Can You Charge An iPhone With An Apple Watch Charger? Here's Why It Won't Work

Charging your iPhone is something that you probably do every day, so you likely have a setup that works at home, at the office, and on the go. But what if you ever forget your charger? Thankfully, you still have a few options. You can use a power bank, borrow a phone that supports reverse charging, or even use your MacBook's charger to juice up your iPhone's battery. Most iPhones support wireless charging, so if there's a Qi-certified pad around, you can also use that. But what if all you have is an Apple Watch charger? 

If you've ever tried sticking your Apple Watch charger to your iPhone, you've probably noticed it doesn't do anything. That's because they use different wireless charging standards. This means you either have to carry separate charging cables for your iPhone and the Apple Watch, or grab one of those 3-in-1 iPhone charging stations that let you power up both devices at once.

The iPhone supports Qi, which is a universal wireless charging standard used by most smartphones. The Apple Watch, on the other hand, doesn't support the Qi standard. Although it uses a similar charging principle, the coil configuration is different. That's why your iPhone's wireless charger also won't work with the Apple Watch. 

If you have an iPhone that supports reverse charging, like the iPhone 15 or newer, you can charge your Apple Watch with it, just not wirelessly. You just need to connect the Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C cable to your iPhone, then rest the Apple Watch on the charging disc. 

If your iPhone needs charging and you don't have your Apple charger handy, you'll have to get creative and look for other ways to power it up. Another option is to turn on Low-Power Mode and use other battery-saving tricks to make your iPhone last a little longer.