Charging your iPhone 6 from a power outlet in Germany

A guide showing how to recharge your iPhone 6 with a German power outlet with the Apple USB Lightning cable and a Type C Europlug power charger and charging the iPhone 6 using a double pinned Type F USB charger.

German power outlet

If you are organizing a trip it can often be helpful to know in advance if you'll be able to use any common gadgets when you reach your hotel. Without knowing which power socket is being used you are more likely to bring the wrong charger, leaving you having to buy a suitable adaptor when you need to recharge which might be incompatible and damage the device. Differing standards and plug types can often be daunting when planning to travel to a new country especially for the first time traveller. However this isn't as complex as it first appears, with only a handful of different types of common standards being used in the world this guide tells you exactly what you'll need to buy in advance to charge your iPhone 6 . These instructions were specifically written to prevent you needing to worry if you'll be able to charge the iPhone 6 when you are visiting abroad.When you are visiting Germany the following useful instructions show how to power your iPhone 6 by using their types F or C 230 volt 50Hz plug outlets, Type F wall outlets will be used by a majority of Germans. When travelling to Germany from a different country please ensure your iPhone 6 can be charged using a 240 volt supply. If your iPhone 6 was purchased from a country which uses a lower voltage such as 120v ensure that your iPhone 6 is dual voltage (indicated by 100-240 volts) otherwise you may need to use an additional voltage converter to stop the device from being damaged when powering up. If you're planning to stay somewhere such as Berlin or Hamburg we suggest reading the wikipedia.org web page about Germany [1] for further information. These instructions assume that you are running Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPhone 6.

Charging the iPhone 6 in Germany

Can the iPhone 6 be used in Germany?

Yes, you can connect the iPhone 6 to a German power outlet by using the correct power adaptor.

What is the best power charger for recharging the iPhone 6 in Germany?

If travelling to more than one country or bringing along more than your iPhone 6 the best international travel adapter for Germany to buy is a multiple USB adapter which includes compatible plugs like a 4 port USB travel charger. There are two different types of plug sockets in Germany (F and C) and using a power adapter like this will ensure that you are covered for type C. Because these types of chargers are supplied with interchangeable pins and can handle 100 volts to 240 volts will mean you can travel to multiple countries in Asia, North America, Europe and Africa simply by switching the supplied plugs over. If your iPhone 6 can support Fast Charge then you'll benefit from much quicker recharging times by using one of these USB travel chargers, and compatibility with certain power hungry devices like tablets. Having a four port adapter means you can charge more than one device at once without needing to bring individual power adapters or occupying additional power sockets. Only bringing a single lightweight USB travel charger will help keep the overall size and weight down, making it perfect to fold up in hand baggage as well as being suitable for charging your iPhone 6 at the airport or on the plane. Due to their space saving flexibility these types of travel chargers can be used when back at home as well as abroad so when you’re not on holiday they can sit overnight charging multiple smartphones and tablets without needing an additional wall outlet.

We recommend buying a versatile power charger of this nature online; the multipurpose power adapter illustrated here is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been successfully tested with multiple USB devices in numerous foreign countries on a daily basis.

Alternative travel adapter for Germany

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from around the world who only have USB devices such as the iPhone 6, but for visitors also wishing to use their domestic plugs these power converters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All 3 power strips offer surge protection which can be useful for travellers to counties with unreliable power grids. These power converters come supplied with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs covering both Germany and over 150 destinations:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK travel adaptor has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the most popular portable option for travellers originating from America going to Germany.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Likewise having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the travel adapter from Orico is also aimed at travellers originating from the US using type B plugs. This offers the same set of features as the BESTEK with 1 less AC outlet at almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has 2 AC outlets but offers a more flexible 5 USB charging ports. This versatile power strip is compatible with both American plugs and popular plug types A, D,E/F, G, H, I, L and N making it ideal for a majority of travellers from around the world visiting Germany. [8] [AD]
What is the best power charger for recharging the iPhone 6 in Germany?

How to use a Type C power charger for recharging your iPhone 6 from a German power outlet

Using an Apple USB Lightning connector with a two pin Europlug Type C power adapter to power your iPhone 6 with a German power outlet.

  1. If you want to charge the iPhone 6 from the German power outlet you will need to use a Type C USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5], the cable is normally already included with your iPhone 6.
  2. Start by plugging the Type C USB power plug adapter into the wall supply. You can identify the power supply by the 2 circular holes next to each other where the live and neutral pins go.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the Apple power cable into the bottom of the mains power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 6. The iPhone 6 Lightning connector is situated at bottom of the iPhone 6 under the home button.
  4. Switch on the German power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which you'll find in the top right hand corner of your cellphone will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone 6 is charging, typically taking between 1 - 4 hours to completely recharge to full capacity. [AD]
How to use a Type C power charger for recharging your iPhone 6 from a German power outlet

Charging the iPhone 6 from a German power outlet by using a two pinned Schuko Type F USB adapter

Using a USB Lightning connector with a two pin Type F USB adapter to power the iPhone 6 with a German power outlet.

  1. If you want to supply power to the iPhone 6 using a German power outlet you'll need a Type F USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (typically already included with the iPhone 6).
  2. First insert the Type F USB power plug adapter in the German power outlet. The circular power supply, sometimes called a Schuko plug, can be identified by the two 4.8mm adjacent holes next to each other for live and neutral along with a pair of thin metal grounding clips above and below.
  3. Connect the USB end of the USB Apple charging cable into the bottom of the power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 6. The iPhone 6 Lightning connector can be found at bottom of your iPhone 6 under the home button.
  4. Switch on the German power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right hand corner of your iPhone 6 will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone 6 is charging which takes between 1 to 4 hours to recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Charging the iPhone 6 from a German power outlet by using a two pinned Schuko Type F USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - wikipedia.org web page about Germany
  2. Apple - official iPhone user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type C power outlet
  4. Type C USB power plug adapter - Conforming to Europlug specifications, the Type C USB power plug adapter incorporates two 4 mm rounded pins spaced 19 mm apart. It is engineered to adapt electrical outlets commonly found in Europe, converting them to USB-compatible charging ports..
  5. USB to Apple Lightning cable - The Apple Lightning cable is a charging and syncing cable for more recent Apple devices and connects compatible iPhones and iPads to a USB port.
  6. iec.ch - Type F power outlet
  7. Type F USB power plug adapter - Compliant with Europlugs and CEE 7/17 specifications, the Type F or Schuko adapter is engineered to adapt German electrical power outlets into USB-compatible ports..
  8. 4 Port USB Wall Charger - A 4-port USB wall charger is an electrical device that provides simultaneous charging for up to four USB-compatible devices. It often includes interchangeable international plug adapters for global use..