Wireless charging technology has become increasingly common in the tech world, with many of the latest gadgets offering wireless charging compatibility. But do all phones work with wireless chargers?
You can’t charge any phone with a wireless charger (yet). Only Qi-supported phones can charge wirelessly. However, most of the latest smartphones are Qi-equipped, and you can make unsupported phones compatible with a wireless charging mobile case or a Qi-enabling adapter.
Let’s take a closer look at which phones are compatible with wireless charging and how you can adapt a non-compatible phone so that it’ll charge wirelessly as well.
Can All Phones Be Charged on a Wireless Charger?
While wireless charging has been around for a couple of years, not all smartphones work with wireless chargers. That said, most of the latest and most popular smartphones are indeed compatible with wireless chargers, and it’s gradually becoming the standard.
Only phones that are Qi-compatible can be charged with wireless chargers. These phones have a receiver module that gets power through electromagnetic induction. Phones that aren’t Qi-compatible don’t have the receiver coil necessary for inductive charging and can’t be used with wireless chargers.
Never use a non-compatible phone on a wireless charger, as it may damage the phone. Although high-quality wireless chargers can detect when a supported device is placed on the charging pad, placing a non-compatible phone on the charging pad may cause the charger to overheat in some cases.
Which Phones Can Be Charged Wirelessly?
All phones that are Qi-compatible will work with wireless chargers. Qi compatibility is a standard used for wireless charging and allows you to use the same wireless charger for different devices.
It’s similar to how a C-type cable will work on different smartphone models. But even though all Qi-compatible phones should charge on any wireless charger, some chargers are more effective with certain phone brands.
For example, the Apple MagSafe (on Amazon) will charge iPhones faster than other Qi chargers, and the Google Pixel Stand (on Amazon) works best with Pixel phones. Nevertheless, you can use any Qi-certified wireless charger on a compatible phone.
How to Add Wireless Charging to an Unsupported Phone
While wireless charging is only available in newer smartphones, there are ways to make an older smartphone Qi-compatible. This includes using a wireless charging mobile case or a receiver adapter.
Wireless charging mobile cases are easy to use and work with most smartphones. All you need to do is place your phone inside the case and use it with your wireless charger. However, it does charge slower than a receiver adapter.
If your phone uses a lightning port, USB C charging port, or USB port, you can attach a Qi receiver adapter to enable wireless charging. The receiver pad connects to the charging port, which you can keep in place with a thin phone case. Place the pad on the wireless charger, and your phone should charge at 7.5 W.