Your MacBook Air can charge your iPhone.

Yes, absolutely. The USB-C ports on a MacBook Air can charge iPhones, iPads, AirPods, and pretty much anything else that charges over USB-C — including Android phones, portable batteries, and even some Nintendo Switches. It works just like plugging into any other USB-C charger.

The power draw impact is small for occasional use. An iPhone draws around 5-10 watts when charging, which is a fraction of what the MacBook Air itself uses (30-40 watts under normal use). Handing over that 10W will drain your laptop’s battery a little faster, but we’re talking maybe 10-15% less runtime over a few hours. You won’t notice it if you’re plugged into the wall.

If you’re on battery and trying to maximize endurance, skip the phone charge. But for a quick top-off or charging a friend’s dead phone, it’s totally fine. The MacBook Air’s USB-C ports deliver up to 15W (on the M1 and M2 models), which is plenty for an iPhone.

Just know that it’s a convenience trick, not a backup battery. Your laptop’s battery is about 50-60Wh. Your iPhone’s battery is about 12Wh. So you can fully charge a dead phone about four times before your laptop is empty. That’s useful, but not unlimited.