This Is Why (Sometimes) Your iPhone Will Chime Twice After Plugging It in
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Sounds kind of crazy — but there’s actually a purpose behind the notification tone (or chime) and/or small vibration that happens when you plug your phone into a charger.
Of course, your iPhone is letting you know that it has successfully connected to a power source and is charging – but more than that, its chime pattern can actually notify you whether or not you’re using a genuine Apple fast charger.
Multiple users in the r/iphone subreddit said that the iPhone’s chime pattern will always be the same when you use a fast charger.
To disprove this theory, Reddit user u/TomatoOrangeMelon recorded the following video of charging an iPhone with three different chargers:
- In the test, the iPhone chimes once when connected to the first third-party fast charger (a Verbatim 3 Port Multi-Charger), then chimes a second time when the voltage jumps up from 5V to 15V.
- The other third-party charger, an Anker 30W USB-C Power Delivery Charger, also has two notification chimes when it goes from 5V to 9V.
- This notification sound doesn’t happen with the Apple 18W charger when it goes from 5V to 9V.
It makes you realize that even the smallest, seemingly insignificant details are covered by Apple.
What’s Fast Charging?
Instead of charging the traditional (dare we say, slow) way, newer phones have the ability to “fast charge”: the device will regulate and accept a higher power output (higher voltage and faster current) to charge the battery faster.
Fast charging is the best way to get your battery back up to full in little time. Instead of patiently waiting to charge your phone, fast charging an iPhone can get you back up to 50% battery in as little as 30 minutes.
To take advantage of fast wired-charging, you’ll need the following items:
- An iPhone 8 or newer
- A USB-C Lightning cable
- A fast charging adapter (i.e. brick)
Popular Fast Charging Bricks
Apple has its own USB-C cable and fast charging brick, but there are also third-party options that might be more affordable depending on your needs. Here are some popular fast charging bricks that are USB-C compatible and meet the proper USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) specs set forth by Apple:
- Omnia P5 57W PD Wall Charger
- Anker PowerPort II USB Wall Charger
- AUKEY USB-C Charger with 18W Power Delivery 3.0
- iClever 30W USB- C Power Delivery Charger
- RAVPower 45W PD USB-C Charger
As always, be sure to check the specifications for any third-party charger to see if it meets the standards for fast charging your iPhone device. Some chargers will label themselves as “fast chargers” yet aren’t Apple compatible, so shop with some caution.
