Is it safe to charge a Lenovo laptop using the iMac’s USB C port?

[ghsDUDE]

I have a 2019 iMac and a Lenovo ThinkPad (for work).

I have used my wife’s MacBook Pro USB C charger and brick to charge the Lenovo ThinkPad and always get the warning that the source isn’t sufficient to charge the Lenovo ThinkPad fast enough (but it does).

I’m trying to remove the clutter from my desk and I was thinking about plugging the USB C cable into the iMacs USB C port and the Lenovo ThinkPads USB C port to charge it. I don’t care if it charges slower, I just want to make sure it’s okay to do so for the iMac.

I assume it will work, but is this safe to do? I don’t really care as much for the ThinkPad since it’s a work computer but I want to make sure I’m not messing up my 2019 iMac by doing this.

Any advice or feedback would be appreciated!

And to confirm, this (image attached) is the area I’m referring to when using the iMac, is this USB C or Thunderbolt? Would I need this cable or this cable?

 

[wmy5]

It is safe. iMac can offer up to 15W through USB-C ports so expect the charge speed to be very slow.

 

[ghsDUDE]

It is safe. iMac can offer up to 15W through USB-C ports so expect the charge speed to be very slow.

Thanks! Yeah, I don’t really care if it’s slow since the battery lasts most the day, but my laptop doesn’t go to sleep as fast so I just want to leave it plugged in without adding a bunch of bulk or wires haha.

Also, I get a warning on the ThinkPad about the charge not be sufficient, I assume it’s just warning me that’s it’s super slow but still safe, right?

 

[chrfr]

Also, I get a warning on the ThinkPad about the charge not be sufficient, I assume it’s just warning me that’s it’s super slow but still safe, right?

In all likelihood, 15 watts will not charge the Thinkpad at all while it's in use and the battery will still run down, just slower than it would if the computer wasn't connected to any power.

 

[ghsDUDE]

In all likelihood, 15 watts will not charge the Thinkpad at all while it's in use and the battery will still run down, just slower than it would if the computer wasn't connected to any power.

That’s fine, I don’t need a charge, just a connection to stay awake longer.

And to confirm, this (image attached) is the area I’m referring to when using the iMac, is this USB C or Thunderbolt? Would I need this cable or this cable?

 

[wmy5]

USB-C refers to the physical connection. USB 2.0/3.0/3.1 and Thunderbolt are protocol names. The ports on the back of your iMac are USB-C ports that support both USB 3.1 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 3. You can use either cable. There is no difference in terms of power delivery.