PSA: An iPhone 15 Can Charge Another iPhone

Apple's iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models use a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port for charging and data transfer purposes, and the new port allows the iPhones to charge a wide range of USB-C devices, including another iPhone.

iphone 15 to iphone charging marques brownlee
As demonstrated by Marques Brownlee, plugging a Lightning based ‌iPhone‌ into a USB-C iPhone 15 with a USB-C to Lightning cable lets the ‌iPhone 15‌ provide power to the older ‌iPhone‌.

When you plug a Lightning ‌iPhone‌ into an ‌iPhone 15‌, the ‌iPhone 15‌ will always provide power to the Lightning ‌iPhone‌, even if the ‌iPhone 15‌'s battery is lower.


If you plug an ‌iPhone 15‌ into another ‌iPhone 15‌, the two devices communicate with one another, determine which ‌iPhone‌ has the lower battery, and transfer power that way. So if you have a low battery and a friend with an ‌iPhone 15‌ has a full battery, you can plug your ‌iPhone‌ into your friend's ‌iPhone‌ and get yours to charge.

With a USB-C Android phone, if the Android device has USB Power Delivery support and you connect to an ‌iPhone‌ with a lower battery level, the Android device will be able to provide battery power. If the Android phone does not have USB PD, the result is inconsistent and there's no way to predict which phone will be the charger and which will get the charge.

The ‌iPhone 15‌'s USB-C port can be used to charge an Apple Watch or the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C Charging Case using a USB-C to USB-C cord, and it should also be able to work with most other USB-C devices in some capacity.

Unfortunately, when charging another device with an ‌iPhone 15‌, the charge is limited to 4.5W. That's appropriate for small devices like the Apple Watch, but it's not going to provide much power for an ‌iPhone‌, so expect slow charging speeds when using ‌iPhone‌ to ‌iPhone‌ charging functionality.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

New iPhone 17 Pro Details: Brighter Display, Best Battery Life, and More

Wednesday September 3, 2025 5:33 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will feature a number of significant display, thermal, and battery improvements, according to new late-stage rumors. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature displays with higher brightness, making it more suitable for use in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The iPhone 16 Pro and...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Tuesday September 2, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Just one week before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series, an analyst has shared new price estimates for the devices. Here are J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee's price estimates for the iPhone 17 series in the United States, according to 9to5Mac: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 16 $799 iPhone 17 ...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Coming Next Week: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Thursday September 4, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
We're only days away from Apple's "Awe dropping" fall event scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for...

Top Rated Comments

madmin Avatar
26 months ago
will they make little baby iPhones doing this ?
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
26 months ago

will they make little baby iPhones doing this ?
Yes — that is the only way to get a mini model this year :D
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
26 months ago
I still want to know if the iPhone 15 can charge itself via MagSafe.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
26 months ago

I see absolutely zero benefit to this (in my use cases, anyway). So many "perks" that USB-C was supposed to bring to iPhone and so far I'm finding exactly zero of them that would actually be useful to me.
Plus now when your friend's phone is out of battery and he glances at the phone in your hand, you'd have to lie and say, "Sorry, it's an iPhone 14 Pro".
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nvmls Avatar
26 months ago
But will it stop at 80%?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bag99001 Avatar
26 months ago
Certainly useful for AirPods.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)