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iPhone 15's secret charging trick

iPhone 15's secret charging trick

Find out how to use the device as a battery pack!

Leander Kahney
October 12, 2023

The other day while on a long bicycle ride, my AirPods ran out of juice — Adaptive Noise Control can really suck the batteries dry. (No, please don’t ride your bike with AirPods like an idiot the way I do.)

Because I’d forgotten to charge the AirPods case for a while, it was totally dead, too, so I had no hope of resurrecting the earbuds until I got home.

But then I remembered I had an iPhone 15 Pro — problem solved!

I always carry one of these great InCharge X charging cables. Usually, it’s on my keychain, but that day I had it in my jersey pocket.

I selected USB-C at one end, Lightning at the other, and plugged my dead AirPods case into my iPhone 15 Pro — boom! The charging case’s light came on, and soon I had enough juice in my AirPods to get me home with music in my ears.

The iPhone’s ability to charge other devices is new, and easily forgotten, but here’s all you need to know, including info about passthrough charging, which is great if you have only one charger and multiple devices.

Also in today’s newsletter:

We’re pretty confident our friends at Cdkeysales.com offer the very lowest prices anywhere on Windows and other Microsoft software, if you use promo code CULT.
Nanoleaf’s new smart lamps look interesting. They can stand up, lie down or be hung up — and they work with Matter and HomeKit.
Sometimes Siri drives you mad. Here’s how to stop it from activating at all hours of the day.
This is an amazingly good deal on the brand-new and well-reviewed Beats Studio Pro headphones, which are half off. I’m tempted to get a couple of these for early Xmas presents.
It’s worth revisiting yesterday’s setups post, where a cleverly disguised Mac mini rig is hiding in plain sight.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

How to use iPhone 15 to charge AirPods, Apple Watch or another iPhone

In a pinch, your iPhone 15 can recharge your Apple Watch or AirPods, and even juice up another iPhone. Here's how.

M3 MacBooks are unlikely to launch before 2024

With M3 MacBooks not expected this year, Apple's laptop shipments for the remainder of 2023 could see a significant decline.

Nanoleaf's nifty portable smart lamp and new bulbs support Matter and HomeKit

The company's two new smart bulbs and new portable lamp through brand partner Umbra work with Matter and HomeKit.

^{A message from}^CdkeySales

Score CdkeySales October deals like Windows 10 Pro for just $16

We challenge you to find a better deal on Windows and other Microsoft software than you'll get when you shop with our friends at Cdkeysales.com and use promo code CULT.

Logitech's new Wave Keys keyboards bring all-day typing comfort

Logitech's latest ergonomic keyboards take a wave shape and use a padded wrist rest to ease the strain of hours at the desk.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac deals team}

Grab new Beats Studio Pro headphones for half off

Beats Studio Pro recently came out to great reviews, so it's surprising you can already get a whopping 49% off the new cans.

PNY dual Lightning/USB drive is ready for iPhone and Mac [Review] ★★★★☆

This PNY flash drive includes both a Lightning connector and USB-A connector so it's ready to use with iPhone, Mac or Windows.

How to stop Siri from randomly activating all the damn time

As if Siri's unhelpful answers were not irritating enough when you actually want them, Siri often interrupts a conversation, meeting or TV show when you haven't asked for anything at all. How do you stop Siri from activating all the time?

Today in Apple history: iCloud takes our files and photos to the sky

On October 12, 2011, Apple pivoted from its Mac-centric digital hub strategy. The iCloud launch put cloud services at the heart of the Apple ecosystem.

Meet the amazing disappearing workstation [Setups]

Cult of Mac reader Nick Howard sent us his clever M1 Mac mini computer setup. It magically disappears when not in use!

Tweetz o’ the day

Dynamic island is a gimmick they said.
They just haven’t used an iPhone.
Photo credit: Jade Rocha
— Liandr (@tech_instigator)
9:50 AM • Oct 12, 2023

Wow 😮
The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s astrophotography is on another level.
The iPhone handles the foreground much better with more detail, and manages to capture more stars.
Left iPhone 15 Pro Max 30s NightMode, Right S23 Ultra 4 minute Pro Astro mode
— AppleLeaker (@LeakerApple)
10:28 PM • Oct 11, 2023

One more thing ...

❝

All of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK.

— Steve Jobs, 2011.

Today’s poll

Have you used your iPhone as a battery pack yet?

Results from yesterday’s poll: Do you use Haptic Touch on your iPhone?

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