The iPhone 15 lets you use reverse charging to charge AirPods and small devices — here's how it works

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This is how reverse charging on the iPhone 15 works

A photo of an iPhone 15 reverse charging a set of AirPods Pro
(Image credit: Future)

With the iPhone 15, Apple has introduced reverse charging for small devices. This will be super handy if, for example, you only have access to a wireless charging pad, but also have a device that can't be wirelessly charged. You can charge your iPhone and then route the charge straight into the smaller device.

Obviously, if you're stuck without the ability to charge anything, you can also now use the juice left in your iPhone to breath a little extra life into, for instance, your AirPods Pro 2, so that you can keep listening to music or a podcast. 

Better yet, it's super simple to do — we'll show you how.

How to reverse charge accessories from your iPhone

You'll need an iPhone 15 or later in order to reverse charge accessories from your phone.

1. Plug your device into your iPhone via a USB-C cable

(Image: © Future)

All you need to do is grab a USB-C cable — this needs to have the corresponding interface on the other end to plug into the accessory you want to charge. Now, simply plug your device into your iPhone using the cable. Your device will now be charging from your phone.

It really is as simple as that. There are no settings you need to enable, it's literally plug and play.

If you'd like to learn more about using your iOS device, we have a huge library of tutorials to suit. Why not learn how to use StandBy Mode on iPhone, to turn your device into a smart home display. We show you how to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone if you're about to get a new device, to make sure you move everything over smoothly. Is your iPhone being a little sluggish? Find out how to clear RAM on iPhone, which can help speed things up again.

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Peter Wolinski
Peter Wolinski
Reviews Editor

Peter is Reviews Editor at Tom's Guide. As a writer, he covers topics including tech, photography, gaming, hardware, motoring and food & drink. Outside of work, he's an avid photographer, specialising in architectural and portrait photography. When he's not snapping away on his beloved Fujifilm camera, he can usually be found telling everyone about his greyhounds, riding his motorcycle, squeezing as many FPS as possible out of PC games, and perfecting his espresso shots.