Can You Charge the iPhone 7 and Listen to Music at the Same Time?

charge iphone 7 while listening to music

Can you charge your iPhone 7 and listen to music on headphones at the same time? (Getty)

The iPhone 7 is officially getting rid of the headphone jack. This newest iPhone model will only be able to connect to earbuds either through the Lightning connector or wirelessly, using AirPods. But with this new feature, how can you charge your phone and listen to music at the same time? (This story has been updated to reflect additional options.)

Here’s what you need to know.

Unfortunately, if you are listening to your iPhone with earbuds, you will not be able to charge your phone and listen to music on your headphones at the same time unless you buy extra accessories.

This will be an issue not only for people who don’t own AirPods, but also for drivers who can’t connect their phones to their speakers through Bluetooth. Older cars require an auxiliary cable to connect your phone to your speakers, which means that the Lightning port will be taken up by an adapter connecting your car to your iPhone if you’re listening to music while you’re driving.

So what’s the solution?

For regular use, you may need to pick up a pair of wireless AirPods if you’re worried about charging your phone while you’re listening to music. These cost $159 and a charge will last for five hours. (They won’t be available until October, however.) After their battery runs out, you can charge them in their case, getting a 3 hour charge in just 15 minutes. The case’s charger lasts for 24 hours. If you don’t want AirPods, there are plenty of wireless headphones that can connect to your phone via Bluetooth.

If you’re at home and not out and about, you can just wirelessly connect your iPhone to a Bluetooth speaker. This will let you listen to music and charge your phone simultaneously.

If you don’t mind buying even more accessories, there are a few workaround options for charging your phone while your earbuds are plugged in. The Verge recommends a Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar adapter that costs $40 and will be available starting October 10. A lightning connector plugs into the iPhone for charging, and lightning ports can accommodate earpods or headphones with a 3.5mm jack if you use Apple’s 3.5mm Lightning adapter, which will come with your iPhone 7.

If you’re driving an older car, your options are more limited unless your car has Bluetooth capability. You might be able to try a hands-free car kit that connects to your car via an auxiliary jack and to your phone via Bluetooth.

Some Apple fans were hoping that the Sept. 7 keynote would be the day that Apple introduced wireless charging. That certainly would have fixed the concerns about charging your iPhone while listening to music. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet. Until it does, Apple customers will have to be creative when it comes to charging and listening to music on the iPhone 7.

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