iphone 12 charging -- unclear what I can/ can't use

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iphone 12 charging -- unclear what I can/ can't use

Hi everyone, really hope someone can help please. I upgraded my old iPhone 7 plus to a shiny new iPhone 12 pro but I'm really confused how to charge it. I bought a Magsafe charger with my order, but I didn't realise I would also have to buy an adapter too, so my phone arrived today with the USB-C cable, magsafe and nothing to plug them into! Silly me.

I went onto the help chat services to ask if I can definitely use an old adapter (i think this is the USB-a??) with an old cable because Google throws up loads of articles saying we can - and it fits and charges! I just wanted to make sure it was safe for the phone as it was so expensive.

The chat team said absolutely do not use an old charger because it wasn't safe so now I'm really confused -- what IS safe and ok? If I don't charge my new phone soon I will have to wait 6 days before my new adapter I have just ordered arrives. I said to the two people I spoke to on chat that it seems that it would be safe, and they said in black and white only use the new magsafe or usb-c adapters.

Can someone clarify please? Will it harm my phone to use my old iphone 7 plus charger which has the same phone fitting into the old adapter?

Thanks so much in advance.

Posted on Dec 30, 2020 3:57 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

LD150

Level 10

91,109 points

Dec 30, 2020 4:05 PM in response to AGT257

If the old charger is undamaged it will not cause damage to the phone.

The whole “green” concept of not including chargers is to re-use the old.

You can also use the new cable with a simple USB-C to USB-A adapter in the old charger.

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Answer 2

LD150

Level 10

91,109 points

Dec 31, 2020 7:41 AM in response to AGT257

I let my phone drop to 1% most days answering this forum, it even drops flat occasionally. It is difficult to mistreat the battery through use or charging. Only way you will harm it is to run it flat and leave it flat for days.

Your battery health % in Settings, Battery will probably start at 99% then drop by 1% a month over the next20 months, but the ageing will depend entirely on the number of full charges ie 80% at 500 cycles. At 80% get Apple to fit a new one for 49 quid.

If you only used half your battery by bedtime you should still charge it up overnight, all night . The optimised charging will learn your sleep pattern and stop charging at 80% then start again a couple of hours before it thinks you will awake.

iPhone Battery and Performance

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Answer 3

AGT257 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 30, 2020 4:11 PM in response to LD150

Thanks Peter. That's what I thought. So do you think the help team were just wanting to up-sell the products? I put the above argument to them, but they were clear in saying it wasn't safe for my device.

He said (this is from the transcript):

"You should use only usb-c power adapter, in this way you make sure you don't damage your device"

and

"it's not recommend using your old charger in your new device"

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Answer 4

LD150

Level 10

91,109 points

Dec 31, 2020 1:53 AM in response to AGT257

USB international standard is 5 volts whether USB-A or USB-C

The phone will regulate its own current.

You can use any USB source whether a charging block, your computer, a domestic power socket with built-in USB or your car dashboard.

I cannot comment on the sales people and they are not here to defend their actions.

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Answer 5

AGT257 Author

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8 points

Dec 31, 2020 3:53 AM in response to LD150

Totally appreciate you can’t comment on the sales people, Peter — it’s the information, not the people I am having difficulty understanding. Mostly because it contrasts absolutely with what you have said — but also what most of the internet has said! It’s very confusing.

That was my original query in this community forum. The conflicting information given. And who to believe.

I guess I have to assume they are right and the above is wrong. Which is pretty annoying since it means I can’t charge my phone yet :(

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Answer 6

AGT257 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 31, 2020 5:54 AM in response to LD150

Thanks Peter.

FYI to anyone else reading this:

I just called the support team (I presume it’s the same support team that one can access via chat) and spoke to a lady who clarified I COULD use an old charging adapter.

I explained that this was the opposite of what her two previous colleagues had told me and she reviewed the chat and agreed that they had given me incorrect information.

Because of the incorrect information given by the expert support team (not sales team - this is post purchase) I had to let my battery drop really low on my new phone. Not cool when £999 is quite a large amount to part with.

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Answer 7

AGT257 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 31, 2020 7:51 AM in response to LD150

Exactly! Thank you Peter. I had thought as much.

And had I listened to the two support team members who told me I could ONLY charge my new phone using a usb-c cable and adapter (and would damage my phone if I used any other method — which I did have to hand — usb-a) my phone would have been dead (no battery) for 6 days because my usb-c adapter is not arriving until the 5th. My point exactly — that would not have been good. Thank you for corroborating.

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Answer 8

LD150

Level 10

91,109 points

Dec 31, 2020 5:29 AM in response to AGT257

Only read internet articles from support.apple.com, like this

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210133

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iphone 12 charging -- unclear what I can/ can't use

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