How to Charge a Cell Phone in a Car

By J.S. Copper

Charging your cell phone in the car saves energy.
i car image by Maxim Kulemza from Fotolia.com

Originally, people began buying cell phones for emergencies when away from home. Now, cell phones are integrated into every aspect of our life. Using the cell phone constantly throughout the day drains the battery, potentially leaving you out of luck when you may actually need the phone for an emergency. Luckily, charging the phone while traveling in your car is simple and cheap.

Determine the make and model of your cell phone. The name should be prominently displayed on the device and the model number will be listed on the cell phone's box. Each device has a different input connection for charging.

Purchase a car charger from an electronics store or your cellular provider. Most stores have an assortment of car chargers for cell phones. Match the manufacturer and model number up with the appropriate charger. A cell phone car charger/adapter for Samsung may not work with a LG cell phone. It is important to get the right charger.

Plug the charger into the cell phone. Be careful to properly connect the car charger and cell phone.

Place the charging end into the car's cigarette lighter. Car chargers use the cigarette lighters for power. Newer cars have dedicated charging ports for just this purpose, though they are the same. Once plugged into the adapter, the phone will start charging (so long as the car battery is running).

Disconnect the phone from the charger once the battery is full.

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