PSA: Don't trust those cheap USB-C charging cables from gas stations

I grabbed a $3 cable from a Shell station last weekend because I forgot mine at home and my phone was down to 5%. Plugged it in and it charged super slow, but I didn't think much of it until my phone started feeling really hot after 10 minutes. Turns out those no-name cables can have bad wiring that messes with your battery's voltage regulator. When I finally got home and swapped back to my old Anker cable, my phone said it had a swollen battery warning pop up. Took it to a repair shop yesterday and the guy told me cheap cables like that can literally damage your phone's charging port over time. I learned my lesson and now I just keep a spare OEM cable in my glove box. Has anyone else fried a battery with a gas station cable?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordanl821mo agoMost Upvoted

The voltage regulator in your phone is actually built into the phone's motherboard, not the cable itself... but that doesn't mean cheap cables are safe. @wesleyc75 is right about the safety features though, a bad cable can still cause unstable power delivery that heats up the battery over time. I've seen a few people at the station with melted charging ports from those gas station specials, so it's smart to keep a good spare around.

wesleyc752mo ago

Actually I read a similar warning from an electronics forum and it stuck with me. Those gas station cables skip the safety features that protect your battery's voltage and heat regulation. I ended up buying a spare name brand cable to keep in the car after that, it's way cheaper than repairing a damaged phone.

jennifer_mitchell532mo ago

Wait wesleyc75, a swollen battery from a gas station cable? That's insane.