Your phone charges slower than it should, and the culprit is usually the charger, not the phone. The fastest charger you own is probably the one in the box it came with, and the slow one is the mystery brick in your junk drawer.

I did not realize how much my old charger was holding me back until I timed it. Switching chargers doubled my charge speed.

Check the wattage

Chargers are rated in watts, and more watts means faster charging. A modern phone can pull 18 to 45 watts, but an old charger might only deliver 5. Check the label on your charger and use one that matches your phone.

Use the right cable

The cable matters as much as the brick. A cable rated for fast charging carries the power. Old or thin cables cap the speed even on a good charger. If your phone supports fast charging, get a cable that does too.

Put the phone in airplane mode at night

Overnight, your phone keeps checking email, syncing photos, and pinging apps. That background work drains power while it charges. Airplane mode at night lets the battery charge faster and wakes you to a full phone.

Skip the wireless pad at night

Wireless charging is convenient, but it is also slower and generates heat, which slows charging further. For overnight, plug in with a cable. It is the difference between a full battery and a half charge.

Do not use the phone while it charges

Using the phone while plugged in splits the power between the screen and the battery. Leave it face down while it charges and the charge goes where it should.

Keep the port clean

A pocket full of lint blocks the connection and slows charging. Clean the port gently with a toothpick, not a metal pin, and the cable seats better.

My phone goes from 20 percent to full in about an hour and a half now, most of it while I sleep. The old charger went in the junk drawer where it belongs.