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Can I Charge My iPhone in Europe? – Things To Know Before You Travel

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Taking a phone from anywhere in the Americas to a Euro trip can have some unwanted consequences if you don’t do things right. That’s exactly why we want to make sure we answer this question that we’ve gotten quite a bit. Can I charge my iPhone in Europe? The short answer is of course yes, but you want to make sure that you’re doing it the right way. If not, you could potentially damage the charger, the phone and everything in between. The process on the surface is simple enough. When you get to Europe you’re going to realize that the socket in the wall looks nothing like the one that you have at home. So, you need to get an adapter to make sure that you can actually plug the charger into the wall. 

Is that it? Is that really all there is to know regarding, Can I charge my iPhone in Europe? In a sense, yes, but at this point it becomes an issue of quality, and the type of equipment that you’re using. A lot of people just go out and buy adapters from cheap shops when they arrive in Europe, or even from the Sky mall store items that some flights have on board. There have been plenty of horror stories told through the years of people on a Euro trip ruining their chargers because they bought cheap adapters. Is this really an issue that you need to worry about? Maybe not. We just want to play devils’ advocate a bit and talk about the different scenarios that you could face on your trip abroad. That way you can be better prepared if something happens.   

Can I Charge My iPhone in Europe – Your Charging Options 

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There are in essence two main options that are going to be on the table for you. You can take your charger abroad, and just use an adapter to be able to plug it into the wall, and get power to charge your phone. To be able to do that you need to make sure that the charger that you’re using is compatible with the European current. It usually says so on the outlet that goes into the wall. You should find something that reads 120v/220v. That little legend can give you a sense of certainty that you can in fact just plug your charger into the wall with an adapter. 

The main problem that we tend to have with these adapters is that you may have bought a very cheap one. If the adapter burns out it can completely damage your charger. The worst case scenario of course is that the issue essentially bleeds through and you end up with a phone that now doesn’t charge properly regardless. What you can do to prevent that is use not only an adapter, but a voltage converter to plug your charger into the electric current. With certain voltage converters you don’t even need adapters. You could also just buy a local charger, and be done with it. There are going to be different options to choose from though. That’s what we want to talk about here shortly.     

Can I Charge My iPhone in Europe? – What Type of Charger Do You Have?

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If you have the original charger that came with the phone then you can pretty much rest assured that it can handle the change in voltage. Then again though, you know how much a new iPhone charger can cost. So why would you use a cheap adapter to plug it into the wall? These are just pieces of advice to be extra safe. You may be able to charge your phone with a cheap adapter on a month-long trip, get back home and everything will just be perfectly fine. But in doing that as your solution to the dilemma of Can I charge my phone in Europe you are running certain risks. For us, that’s what we want to highlight. We’re not saying one situation is better than the next. 

Now, if you’re already charging your iPhone with one of those no name brand chargers because you lost the original at a friend’s house, then number one that’s going to affect the devices’ battery life, long term. Since you are already doing that though then just go ahead and buy another no name brand charger that can connect directly to the European current. Really to be honest this is the recommendation that we would make to Android users. Android phones can usually be charged with some of these cheap chargers for longer periods. In iPhone’s we’ve seen the effects of a cheap charge be literally immediate. This certainly could be an issue that you’ll want to keep in mind.      

The Safest Option To Charge Your iPhone In Europe

If we had to pick what the safest option would be to be able to charge your iPhone in Europe it would be to literally go out and buy an original iPhone charger and use that for the duration of your trip. Yeah, we know it’s not the most cost-efficient option out there. That being said, if you’re someone who is crossing the pond on a consistent basis the investment may very well be worth it. In many respects what you’re doing is removing all of those unwanted scenarios from being a possibility. As we’ve mentioned, this is not to say that just traveling with an adapter is a recipe for 100% sure disaster, but it does put you more at risk. 

A lot of times people who are crossing the pond on a consistent basis take more than just their iPhone with them. Really you’re going to have the exact same dilemma that we’re describing when it comes to phones with iPads, iMacs, or any other device even if they are not from the Apple brand. If you’re dealing with these concerns maybe your safest option would be to go out and buy a high quality voltage converter which can handle multiple devices being plugged in at once. This is going to provide a one-stop shop solution for all of your chargers. Instead of having to buy European and American chargers for all of the devices that you take with you on your trip.   

Voltage Converters vs Just Adapters

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We’ve essentially leaned towards voltage converters the whole article. There’s a reason for this, and it’s quite logical. Most voltage converters that you can use are not only going to be outputting the voltage that your device is used to. Something that is a must for chargers that aren’t able to handle the larger European voltage. At the same time, they act as an extra layer of protection. If an adapter burns out, the thing is literally attached to your iPhone charger. Nine times out of ten there’s going to be some damage to the charger in that exchange. If a voltage converter has an issue it won’t necessarily burn out the charger. That’s exactly what decent voltage converters are actually designed to do.  

Why do people typically go for the simple adapter? That’s also a simple question to answer, the adapter is way cheaper. You can find options for just a couple of dollars. We have to go back to what we were talking about, think of this as a way to protect a large investment which is your phone and the charger. Not only because of the money that iPhones go for. If something happens to your phone abroad you could be left with connection back or to the world even. That can bring real problems. That’s why we caution travelers to be extra safe when they can be. 

How Likely Is It That Something Bad Will Happen?

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It’s hard to say because there’s no real statistics, at least credible ones that we found on the subject. A lot of what’s been mentioned in the article is personal experience. Every overseas trip that we’ve had there’s been at least one adapter that falters after a few days. If the charger is ok then you can go ahead and get a new adapter and do that each time that one fails on you. Again, if you’re going to be traveling for some time or if you plan to cross the pond frequently then it’s just a better idea to play it safe. Particularly when it comes to an iPhone or any other type of expensive equipment. 

Let’s say that you buy a cheap adapter, and it just causes the slightest damage to your iPhone charger. There’s a good chance that the charger can be repaired. In fact, the repair may not be too complex or expensive. The problem is, you may not have any idea that the issue is not severe. All that you know is that your phone is not charging correctly. Even if you knew the issue was not a big deal, how likely is it that you’ll know where to find a reputable technician to fix your charger in the streets of Paris? There’s probably many people who can help, how are you going to search for one without your phone? That’s the issue that we’re talking about. Even a minor hiccup can blow up and turn into a real issue when you’re traveling abroad.    

Does The Type of iPhone That You Have Matter?   

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It does in the sense that if you have an older phone you’re going to be using a different charger. In any case you want to make sure that your charger is compatible with the voltage used in Europe. If not or you just don’t find a way to validate that, (again it should say directly on the part of the charger that plugs into the wall) then your best bet is to go with a voltage converter. If you need an older charger it may be harder for you to find one locally. Although, maybe not in some countries. There are certain European countries where people keep their phones with them for a while longer than they do in other parts of the world. 

For the most part though this is probably not something that you need to overthink. That goes for your iPhone, and for any other device that you may want to cross the pond with. The key is to have an idea as to what you want to do before you travel. If you need to buy chargers or voltage converters before you make the trip that could be a good idea to get ahead of things. That way you won’t have to be scrambling across a city that you don’t know trying to find a new charger or someone who can fix your phone. 

Can I Charge My iPhone In Europe – Conclusion  

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Can I charge my iPhone in Europe? Yes, you’re going to be able to do so, but as we just said you should probably have a strategy in place before you travel. The simplest option on the menu is to go ahead and just get an adapter to be able to plug your regular charger onto the wall. The problem with that is, that this option is the most dangerous of them all. At the same time you need to make sure that your regular charger can handle the difference in voltage on its own. Otherwise, it’s literally going to blow up. We’re not talking about a major explosion, but you get the idea. 

We typically recommend the use of reliable voltage converter devices. We do this because they are a safer alternative when compared to just plugging in the adapter. Also, most people nowadays are going to travel with all sorts of different gadgets. So you’re going to need to find a way to charge all of them at some point. A voltage converter that allows you to plug in multiple devices at once seems like the best option across the board. Just make sure that you’re buying a quality product regardless of the path that you decide to take.