iPhone 15 Pro Max thinks charger is an Accessory?

I’m having the same issue with mine as well as my wife’s. I’m using the cable the phone came with and the charger I got with my 11 Pro Max a few years ago. I’ve never seen this before on any of my other iPhones. Is there any kind of a fix for it, or is it just something we have to live with?

I just spent nearly 2000 dollars on a IPhone 15 Pro with Apple care, and APPLE can't even supply a wall charger port to plug it into the wall. Was not told this when I bought it. WTF. And to think I was going to buy an Apple Air Lap top when the A3 chip came out and a IPAD to upgrade everything. Not now, totally ridiculous. Can I return it???

I too was not told this during time of purchase. I just assumed a new phone would come with a new charger. Cord and block. Upon looking in the boxes contents post purchase, I asked where the **** the charger was…. and of course they start throwing all their deals for”accessories” around….Like huh?? Since when did chargers become accessories? So annoying! They should tell people this prior to completing sale. It is pretty vital information. Not everyone has that sh** laying around, or other apple products to charge on. (Ok, yes i’m sure the vast majority does) but still, it’s a charger it should come with a brand new phone that’s over $1000 point-blank.

I just got my iPhone 15 and it has no charging plug, only the cord. I can't even plug it into my old charger. I'm so confused how I'm supposed to charge my phone without having to plug it into my computer. Bad move by Apple and really inconvenient for customers. Ugh.

Now this, I would have to disagree with. I just bought mine an a couple of days ago and I am getting the same error message while plugged directly into the wall with an apple certified plug. So yeah, Apple needs to fix this issue right away so that there’s no risk of any major issues down the road.

I just opened my new I phone 15 and realized the same thing. So I’m so ****** off I will most likely return the phone due to I can charge the dam thing! Shame on apple for this!

and they are claiming it’s to reduce their carbon emission I call BS it’s to make more $

Well its Jan 15, 2024 and im having the same issue. Apple wont admit it but its def an apple 15 issue. I have the promax.

[Edited by Moderator]

It sounds like your iPhone is seeing the mains adaptor as an accessory which needs to be charged from the iPhone. This suggests it is an uncertified third party charger which does not comply with USB-C specifications.

My advice is to test with and use a fully certified and approved power adaptor and USB-C cable, ideally genuine Apple to eliminate all doubt about compatibility.

Alyssabuchanan wrote:

Not even, because my phone is doing the same thing and I’m using the charger and adapter that came brand new with my new iPhone 15 pro max.. so what now?

Please explain how that’s possible since the iphone 15 does not come with a charging adapter, only a cable…

I am using the 20 Watt adapter that came with, I think ‘‘twas my iPad Pro, fully Apple certified product. The USB-C cord that came with my iPhone 15 pro max will not charge my iPhone. Just disconnects/reconnects over & over again. Giving me the error “this accessory uses too much power” I find it ironic since in the presentation it was boasted that since this cord had a braided design it would work “longer” & arrived broken. Would Apple replace this cord with one that works or am I just out of luck?

I have an apple 20w charger with the exact specs listed and receive the same error when trying to charge. I don’t get this message while using the MagSafe connector from apple plugged into a Belkin usb-c car charger. Can you explain why this is happening and what I can do about it? Several searches around the internet have only led me to find more and more people with the same problem. ****

[Edited by Moderator]

Very disappointed there is no block to charge my phone. This is how you treat loyal customers? I had no idea of this when I purchased the phone. I Now have little power with no way to charge my phone. Seriously, with all the money you rake in, can you at least give your customers a cord & block. Come on MAN!!

Hi mattsturges,

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. In general, that message appears with accessories that need charging as you mentioned. In this case, maybe your iPhone requires a different adapter than what's being used. The following from Power adapters for iPhone - Apple Support may help.

"Apple 20W USB-C power adapter

Note: For fast charging, iPhone 12, iPhone SE (3rd generation), and later models require a power adapter with a minimum power output of 20 watts, such as the Apple 20W USB power adapter. If you use a third-party power adapter, it should meet these recommended specifications:

• Frequency: 50 to 60 Hz, single phase
• Line Voltage: 100 to 240 VAC
• Output Voltage/Current: 9 VDC/2.2 A
• Minimum Power Output: 20 W
• Output Port: USB-C"

Kind regards.

Not sure which iPad you have BUT the cable that came with the iPad may not be the same as the one that came with your iPhone (yes they may both be USB-C to USB-C but I don’t know if every cable that comes with all iPad models are the same as the ones that come with the iPhone 15 series). The charging block should be fine though since it is (or should be) the 20w version. Problem is, you stated it came with the iPhone so up until this point everyone saying that wasn’t possible because the iPhone doesn’t come with one could only go by what you said and had no way of knowing you were using one from an iPad you also purchased. Assuming that the cables are rated exactly the same definitely not sure why you are experiencing this. I charge my 15 Pro Max with an old 2m USB-C cable (unsure of the rating) and my MacBook Pro charging adapter/block which absolutely has a much higher rating than the block that came with my iPad Pro and can’t replicate what you have happening. Also tried the new 240w 2m cable on the same MacBook Pro adapter and the iPad adapter…no messages like you although I didn’t think it would happen anyway. So since you are saying you are using everything Apple (and I assume you also tried using the actual cable that came with your iPhone just to rule out an issue with the other cable you have been using) then you need to contact Apple directly (either call, chat via the app, or if a store is in your area have the Genius Bar take a look. The issue should replicate when you take the items you are using for them so they can pinpoint what may be going on). Especially if you have exhausted other troubleshooting options (the usual like restarting your device, resetting possibly, trying a different adapter and cable).

peppapeppa wrote:

I just spent nearly 2000 dollars on a IPhone 15 Pro with Apple care, and APPLE can't even supply a wall charger port to plug it into the wall. Was not told this when I bought it. WTF. And to think I was going to buy an Apple Air Lap top when the A3 chip came out and a IPAD to upgrade everything. Not now, totally ridiculous. Can I return it???

The Technical Specifications page for the phone would have told you, before purchase, what was included in the box: the phone, and a USB-C charging cable. The purchasing page would have told you the same thing and also emphasized that the phone would "not include a power adapter."

You might still be able to return the phone if you bought it from Apple and are in the return period, but it's hard to see how you can credibly claim that Apple was hiding the absence of the power brick from you.

Returns & Refunds - Shopping Help - Apple