Charge Your iPhone without a Charging Block

When your iPhone runs out of battery power and you don’t have a charger, you still have options. If it’s just the power block that you’re missing (but you have a cable), you could plug it into a computer or alternative charger. If the charging cable has frayed wires, you can repair it using simple household items. And if you’re feeling handy, you could even build a temporary battery out of citrus fruits! You’ll still need a cord to charge your iPhone, but these alternatives could be useful in the event of an emergency.

Steps

Using Another Device With Power

  1. Buy a portable battery pack. You can buy a portable battery pack for around $20 at almost any department or convenience store. Most battery packs come pre-charged, so you can typically just walk in to a store, buy the pack, and charge in minutes.[1]
    • When purchasing a backup battery pack, make sure the packaging says its iPhone-compatible.
  2. Connect your phone to a computer. If you have a USB charging cable but don’t have a power block (the part that goes into the wall), you can plug your phone into a USB-enabled computer. If you don’t have access to a computer, try one of these locations (always ask permission!):
    • The library.
    • A college computer lab.
    • The Apple Store.
    • An electronics store.
  3. Use a car charger. If you left your charger at home but have access to a car, you can always grab a cheap iPhone car charger at a department store, pharmacy, or truck stop. Just plug it in, connect it to your iPhone, and wait for your phone to charge.
  4. Check other electronics for USB ports. Now that USB ports are quite common, you’ll often find them on televisions, stereo systems, and sometimes even kitchen appliances. Most of these ports will charge your iPhone.

Repairing a Fraying Charger

  1. Cut the casing away from the charging plug. If your charger has frayed wires near the plug, it’s fairly simple to repair. Using scissors or a sharp blade, carefully cut away the plastic casing from the frayed end of the charger. Be careful not to cut any of the wires inside the casing.[2]
  2. Cut the cable where it is broken. Using your scissors or blade, make a clean cut right through the frayed area.[3]
  3. Strip away the protective rubber from both ends of the cut. Strip away about an inch (if possible) of the protective rubber casing. This will expose the three wires inside the cable.
  4. Strip away the protective casing for each of the wires. This will expose the metal filaments that make the wire. Make sure you don't sever these metal filaments while stripping the protective casing.
    • Do this on both ends.
  5. Twist together the corresponding wires for the cable and plug. Match the colors of the protective casing and twist the matching wires together.
  6. Wrap each individual connection in electrical tape. Cover the exposed metal for each connection. This will prevent the exposed wires from touching each other and shorting the connection.
  7. Wrap the three wires together with electrical tape. This will help keep the wires in place and secure.
  8. Slide heat-shrink tubing over the new connection. You can find this tubing at electronic supply stores like Radio Shack, or use a rubber replacement.

Using Alternative Energy

  1. Use a wind turbine. A small wind turbine can be an excellent way to charge your phone. There are many new options available at electronics and outdoor supply stores.[4]
    • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to connect the wind turbine to your phone.
    • Take it along with you as you walk, run, or bike; or, if it is windy, you can simply take your phone outside. The wind will typically charge your phone in about five to six hours.
  2. Use a solar-powered charger. Solar power can be a fantastic way to charge your phone, and it’s environmentally friendly, too!
    • Set your solar-powered charger somewhere in the sun. It will store energy for later use.
    • Following the manufacturer’s instructions, connect your phone to the charger. Your phone will begin to charge.
  3. Try a hand-crank machine. If you’re up for a little exercise, you can use your own muscle power to charge your phone.
    • Following the manufacturer’s instructions, crank or wind your machine until you’ve collected enough energy for your iPhone.
    • Plug your phone into your hand-crank machine and crank more. It typically takes about two to three hours to charge a phone this way.
  4. Use a campfire charger. There are several chargers that can attach to your camping pots and pans that absorb heat from your campfire and turn it into energy. You can set the pot on the campfire and plug the cable into your iPhone, charging it while you cook dinner.

Building a Fruit Battery

  1. Gather your materials. You can build a battery from acidic fruit to give your phone a temporary charge. Note that you’ll still need the charger cable, though a power block and electrical outfit won’t be necessary. Note: this has the potential to damage your device, so only proceed if you are ready to accept any possible risks. You will need:[5]
    • About a dozen acidic fruits, such as citrus, apples, or pears.
    • A copper screw or penny for each piece of fruit. If you are using pennies after 1982, they will need to be sanded to expose the copper.[6]
    • A zinc (galvanized) nail for each fruit.
    • Insulated copper wire.
    • Rubber gloves. Wear these at all times to prevent getting shocked.
  2. Insert a zinc nail into the first fruit. Make sure you leave a bit of the nail exposed so you can connect the wire to it.
  3. Insert the copper piece into the fruit. Insert the copper piece near the zinc nail, but do not let them touch or the battery will short. If you are using citrus fruit, try to get both objects into the same segment of fruit.
  4. Repeat the process for all the fruit. Insert the objects into the rest of the fruit. Take care to ensure that none of the metal pieces touch each other when inserting them.
  5. Connect the fruit with the copper wire. Use the copper wire to connect each fruit into a circuit. Connect a wire from the copper piece of one fruit to the zinc of another. Connect the copper piece on the second fruit to the zinc of the third, and so on.
  6. Cut open your USB charging cable. Cut the large end of the charging cable off to expose the wires inside the cable. Connect the power wires to the end of the fruit chain.[7].
  7. Plug the charger into your iPhone. Each piece of fruit should be producing about half a volt, which should add up to the five volts you need to charge the device.[8]
    • As the zinc dissolves in the fruit, it releases zinc ions, which releases energy. The zinc ions also reduce copper ions, which releases more energy. When combined in a circuit, they release enough energy to charge the device.

Tips

  • Apple recommends using only Apple-branded chargers with your Apple devices.
  • Using a black background on your home screen can help you conserve your iPhone battery.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-portable-battery-chargers/
  2. ↑ http://www.technobezz.com/how-to-fix-a-broken-iphone-ipod-or-ipad-charger/
  3. ↑ http://blog.iresq.com/fix-broken-ipod-charging-cord
  4. ↑ http://www.macworld.com/article/2086548/review-seven-off-the-grid-chargers-for-your-portable-devices.html
  5. ↑ https://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/blog/2016/03/tech-hack-how-charge-your-phone-using-lemon
  6. ↑ http://www.livescience.com/32401-whats-a-penny-made-of.html
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-j8mPUDjRs
  8. ↑ http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/kitchenscience/exp/charging-ipods-with-lemons/
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