How to Charge a Laptop Using a Power Bank: What to Know

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Power your laptop on the go with these simple steps

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: August 6, 2025 Fact Checked

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Charging Your Laptop

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Conserving Battery Life

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FAQ

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Video

Are you out and about and there's no outlet around to charge your laptop? This wikiHow will teach you how to use a power bank to recharge your PC laptop or MacBook. We also go over how to maximize your laptop's battery and conserve the charge you have with some expert tips on preserving battery life from computer and tech specialist Luigi Oppido.

Using a Power Bank to Charge a Laptop

The most important thing when charging a laptop with a power bank is to ensure your power bank has a high enough voltage output. Most laptops require 16-20V, while most power banks output only 5V. Once you have the right power bank, plug your laptop into the charger with a cable or adapter.

Section 1 of 3:

Charging Your Laptop

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1
Get the correct power bank for your laptop. Most laptops require 16V-20V output, while most power banks supply 5V USB output. You can usually find the power rating and voltage output your laptop needs on the current AC adapter or in the manual.
- Powerful laptop power banks can be purchased online or in some electronics stores like Best Buy or Microcenter.
If your laptop runs out of battery power when you're on the go, you'll want your portable power bank to be fully charged. Most power banks are charged by simply plugging them into a wall outlet, but make sure you have it plugged in via the power bank's charging port.

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Connect the power bank to your laptop. If your laptop has a USB-C charging port, you can plug it into your USB-C power bank with a USB-C cable. Otherwise, you can use a different cable (such as USB-C to USB-A) depending on the ports on your power bank.^{[1]
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- If your laptop has a round charging cable, you'll need an adapter to plug it into your power bank.
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Turn on your power bank (if you need to). According to your power bank's make and model, you might have to press a button or turn a switch for the power bank to start charging your computer.https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1GfhyjoOiL.pdf
- You should see the battery charging symbol in the tray of your laptop screen. On Windows, this looks like the battery icon next to a three-prong plug as the icon is filling up with white. On a Mac, you'll see a lightning bolt inside the battery icon.

Section 2 of 3:

Conserving Battery Life

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Work on one program at a time. You may have gotten accustomed to multitasking, but the more programs you have open and running, the faster your battery is used. According to Oppido, background processes can use up more power than you might expect.^{[2]
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- If you're using Windows, make sure you look in your taskbar for programs that are running in the background, like Google Drive (or any of those other syncing services) or a gaming launcher (like Origin Games).
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Use less memory. Like closing unnecessary open programs, you will also need to use less memory-intensive programs to save battery life.
- For example, if you need to write a document, use Notepad/TextEdit instead of Microsoft Word.
- Watching a movie or playing a large game can also drain your battery quickly. You can open up the Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) to see which programs you're using are taking up the most resources.
Your battery might be drained faster as your laptop uses resources to keep them on.
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Enable Power Saver (Windows) or Low Power Mode (Mac). Power Saver/Low Power Mode will help your laptop conserve energy when it's not plugged into power. To enable this setting, follow these steps:
- Windows 10: Click on the battery icon in your taskbar, then drag the slider all the way to the left (where it says "Best battery life.")^{[3]
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- Windows 11: In the taskbar search bar, type "power options," then click on the menu option that pops up. Under "Preferred plans," choose Power saver.
- Mac: Click on the Apple menu and choose System Settings > Battery. Choose Low Power Mode.^{[4]
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Reduce the brightness of your screen. While the Power Saver and Energy Saver settings dim the screen quite a bit, Oppido notes you can lower it even more to conserve battery life.^{[5]
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Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

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- You should see a shortcut key on your keyboard that will do this. It will have a picture of a hollow sun next to a picture of a filled sun, indicating it adjusts brightness.
Peripherals like USB flash drives and mice will drain your laptop battery faster. If you're not planning on using a device, you'll need to unplug it.
Batteries don't do well in extremely hot or cold temperatures, so you'll want to avoid either of those. Using your battery in an area that's very hot or very cold will make it drain faster.
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Keep your laptop's air vents clear. Your laptop most likely has internal fans that help keep it from overheating; if the vents to these fans are blocked by dust or debris, then they will work harder and drain your battery faster.
- Likewise, you do not want to set your laptop on a pillow or other soft surface, as soft surfaces can block the air vents from properly ventilating.

Section 3 of 3:

FAQ

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Why is my power bank not charging my laptop? Laptops need a high wattage output to charge effectively. Most power banks offer around 15-30 watts while laptops need at least double of that. If your power bank can charge your phone but not your laptop, you'll need a power bank with a higher wattage.
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Can I use a cell phone charger to charge my laptop? Avoid using unofficial chargers for your laptop. You might damage the energy supply or reduce your laptop's battery life. Use the provided charger for your laptop unless the manual states an alternative.
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How do I enable USB-C charging on my laptop? If your laptop supports USB-C charging, you'll usually find it in your laptop's power or battery settings. This feature must be enabled, and you must have a charger powerful enough to support your laptop.
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Can you charge a laptop with 20000mAh? 20,0000 mAh is enough power to charge a laptop. Make sure the power bank is meant to be used with a laptop. If it isn't, this could damage your device.