Which iPhones have reverse charging, and how to use it

Reverse charging is a technology that allows you to "borrow" power from your smartphone to other devices, such as wireless headphones or smartwatches. It has long existed on Android, but few people know that some iPhones can work in the same mode.

Novyny.LIVE tells you which iPhone models support reverse charging and how to use it.

Which iPhones have reverse charging

The feature was introduced to iPhones with the transition to the USB-C connector. So, reverse charging is supported by:

• iPhone 15;
• iPhone 15 Plus;
• iPhone 15 Pro;
• iPhone 15 Pro Max;
• iPhone 16e;
• iPhone 16;
• iPhone 16 Plus;
• iPhone 16 Pro;
• iPhone 16 Pro Max.

If you have an iPhone with an older Lightning connector, reverse charging is not available.

How to switch on reverse charging

Everything works automatically. All you need to do is connect any compatible device to your iPhone (with USB-C) with a cable, and charging will start without any additional settings. It's important to remember a nuance: if you connect two iPhones with USB-C (or an iPhone and an Android smartphone) to each other, the charge will flow from the device with the fuller battery to the one with the lower charge. Therefore, you can't specifically "take" the charge from a less charged iPhone.

But you can easily recharge your wireless headphones or smartwatch even on the go. You can also connect the MagSafe charger to an iPhone with USB-C and use it to charge another iPhone, but this is inefficient due to energy loss.

The maximum reverse charging power is 4.5W. It's enough to "revive" your headphones or recharge your watch, but it's not very convenient for fully charging another smartphone's battery. Reverse charging is designed primarily for emergencies when you need to get at least a little energy.

Some Android smartphones support wireless reverse charging: you just put one device on the back of the other, and they start exchanging energy. The iPhone doesn't have this feature yet. Although the new models have everything you need in terms of hardware, Apple disables this feature at the software level. Given the potential for excessive heat and energy loss, this is a perfectly reasonable decision.

As a reminder, most iPhone users who have already installed the iOS 18.4 update have started to complain about battery drain. They are actively publishing posts on social media with indignation, and are also forced to charge their phones several times a day.

We also wrote that buying a new smartphone, especially an iPhone, is always a pleasant event. Before you can fully use your new device, you need to make the first mandatory settings.