing a DIY iPhone battery replacement.