Arrived in September 2024, Apple’s iOS 18 brings an array of new features and improvements to iPhones. One such addition is more stats about the performance and health of the battery. Now, when you go to Settings -> Battery, you’ll see a charge graph that shows the battery percentage over the past 24 hours so you can track how your iPhone battery charges and depletes. The graph shows colors based on several factors, but what does that “Slow Charger” text mean? If you’re also wondering the same, you’ve landed at the right place. Keep reading to know what Slow Charger means on iOS 18.
What Does Slow Charger Mean?
Earlier, Apple used to ship a slow 5W charger in the box with iPhones. In fact, some folks still have and use that 5W cube charger, not knowing that the latest iPhones support much faster wired charging when paired with a compatible USB-C adpater. You can even get fast wireless chargers for iPhone 16 Pro to charge them faster wirelessly as well. To raise awareness, Apple introduced a new feature in iOS 18 that can reveal whether you’ve used a slow charger in past 24 hours.
With iOS 18, if the software detects that your charging experience can be improved, you’ll see “Slow Charger” message in Settings -> Battery. Slow Charger on iOS 18 appears when you use an adapter and charging cable that do not support faster charging speeds on iPhones. Well, there’s nothing to worry about. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong with your iPhone or the charger. It’s an indication to that your iPhone could charge faster with a higher-watt USB-C charger.
While there’s no harm in using a slow charger, your iPhone will take longer to reach 100%. The latest iPhone models can be charged at up to 25W to 30W (Pro Max models), which lets you charge from zero to 50% in just 30 minutes. With a capable fast adapter and cable, modern iPhones can go from zero to full-charge in under 2 hours. On the flip side, a slow charger (less than 7.5W) takes around 4 hours to fully charge your iPhone 16.
Faster Charging on iPhones
iPhone 8 and newer models support fast charging, which lets you power up your device from 0 to 50% in 30 minutes. To achieve this, you need a18W or greater USB-C power adapter or a compatible third-party charger with USB Power Delivery support. The latest iPhone 16 can do faster charging at up to 25W when paired with a 30W power adapter or Apple’s new MagSafe charger.
How to Prevent Slow Charger Battery Warning
If you don’t want to see the “Slow Charger” warning on iOS 18, you should use a compatible USB-C cable with a higher-watt power adapter. For instance, you can use Apple’s 20W adapter and USB-C (or Lightning cable for iPhone 14 & earlier). You can also go for Apple’s 35W dual port power brick.
If you want, you can also go for third-party chargers from trusted brands like Anker, Spigen, Satechi, and Belkin. Also, you can safely use 30W or higher power adapter that comes with your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. Don’t be scared of those higher watts. Even if you plug in a 100W charger, it will charge your iPhone at the fastest possible speeds it supports.
