Your laptop charger is misplaced, damaged, malfunctioning, or a friend might have borrowed it and you can’t get it back now, and need to charge the laptop immediately?
That’s why you are now looking for a charging solution without a laptop charger.
It sounds awkward, but it’s true. You can charge a laptop with an HDMI cable through the port. You just want to know how to charge a laptop with HDMI?
But before answering question, you need to know some basic facts.
How Many Ways are There to Charge a Laptop Without a Laptop charger?
It may sounds breaking news to you, but there are certain ways through which you can charge your laptop without a proper laptop charger. These include
- Charge through HDMI
- Through USB Type C Cable
- Charge via a Power Bank
- Via an external chargeable battery
- Charge via the car’s USB
- Charge using a Universal Adapter
- Charge Using Your Phone
In this article, we’ll not explore other methods as it will make it very lengthy. We’ll focus on the first method only.
What is HDMI?
HDMI is an abbreviation of “High Definition Media Multimedia Interface”. It is a display port usually found in output devices that give visual output, like laptops, TVs, monitors, multimedia projectors, and TV boxes, etc.
It is used to output high-definition multimedia signals that display high-resolution audio and video content on screen. HDMI specifically works for A/V signals.
There are two kinds of HDMI ports, HDMI OUT and HDMI IN. This port works in bi-directional mode, i.e., you can connect either end to the HDMI port of the cable.
But, HDMI can’t transmit data in a bi-directional way, as it uni-directional i.e. only one direction. That’s why there are IN and OUT types.
How to find out which kind of HDMI port your laptop has?
Your laptop can only be charged when it has an HDMI IN port only. Now the technical point here is to know that either your laptop has an HDMI port IN or OUT?
There is no visual symbol on the HDMI port that distinguishes the IN and OUT ports. In order to check your laptop’s port, either consult a booklet, visit the Visit your manufacturer’s website and look for technical specifications, search for that model on the internet, or contact support of your laptop brand.
Unfortunately, the majority of laptops come with HDMI OUT only, as they have to display visual contents on secondary monitors. There are a few models that come with an HDMI IN port, like Alienware 18, Clevo X8100, and Alienware M17x R4, etc.
Can an HDMI port charge my laptop?
As discussed before, HDMI isn’t a charging port, it’s primarily a display port and carries audio and video signals from one device to another. It doesn’t support charging mode.
But it can charge your laptop to survive in severe need and in absence of laptop charger.
How to charge a laptop with HDMI?
But if your laptop has the following, then it can be charged through HDMI.
- HDMI Cable
- HDMI IN port with a laptop
- Any electronic device with an HDMI-OUT port, like a TV, laptop with HDMI OUT port etc.
In order to charge, just plug in an HDMI cable into both HDMI ports, i.e., from TV to laptop. Check if the charging light on the laptop is on or not? If it is on then your laptop is being charged, else it’s not.
You can also check the Windows taskbar. If the battery icon shows “plugged-in” then it is now charged, else not.
How to charge a laptop with a USB-C?
This technique is most helpful for MacBook owners, as they are equipped with USB-C port and all new models are manufactured with it.
The USB Type-C connection was a blessing for gamers and technology enthusiasts. Data and power can be transferred much faster via USB Type C compared to its predecessors. The amazing thing is that it works like plug and play.
Nowadays, most smart devices come with USB-C ports. You can charge your laptop with a relevant cable if your device also falls under this category. You will only need a USB C cable and an adapter.
Major tech companies throughout the world are gradually adopting Type-C as a standard for data and power delivery.
You just need HDMI to USB-C adapter to charge your laptop. Then follow these steps.
- Connect the HDMI cable to TV or any device with an HDMI OUT port.
- Connect the HDMI cable’s 2nd end to the adapter.
- Connect the “USB-C cable end” of adapter to laptop.
Now, your lapotp should start charging. If its not then, check whether HDMI cable is okay or not? or check connections again.
Can a laptop be used as a monitor?
As discussed before, the majority of laptops only have HDMI output, which transmits signals from the laptop to other devices like monitors and TVs, for projecting video and audio data from the laptop to the monitor.
Only a few special laptops have HDMI IN ports that can receive signals from external output devices. You can only display video and audio content from those devices on your laptop, if you have a laptop like that.
Pros and Con of Charging with HDMI or USB C port
Pros
There are plenty of pros to charging with an HDMI or USB-C port, but there are still a few of them.
- Your laptop can be charged without a charger in an emergency or in severe need. Given that a laptop charger draws more than 100V while HDMI only carries 5V
- It can save your day in critical situations like presenting to the boss or in class when the laptop is totally down.
Cons
- Charging gadgets with HDMI is not recommended
- Charging may proceed incredibly slowly.
- Using this method for longer periods can damage the laptop.
- If the voltage is low, charging may have problems.