Apple Reveals Tips to Charge Your iPad Faster: Is It Time to Ditch the Official Charger?

19 August, 2024

Apple has utilized various power adapters with its iPads over the years, and the current lineup comes with a 20W charger. But is this standard accessory sufficient for fast charging your iPad? Here are the ways to charge your iPad as quickly as possible.

Apple offers fast-charging capabilities for its iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. However, for iPhones and Macs, the company has tested and explicitly stated that these devices can charge up to 50% in just 30 minutes.

For iPads, Apple introduces chargers that you can use to “charge faster,” but the company doesn’t make the exact claim of charging to 50% in 30 minutes, although the speed is likely to be close.

Faster iPad Charging Methods

Use a 30W or Higher Power Adapter: Apple states that you can use “a higher-wattage USB-C power adapter, such as the one that came with your Mac laptop… to charge your iPad faster.” This includes Apple’s 29W, 30W, 35W, 61W, 67W, 87W, or 140W USB-C Power Adapters that come with MacBooks or are sold separately. You can also use third-party USB-C chargers rated above 20W to fast-charge your iPad.

Another tip to charge your iPad faster is to turn off the display and/or enable Airplane Mode while charging.

You can also use higher-wattage power adapters with older iPad models that use the Lightning connector, although they won’t charge as quickly as the modern iPads with USB-C ports.

Is this safe?

Just like with iPhones or Macs, your iPad will regulate how much power it draws from the power source, so you can rest assured that using a higher-wattage power adapter won’t harm your iPad.

Here’s Apple’s exact statement on charging your iPad as quickly as possible:

“If you have a higher-wattage USB-C power adapter — such as the one that came with your Mac laptop — you can use it with your iPad to charge faster. You can also charge your iPad by connecting it to the USB-C port on your Mac.”