Fast charge iPad: Here’s what you need

Apple has included different power adapters with its iPads over the years, and the current lineup comes with 20W chargers. But what do you need to fast charge iPad? Here’s what you might already have that will work or what you need to buy to charge as fast as possible.

Apple offers fast charging for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. However, with iPhone and Mac, it tests and specifically states the devices can gain as much as 50% battery in as little as 30 minutes.

For iPad, Apple shares the chargers you can use for “faster charging” but the company doesn’t make the same exact claim for 50% charge in ~30 minutes – although it’s probably close to that fast.

How to fast charge iPad

• Use a 30W or higher power adapter
• Apple says you can use “a higher-wattage USB-C power adapter—such as the one that came with your Mac laptop… with your iPad for faster charging”
• That includes the Apple 29, 30, 35, 61, 67, 87, or 140W USB-C Power Adapter that comes with MacBooks or sold separately
• You can also use a third-party USB-C charger above 20W for fast iPad charging like Anker’s compact 30W, 40W dual-port USB-C charger, or 65W 3-port charger

• Another tip to charge iPad faster, turn off the screen and/or turn on Airplane mode.
• You can also use higher-power chargers with older Lightning iPads, although they won’t charge quite as fast as modern USB-C iPads

Just like iPhone or Mac, your iPad determines how much power to draw from the power supply, so that’s why it’s safe to use power adapters that can offer much more power than an iPad will make use of.

Here is Apple’s full statement on powering up iPad as fast as possible:

If you have a higher-wattage USB-C power adapter—such as the one that came with your Mac laptop—you can use it with your iPad for faster charging. You can also charge your iPad by connecting it to the USB-C port on your computer.

Interestingly, Apple doesn’t have a specific support document on fast-charging iPad as it does for how to “Fast charge your iPhone”.

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