[MikeRobbins]

My car has a single USB port for wired CarPlay. I’m wondering if the TopCarPlay adapter uses that same port and still lets me charge my phone somehow. I don’t want to lose charging completely. Anyone know how that works?

[Mike in NYC]

It uses the same port, so the adapter takes over that USB and you won’t have it free for charging. That’s just how it goes with a single port setup.

In my car I ended up plugging the adapter in and just charging my phone from a 12V socket adapter when I need to. Not as clean but it works. If your car only has that one USB, you can’t really have both the adapter and a charging cable in it at the same time.

Some people say wireless charging pads solve it but my car doesn’t have one so I can’t speak to that. The adapter itself doesn’t pass through charging to the phone as far as I know.

[Carla D.]

I actually prefer not having my phone plugged in all the time, so losing that port wasn’t a downside for me. I just toss my phone on a vent mount and plug it into a charger when I need juice. The adapter living in that USB slot permanently is kind of the whole point.

[RyanT]

I disagree that losing charging is just how it goes. Plenty of cars with a single USB port still have a 12V socket or a hidden USB somewhere else in the console, so people just run a separate charger from that and keep the adapter plugged into the CarPlay port. The adapter only needs the data port, it doesn’t care if your phone is drawing power from somewhere else at the same time. Mine’s been set up that way for a few months and both work fine together. If your car truly has only the one port and nothing else, then yeah you’re stuck, but that’s less common than people assume. Worth checking around the console and glovebox before writing off charging completely.

[Riley1]

I’ve got one USB too and honestly the adapter just lives in it. I still charge my phone with a regular wall plug at home, but in the car I mostly just leave it. So yeah, that port is basically gone.

[Mike Hall]

You can get a cheap USB splitter if you really need both, but I’ve heard those can sometimes cause connection issues with these adapters. Mine just stays plugged in and I charge my phone at home or work mostly.

[Kevin Rogers]

I’d probably just leave the adapter plugged in and charge my phone somewhere else if I really needed to. In my car the 12V outlet is still free, so I picked up a cheap dual charger for that and it’s been fine. If you don’t have one of those though, then yeah, you’re kinda choosing between wireless CarPlay and charging.

[Emma Mirren]

If it were me, I would just plug the adapter in and not worry about charging from that port. I usually charge my phone before I leave or plug it into the 12V socket if I really need juice on a long drive. The wireless thing is the whole point, so having the phone plugged in kind of defeats it anyway.

[Olivia_park]

The adapter lives in that port and my phone just charges at home.

[Lisa Bass]

I use one of these adapters in a car with just a single USB port too. The adapter itself doesn’t really need charging, it just pulls power from that same port, so it stays in there permanently and you forget about it. As for charging your phone, I’ve just gotten used to topping up before I drive or using a power bank in the glovebox if I really need it. Honestly I don’t miss plugging in at all, the wireless thing is way more convenient than I expected. My personal preference is keeping that port free of cables hanging around, so the trade off is fine by me. If you absolutely need to charge while driving you’ll have to find another power source somewhere, but for normal daily stuff I don’t think you’ll notice the loss much.

[Paul847]

I mostly just use the adapter and let my phone sit in my pocket. Keeps it simple. Charging in the car isn’t a big thing for me anyway.

[Sam Carter]

Depends on the car. On mine, the port still puts out power while the adapter’s running, so I just plug the phone into the same port with a second cable. It charges slower but it charges. That’s the whole setup, nothing fancy.

[LiamW]

Mine only charges when the adapter’s unplugged.

[Nina_gadget]

Mine actually has two ports, but the adapter only needs one, so I just use the other one for charging. If I only had a single port I’d probably grab a cheap USB splitter and see if that works, though I’ve heard some cars don’t like that. Worth checking your manual first.

[Alexa Connor]

Wait, does the adapter not pass charging through at all? I figured the phone would still charge wirelessly while it’s connected, just slower. That’s kind of the whole point of going wireless for me.

[Devvit]

My setup is the same and I just charge from a little 12v plug I had lying around, works fine while the adapter stays put in the USB. The wireless thing was the whole point for me, so losing the cable wasn’t a dealbreaker. Adapter’s been solid for a few months now.

[Dave K.]

The adapter takes over the port, so your phone won’t charge through it once it’s plugged in. That part is pretty normal. I just top mine up before I leave the house and it’s been fine for my short drives.

[MikeRobbins]

Alright, that clears it up. Sounds like a 12v plug is the way to go if I want to keep charging while the adapter stays in. I’ll figure something out.

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