How can you charge a laptop without a charger? Sounds almost like a crazy idea, but it’s possible. You may have lost your charger for various reasons. You may have lost it or it may have recently been damaged. Perhaps you were planning a trip and forgot to pack it in your bag.
All this leads to problems without a charger. Now you may not always be lucky enough to find the same charger in the market or in a store. You might not want to spend money on a spare charger for no reason. It is better to invest in more useful things or use what you already have.
With this in mind, we offer you this guide. It will bring you various alternatives to using the charger. For example, using phone chargers, a spare battery, and more. So let’s see:
How to charge a laptop without a charger?
- Use a USB Type-C cable
- Always carry a power bank with you
- Spare battery for laptop
- External charger
- Universal power adapter
- Using a car battery
- Using your smartphone
- Using your phone’s charger
1. Use a USB Type-C cable
Currently, the latest laptops such as the HP Laptop and MacBook Pro are equipped with a USB Type-C port. It has become an important part of the technology.
If you have a USB-C cable, you can easily use it. Remember that if you have a USB Type A it won’t work. But the USB-c cable allows you to transfer data or even charge.
All you need is an auxiliary device such as a portable battery, USB port or charger. You can easily change plus USB-C. After that, change the settings to turn it into a power source.
- Keep in mind that not all laptops with Type-C ports support this option.
- Sometimes you need to meet certain power requirements for it to work.
- This option works mostly on MacBooks and other Apple devices.
2. Always carry a Power Bank
You won’t always find an outlet everywhere you go. This can get you in trouble, especially if you don’t even have a charger. That’s why carrying a powerful power bank with you is always a good idea.
You can also invest in USB-C power supplies as USB-C ports are becoming the norm on all devices. The Power Bank comes in handy if you are traveling and can’t find an outlet.
Be sure to find a power supply or power inverter that can support your laptop’s voltage. Most laptops require more voltage than smartphones, tablets, and other devices.
But if you can’t find a high voltage power supply, you can leave your laptop turned off and use the power supply to charge it. Within an hour, you may have enough juice to make it work.
- Some laptops or travel bags come with built-in power banks or external batteries. You can use it.
- Make sure you have at least 10,000 mAh power bank. The laptop battery ranges from 2000 to 7000 mAh. For powerful laptops, it can be over 10,000 mAh.
- If you are traveling in a cold place, keep external batteries away from it. The colder the climate, the faster the battery drains.
3. Spare laptop battery
If you travel frequently or can’t find external chargers, carry a battery with you. Laptop manufacturers always have spare batteries available. After all, laptops last a long time, but their battery does not.
Most laptop batteries barely last 1000 charges as they are lithium-ion batteries. Even then, they may lose their effectiveness. So use a spare battery if you can’t find another alternative like power output.
You can easily carry a spare battery with you in your laptop bag. What else? You can use a separate charger to charge one battery while using the other. That way you never run out.
In an emergency, a spare battery is a great choice. Of course, storage can be an issue if you have one of the heavier laptops with thick batteries. It’s just an alternative if nothing works for you.
4. External charger
As mentioned in the third point above, you can invest in a charger. Just like the universal adapter, you have a universal laptop charger. With it, you can charge the battery of even the most powerful laptop.
You don’t have to worry about voltage, malfunction or anything else. You also don’t need to use any other technology or USB devices.
You can use this charger if you find an outlet. This is a good investment if you don’t want to buy just a laptop charger.
An external charger will require you to remove the laptop battery and charge it separately. It is recommended that you carry two or more batteries with you at all times. If you need it, you must have an external charger.
- You can work continuously with an external charger if you have two or more batteries.
- You will have to turn off the laptop if you only have one battery. It is generally not recommended to turn off the laptop for a long time with the battery removed.
- There are new solar battery chargers you could try.
5. Universal power adapter
If there’s one thing that hasn’t gone out of style and isn’t being used, it’s the universal capacity AC adapter. In most cases, you can plug the adapter directly into your laptop. He will begin to give the juice he needs.
Of course, you may need to make sure that the universal adapter has the correct voltage. If it doesn’t have enough power, your laptop will lose power faster than it can gain it. In some cases, your laptop may become very hot.
So, if you want to use a universal power adapter, make sure it matches the voltage. If not, turn off your laptop while using the adapter.
It is a handy tool that can also charge other devices. But, if you do not have many devices, you can use a universal power adapter. Please don’t buy it.
There is a new alternative to power adapters. Several USB or USB4-In-1 type options are available. They have micro USB, 2.0, 3.0, Type-C and other options. All this makes it easy to charge all the USB devices you have.
As such, it’s a great option if you don’t want to carry around too many chargers when you travel. And yes, you even get USB-C charging.
6. Using a car battery
Now. Don’t worry. This step does not require you to awaken the techie in you. It’s still about using USB-C chargers or something. You see, the cigarette lighter socket in your car has a direct connection to the battery.
Now you can use this to your advantage. You can buy a USB car charger and plug it into this port. As a result, you will have a car laptop and chargers for other devices. You can use it with any USB-C cable and more.
This is a great option if you have a car and drive to work. A car charger is a good option if you use it frequently while traveling. The car charger has become one of the must-have essentials in today’s high-tech world.
So be sure to invest in a branded or worthwhile car charger.
- General advice: try not to use the car charger when the car is not running. This will drain the battery. This will result in your car not being able to start.
- A car charger is usually slow and provides less power than an electrical circuit. It’s like having an inverter, so use it accordingly.
7. Using your smartphone
Did you know that you can use your smartphone to charge your laptop? This is known as reverse charging and many have become a popular technology choice. You can also do the opposite and use your laptop to charge your Samsung or any other smartphone.
So, for reverse charging from your phone to your laptop, you will need a Type-C cable and a port. Instead of a power bank, USB charger or adapter, you have a phone.
You connect it to a laptop and instead of accessing data, go to the phone settings. It should be possible to choose what to do with the connection. Select power or reverse charge. See if it works.
To do this, you may need the latest Android or iOS update, and in some cases the latest smartphone. But once you learn how to do it, it’s a piece of cake.
- Remember that you will need a type-c to type-c cable for this.
- Not all laptops support it. Not all smartphones will have these features.
- You can use a similar step with the TWS charging case. They often have the ability to reverse charge.
8. Using your phone’s charger
This step is the same as using a Type-C cable, power supply, or adapter. Try this if you don’t have those options and don’t want to spend money.
All you need is your phone’s charger and a USB Type C cable. As mentioned earlier, your laptop needs a dedicated power supply. For example, most laptops require a 12V charger, but most phone chargers require 5V.
This shouldn’t be a problem if you have a fast or powerful charger. You can power off the laptop if you don’t.
Connect the charger and USB cables to the laptop while the power is off. Then wait 30 minutes to an hour for the laptop to have enough power to run.
This should do the job. Nowadays you have fast chargers and powerful chargers. You can see if they work with your laptop.
Conclusion – Charging a laptop without a laptop charger
These are all tips and options for you to charge your laptop without the original charger. If you don’t want to go through all that, you can buy the original charger for your laptop. To do this, you can visit the nearest store or service center.
If not, then you can use these options. Why? Because they can help you in the future too. Most of these tips are for emergencies. If you are unable to access your laptop charger or the charging port is not working, follow these steps.
So, we hope you have found something valuable and worthwhile. You’ll know what to do if you ever have a charging problem.
FAQ
Can you charge a laptop without a charger?
There are many ways to charge a laptop without a native charger. You can use a Type-C cable or charger if your laptop has a port. Similarly, you can use a universal adapter or car battery to charge your laptop. There are many alternatives to sticking with a charger.
What can I use to charge my MacBook if I don’t have a charger?
You can use any USB-C cable to charge your MacBook. If you have an iPhone, you can also use its charger. Most MacBooks come with Type-C charging. So you can use any phone’s Type-C charger or a reverse phone charger to do the job.
What are the best USB ports for charging?
USB 1.0 or 2.0 or USB Type A are the worst charging ports. They are only suitable for data transmission. If you have USB 3.0 or higher, you can use them to charge your devices, such as phones from laptops. Type C ports are best for charging. You can charge other devices or even charge them back. They also offer better data transfer speeds.
What are the essential road travel accessories?
If you are traveling with a laptop, you will at least need a laptop case or bag. Next, you will need an emergency power bank and a universal charger. A high current universal charger will reduce the need for more than one charger. You will save space. That’s all you need. But don’t forget the Type-C cable if you have devices for it.