How to Monitor Your Android Charging Speed

Charging Android devices has become more complicated in recent years, with fast charging features and wireless charging. Chargers come with different wattage or amp numbers that can also vary between phone models and brands. However, higher charging wattage doesn’t always mean better results. Here are the best ways to keep an eye on your smartphone charging speeds.

Download and Use the Ampere App

The Android-friendly Ampere app is a cost-efficient and relatively speedy method to gauge your charging performance. Here are the steps:

• Download the Ampere app on your Android device. The free download is all you need.
• Look for the charging information for your phone to find its charging wattage or similar numbers. Specs pages or manuals should have this data for you.
• Charge your device with the typical charger you use.
• Open the Ampere app and let it run. The app detects and shows information about your device’s battery, including its voltage, max capacity, and charge levels.
• Ampere returns an mA (milliampere) value at the top, including a minimum and maximum number as well as an average charge. Use the formula Watts = Volts X Amps to find the wattage by multiplying these values together.
• Compare the calculated wattage numbers with the specs on your Android charger and device to see if you’re getting optimal performance.

Fast chargers show around 3,000mA on today’s devices, while slower chargers may show around 1,000mA. Ampere can also show discharge times as you use your battery.

Alternative: Purchase a Voltage Meter

Purchasing a voltage meter or similar device that can measure the electricity flowing into your Android device is one of the best ways to diagnose a faulty or irregular charger, despite its expense. Here are the steps:

• Purchase a voltage meter, such as this USB-C meter from Plugable, currently available for around $25.
• The meter acts as a middleman between your charging cable and your device. Plug it into your device, then plug your charging cable into the meter.
• The meter shows a running measurement of the electricity flowing into the device, including input voltage and mA/A values. You can convert these to wattage using the formula above or the amp values to compare different chargers.

A physical device allows you to switch between cables and chargers quickly to see if any make an immediate difference. However, they come with limitations. This Plugable model, for example, does not support extended USB-PD power ranges of 28V or above.

Can Changing Chargers Improve My Android Charge Speed?

It may help, but it depends on several factors. If your Android device supports a fast charging protocol, you may switch to an upgraded charger for better results. Still, changes like these depend on the Android model you have, how new your phone is, and other details that can vary. Pay attention to the wattage and other specs when making comparisons. The charger that came with your phone often produces the best results.

You’re Ready to Test!

With these tools, you can check how effectively your Android charges at any time. Use these tools to diagnose problems with your battery or find the optimal way to charge fast. When you keep your battery healthy, you have low battery surprises again.