Quick Charge is a technology featured in Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs, used in devices such as mobile phones, for managing power delivered over USB, mainly by communicating to the power supply and negotiating a voltage.

It increases the voltage and thus charges batteries in devices faster than standard USB rates allow. Quick Charge 2 onwards technology is primarily used for wall adaptors, but it is also implemented in in-car chargers and powerbanks (for both input and output power delivery).

Quick Charge is also the basis of other proprietary rapid-charging systems developed by other manufacturers.

Quick Charge is a proprietary technology which allows for the charging of battery powered devices, primarily mobile phones, at levels above and beyond the typical 5 volts and 2 amps for which most USB standards allow. Numerous other companies have their own competing technologies; these include MediaTek Pump Express and OPPO VOOC (licensed to OnePlus as “Dash Charge”).

Despite being proprietary, the exact behavioural patterns (e.g. voltage negotiations between device and charger) have already been reverse-engineered.

To take advantage of Qualcomm Quick Charge, both the host providing power and the device must support it. In 2012 the USB Implementers Forum (USB IF) announced that their USB Power Delivery (USB PD) standard had been finalized which allows for devices to transfer up to 100 watts of power over capable USB ports. This new technology was first seen in a Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 prototype that went from 1% to 100% in a mere 17 minutes.

Quick Charge 2.0 introduced an optional feature called Dual Charge (initially called Parallel Charging).[5] Dual Charge utilises two PMICs to split the power into 2 streams to reduce phone temperature.

Quick Charge 3.0 introduced INOV (Intelligent Negotiation for Optimal Voltage) and Battery Saver Technologies. INOV is an algorithm that determines the optimum power transfer while maximizing efficiency. Battery Saver Technologies aims to maintain at least 80% of its original charge capacity after 500 charge cycles.[7] As well as HVDCP+ and Dual Charge+ (optional). Qualcomm claims Quick Charge 3.0 is up to 4-6C cooler, 16% faster and 38% more efficient than Quick Charge 2.0. And that Quick Charge 3.0 with Dual Charge+ is up to 7-8C cooler, 27% faster and 45% more efficient than Quick Charge 2.0 with Dual Charge.

Quick Charge version 4 was announced in December 2016 alongside the Snapdragon 835. Quick Charge 4 includes HVDCP++, Dual Charge++ (optional), INOV 3.0 and Battery Saver Technologies 2. Version 4 is compatible with both USB⁠-⁠C and USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) specifications. Thus Quick Charge 4 falls back onto USB-PD if either the charger or device is not compatible. Version 4 also features additional safety measures to protect against over-voltage, over-current and overheating, as well as cable quality detection. Qualcomm claims Quick Charge 4 with Dual Charge++ is up to 5C cooler, 20% faster and 30% more efficient than Quick Charge 3.0 with Dual Charge+.

Quick Charge 4+ was announced on June 1, 2017. Quick Charge 4+ introduces Intelligent Thermal Balancing and Advanced Safety Features to eliminate hot spots and protect against overheating and short-circuit or damage of the USB-C connector. And Dual Charge++ is required, in prior versions Dual Charge was optional.