Q&A for How to Charge a Battery Without a Charger

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Can you use a potato to charge your phone?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

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So you've heard of those old science projects where you turn a potato into a battery. No, it's not possible to charge your phone with a potato, in reality, it would take about 110 pounds of potatoes to charge your phone, as well as lots of wire, zinc and copper. The YouTube channel BatteryBox tested out just this problem in 2015 to come up with this answer!

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Question

How do you charge your phone wirelessly?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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First you need to make sure your phone supports some kind of wireless charging, then you'll need to make sure you get the correct type of wireless charger for your phone. In some cases you can connect a wireless charging accessory to a phone that doesn't have wireless charging built-in. After that wireless charging is about as simple as plugging in the charger and setting your phone on the right part of the charging pad. Look at your phone's screen for the normal charging icon to appear to confirm that wireless charging is working.

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Question

Can you charge a camera battery with a USB cable?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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This will just depend on the particular camera model and the type of battery it uses. Check your device or battery for a USB input or look at your device's manual to see if this is an option. You are not always able to charge a battery that is currently in the camera while the camera is attached to a powered USB cable (some cameras just don't work this way and require a dock to change batteries), although often this is possible.

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Can you charge a Canon Rebel t3 with USB?

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No, this model cannot be charged via USB. You will have to remove the battery from the camera and place it in the included charger to charge it.

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Question

What are some different ways to heat the battery?

Community Answer

The best method for heating the batteries is by rubbing. You must use your hand palm to rub and produce heat. Other methods include keeping the battery in light or near a solar panel.

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Question

Is it damaging to a cell phone battery to charge it directly with four AA batteries?

Community Answer

No, all batteries use DC current, as opposed to the AC current you find in your home outlets. You're simply transferring the energy from one battery to another.

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Question

How do I charge my iPhone if my charger stopped working? (iPhone batteries are built into the phone.)

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If you can't remove the batteries, then the only thing you can do is use a different charger.

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Question

How can I use a laptop battery to charge my cell phone?

Community Answer

Use a USB to Mini USB cord (or lightening charger if use Apple products) to connect your laptop to your phone. Your phone should automatically start charging. Most phones show a little power sign next to the battery signal. However, you cannot remove the laptop battery directly to charge your phone, you must use a cord.

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Question

What should I do if my cell phone battery is lasting only 30 minutes after a charge?

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Generally this means the battery is almost completely dead and will need to be replaced.

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Question

How can I use a 9v battery to charge my phone?

Community Answer

Most 12V car chargers are capable of running on 9V. The tip of the car charger is positive and the side contacts are negative. Connect the 9v battery any way you know how and then connect the charger to your phone.

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Question

Can I rub a battery on my leg to charge it?

Community Answer

No, this will not give a battery a charge. It may produce a bit of static electricity but nothing sufficient enough for a charge.

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Question

Where is the battery on an iPhone?

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It is inside the phone, covered by the back, where the Apple logo and the camera are.

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Question

Can I charge my sony digital camera through the usb port by connecting a phone charger?

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You can, if the phone charger end is compatible with your camera.

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Question

The charging port of my battery is damaged. Is there any way that I can charge my phone's battery externally?

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Yes, there are many external chargers. Check eBay or Amazon.

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Question

Can I connect a 9-volt battery without connecting a resistor?

Community Answer

No, you must use a resistor. also, MAH in batteries are smaller than MAH in your phone battery, so this method takes a long time.

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Question

How can I charge my phone without electricity?

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That is impossible. Anything with a battery needs electricity to charge.

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Question

How do I tell how much battery I have when charging without a charger?

Community Answer

To find what percent your phone is at, look on the top right corner of your screen and it should show you how much is left. If you don't see the percentage, go to Settings and find the battery, click that and switch on Battery Percentage.

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Question

What models will this trick work for?

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It should work with most iPhones, if you can get to the battery, and most Android-powered phones.

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Question

How can I charge my phone if its charger pin in destroyed?

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Use an external charger. You can order them on eBay.

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Question

What is the best way to charge a Kodak camera battery without using the charger?

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You're going to need to get yourself a new charger. Try eBay.

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Question

I tried rubbing my camera battery for 45 minutes, but it didn't help. Why?

Community Answer

Rubbing a battery doesn't give it charge. In fact it just helps you get out some of the energy that was already in there. If there is very little energy in there, rubbing won't work.

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Question

Can I rub my Samsung charger on my jeans?

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No. Rub it in your hands as shown, and it should give you a bit of charge.

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Question

What do I do if my battery isn't working?

Community Answer

Buy a new one. Don't get Apple to replace your battery, replace it yourself.

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Question

Can I charge my Samsung Galaxy j6 with this method?

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Yes, but it may take a long time and ultimately harm your battery.

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Question

Will this work if I have lost the charger to a vacuum?

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Yes. but these methods harm your battery lifetime.

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Question

What can I do about a laptop battery that doesn't work?

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Either get a new battery, or just keep it plugged in all the time so you don't require a battery.

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Question

Whenever I charge my smartphone, after five minutes of charging, it shows 100 percent charge left, but after 10 or15 minutes, the battery drains drastically low. What should I do?

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Get a new battery. Your current one has probably reached the end of it's usable lifetime.

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Question

My 9V solar panel charger has a round cable end to charge a lamp. What should I do to be able to charge my cell phone?

A Dream

Community Answer

Splice the wires. Verify how much power is coming from your solar panel (using a multi-meter), then connect red to the positive and black to the negative.

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Question

How can I charge my phone without a USB cable and charger?

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You can't do it, I'm afraid.

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Question

What should I do if I can't access the battery?

Community Answer

More than likely, it's an internal battery that's soldered or inaccessible, so you can't take it out. In those cases, it would be very difficult to charge the battery without the proper charger.

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