Charge AirPods (or Even an iPhone) With Your iPhone

If you’ve ever thought, “Can my iPhone charge my AirPods?” the answer might just surprise you. With the latest Apple tech, some iPhones can actually share power. That means you could charge your AirPods or another device using just your iPhone. Cool, right?

This magical little feature is called reverse wireless charging, or as some people like to call it, device-to-device charging. Sounds high-tech, but don’t worry — it’s pretty simple once you understand the basics.

What Is Reverse Wireless Charging?

Reverse wireless charging allows your iPhone to act like a wireless charger. Place another device on its back, and bam, you’re sharing power! It’s like your iPhone says, “Here, have a little juice.”

But before you try it out, there are a few things to know.

Which iPhones Can Do This?

Here’s the catch — not all iPhones support this feature yet. As of now, this feature is rumored to be present in iPhone 12 and newer models, but it hasn’t been fully unlocked by Apple for all uses.

So if you have an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15, you might be in luck! Apple may enable this in future software updates. However, right now, reverse charging is officially limited to a few accessories like the MagSafe Battery Pack.

Charging AirPods With Your iPhone

You’re probably holding your AirPods case right now and wondering: “Can I just place this on my phone and charge it?” Kinda, but not really. Not yet.

Here’s what you can do instead:

• Use the MagSafe Battery Pack charged by your iPhone, and then charge your AirPods.
• Plug your AirPods into your iPhone using a USB-C to Lightning or USB-C to USB-C cable if supported.
• Wait for Apple to unleash the full power of reverse charging!

Even though we can’t freely charge AirPods wirelessly from an iPhone just yet, the idea is out there. Apple has been teasing us with this juicy feature for a while. Tech bloggers have seen hints in patents and teardown videos. So we’re hopeful!

What CAN You Charge Right Now?

So far, reverse charging from the iPhone is only officially used for this:

• Charging a MagSafe Battery Pack.
• Topping up certain small accessories — again, only with special Apple support.

That means you can’t charge just any phone or gadget (yet). Android phones like Samsung already have full reverse charging, so we’re waiting on Apple to catch up and open the magical charging door.

Charging an iPhone With Another iPhone?

This one’s a bit tricky. You can’t place iPhone-on-iPhone and let them swap power like they’re best friends. That’s still in the dream zone. However, there is a way — kind of.

If you have a USB-C to USB-C cable and two newer iPhones (say, iPhone 15 models), you can transfer limited power. It won’t be fast. And it’s not even advertised. But it’s a nice party trick!

Why Is This So Exciting?

Because the future is wireless — and a little magical. Imagine this:

• Your friend’s phone is dying.
• You place it on the back of your iPhone.
• It starts charging.

No wires. No fuss. Just Apple wizardry.

That future isn’t far off. With hints of reverse charging already existing in current gear, Apple could flick the switch with a software update at any moment.

Final Thoughts

While true reverse charging isn’t fully here for AirPods or iPhones, we’re getting close. Keep your devices updated, and stay tuned. Who knows? Your next surprise iOS update could unlock phone-to-phone power sharing.

Until then, keep your cables handy and your batteries full!