There are lots of questions floating around about Apple's Lightning cable. What is the purpose of a Lightning cable? What's the difference between a Lightning connector and a regular cable? Is a Lightning connector a charger? We'll answer all these questions and more! Show
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What Is a Lightning Connector & What Can It Do?The Lightning cable, introduced by Apple in 2012, is a charging cable as well as a data-transfer cable that can connect one Apple device to another via a Lightning port to a USB port. Let's go over all the things a Lightning connector can do! For more great cable and connector tutorials, check out our free Tip of the Day. Image courtesy of Apple Related: How to Charge iPhone Wirelessly, without a Charger & More What Can a Lightning Cable Charge?Apple's Lightning cable acts as an iPhone and iPad charger cable, and can also be used for charging other Apple devices and accessories. Let's go over which Apple devices use the Lightning cable, and how to use a Lightning charger. Lightning cable-compatible Apple devices include:
Lightning cables can also connect to and charge compatible non-Apple devices, and to peripherals like battery chargers, power adapters, cameras, and more. While the USB side of a Lightning cable must be facing the correct way to plug in, the Lightning port side can, conveniently, face either way. Note: While most Apple devices use a Lightning-to-USB connection, newer iPads, including the fifth-generation iPad Air, and the third, fourth, and fifth-generation iPad Pro, use a USB-C connector or even a USB-C connector with support for Thunderbolt/USB 4. Pro tip: If you get water into the Lightning port of any of the above devices, we have a fix for the Liquid Has Been Detected in Lightning Port problem. How to Charge with a Lightning CableYou can use this Apple charger for your iPhone and other devices directly from an outlet by using a power or Lightning adapter like the 5 W USB power adapter pictured below. There are many other types and models of power adapters available for USB, including 12 and 30 W models, and even power adapter kits for world travelers. Image courtesy of Apple If you're on the go and don't have access to an electrical outlet, don't worry; you can use a power bank for your iPhone, or even purchase a power bank for your iPad or Mac. You can also power up one device with a Lightning port from another with a USB port, although this will be a slower charge than you'd get from an outlet. For example, you can charge your iPhone from an iPad. If you have a newer iPad with a USB-C port, you'll need a Lightning to USB-C cable. Most newer cars have a USB port you can use with a Lightning cable to power your iPhone, although a larger device like an iPad or MacBook may draw more power than the port is capable of providing. Lightning Cable, Connected Devices & AdaptersApple's Lightning cable can send and receive data, so you can use them for a variety of purposes. You can use a Lightning connector to download and upload photos to a Mac or PC, as well as upload and download movies and music. You can also use a Lightning cable to back up an iPhone to a Mac and synchronize files between devices. Unless your car supports wireless CarPlay, you'll need a Lightning cable to connect CarPlay to your iPhone, so your car's audio system can receive data from your iPhone. Sometimes your Lightning connector needs a little help to connect devices, and there are many types of cords and adapters to help you connect and charge your devices. We won't go over all of them here, but we'll write a more comprehensive article soon! Here are just a few of the many Lightning cable adapters on the market: USB-C to Lightning CableIf you want to connect your iPhone to a newer iPad, an older iPad to a newer iPad, or any other Lightning-port compatible device to a USB-C compatible device, this is the cable for you. Lightning to 3.5 mm Audio CableThis adapter is perfect for connecting an iPhone or older iPad to speakers and headphones with miniplug connectors. Lightning to Digital AV AdapterNeed to make a presentation and hook your iPhone or iPad up to a projector or HDMI TV? This is the adapter you need! As few Apple products have a 3.5mm headphone jack, you can also use a dongle with a Lightning connector to plug your headphones in via the Lightning port if you’d like to use wired audio. The Lightning connector can also transmit audio. Starting with the iPhone 7, Apple ditched the headphone connector in its smartphone lineup. While the rise of wireless headphones and speakers drove Apple's decision, the latest iPhones can be used with a Lightning-to-headphone adapter that connects the devices to headphones with miniplug connectors. Top image credit: Kaspars Grinvalds / Shutterstock.com Master your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox. What is the difference between a lightning cable and a USB cable?The maximum current the Lightning cable carries is 2.4A while the USB-C cable is 3A and can be up to 5A. That means Lightning cables allow less power to deliver to the powered device under the same voltage. In this case, Lightning cables are not suitable to fast charge because its current is limited in 2.4A.
What does the Lightning cable do?Lightning to USB Cable
You can connect iPhone to a power outlet using a compatible power adapter (sold separately) and the included cable. You can also connect the included cable to your computer's USB port for charging, transferring files, and more.
Do all iPhones use Lightning cable?If you have an iPhone, the answer could be yes, since the phones still employ Apple's proprietary Lightning connector, which has been a staple on the company's handsets since the iPhone 5 was released in 2012 (that's when Apple replaced the 30-pin dock connector that had been on prior models).
How do I charge my iPhone with a lightning cable?If you already have an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning cable, you don't need to buy anything. Plug the power adapter you already own into the wall, plug the Lightning end into your iPhone 14, and you're ready to go.
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What is a lightning cable used for
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