Wireless charging is convenient, and a step towards the future of charging, but many wireless chargers are slower than cable ones. But what if your phone doesn’t charge or gets drained with a wireless charger?
A wireless charger can’t drain your phone’s battery since the battery cannot have power input and output simultaneously. However, low-quality wireless chargers, damaged phone hardware, or power-intensive apps may drain your phone’s battery faster than it can charge wirelessly.
Let’s look at why some wireless chargers are slow, whether they are safe for your phone’s battery, and troubleshooting options if your wireless charger isn’t working.
How Wireless Charging Affects Your Phone’s Battery Life
Wireless charging won’t have any significant adverse effect on your phone’s battery life. However, some wireless chargers are inefficient and won’t be able to provide enough power to charge the battery of some phones.
Hence, even if you charge your phone with these wireless chargers, the battery won’t charge, or it will take too long to charge.
Power
While most wireless chargers will have a power output of at least 5 W, much of that power is lost to heat. Therefore, the wireless charger will only transfer 70-80% of its power output to the phone. So, if your phone requires 3.5 W of energy and the charger only provides similar output, the battery won’t charge.
However, quality wireless chargers like the Apple MagSafe charger (on Amazon) or Samsung’s 10W wireless charging pads (also on Amazon) won’t drain your battery, and some of the best wireless chargers can charge your phone faster than cable chargers.
Use While Charging
If you’re using your phone while charging, it will take longer to charge because the charger powers the phone while it’s connected. But since a phone’s battery can’t charge and get drained simultaneously, any decent wireless charger will charge your phone at a reasonable pace.
So, unless you’re using a basic wireless charger, there’s no need to worry about your charger affecting your phone’s battery.
How Wireless Charging Works
Wireless charging works by transferring energy from a magnetic loop to a receiver antenna. The technology behind wireless technology has been around for more than a century, but it’s only recently that practical devices are being built using it.
Wireless chargers will only work with devices with the right receiver system, which is why you can’t use them to charge any phone’s battery. The wireless charger creates an electromagnetic field that transfers energy to the phone’s receiver antenna, which is usually made of a similar copper coil used in the charger.
There are three types of wireless chargers, which all work on the same principle of energy transfer through waves, including:
Tightly-Coupled Chargers
Tightly-coupled wireless chargers will only work when the charger’s coil is in contact with the phone’s coil. The charger will then transmit energy through an electromagnetic field that is received by the smartphone. These chargers are usually most effective but won’t charge if the phone isn’t aligned perfectly.
Loosely-Coupled Chargers
Loosely coupled chargers also use the same principle of electromagnetic induction to charge smartphones but can transfer energy up to a few centimeters above the charging pad.
The only difference in these chargers is the range of the electromagnetic field used. Many of the latest wireless chargers are loosely coupled and don’t need to be perfectly aligned with smartphones to work.
Uncoupled Chargers
Uncoupled chargers can transfer power up to several feet from the charger using radio waves. They aren’t restricted to the wire loop as loosely or tightly coupled wireless chargers and can charge devices at a distance.
However, there aren’t any effective uncoupled wireless chargers used to charge smartphones since the current produced is too weak at a distance of a few feet from the charging pad. Nevertheless, uncoupled chargers are used in engineering and medical applications, and it won’t take long before we have uncoupled phone chargers.
Are All Wireless Chargers Created Equal?
While it may be tempting to get the cheapest wireless charger to try out, this isn’t recommended. Not all wireless chargers are created equal, and some are more efficient and will charge faster than others. Some low-cost chargers are good quality, but most cheaper ones have subpar charging.
While the basic wireless chargers have an energy output of 5 W, more efficient ones charge at 10-15 W. Considering the energy lost by heat with wireless charging, a wireless charger with a 5 W output won’t charge your phone fast enough.
Fortunately, many of the latest models allow for fast charging and can charge your phone faster than most cable chargers. Also, even if your smartphone is compatible with wireless charging, it may not work with all wireless chargers due to alignment differences.
For example, many Qi-compatible wireless chargers charge Apple devices slower than Android because of the alignment differences in iPhones. So, if you want optimal charging output, look for a wireless charger that works with your smartphone.
Other Reasons Your Phone’s Battery is Draining
If your phone takes too long to charge with a wireless charger or doesn’t charge at all, it could be that your battery is draining because of other apps running in the background or if the battery is damaged.
If your charger works fine with other phones but doesn’t charge your smartphone, the problem could be with the phone.
Here are some reasons why your phone’s battery is draining:
Power Intensive Apps are Running in the Background
There’s nothing that will drain your battery like some power-intensive apps. Always close all apps when charging your phone for optimal charging. Sometimes, corrupted apps may drain too much of your phone’s battery. In such cases, uninstalling and reinstalling the app will usually solve the problem.
You can check your battery usage in the phone’s power settings. If you notice anything unusual, remove the app causing the issue.
Your Phone Needs an Update
Outdated firmware could also get corrupted, causing your phone’s battery to drain. You’ll usually get a notification if an update is available. Also, your phone’s settings will usually show whether or not the firmware needs to be updated.
Unnecessary Apps are Running in the Background
If your phone takes forever to charge, it’s probably because unnecessary apps are running in the background.
While some phones will automatically go into standby mode when turned off, apps running in the background will continue to consume power. So always clear all recent apps before charging your phone, especially if you’re using a wireless charger.
Using the Wrong Type of Charger
While most phones will work with various chargers, it’s always best to use the original company charger. Using non-compatible chargers can damage your phone’s battery and cause it to drain faster.
If you’re using a wireless charger, ensure the phone is correctly aligned with the charging coils, as misalignment may damage your phone’s battery.
Your Troubleshooting Options
If your wireless charger isn’t charging the phone properly or it’s draining the battery, you can replace the charger and get one that’s compatible with your phone. However, if the problem is with the phone’s battery, you’ll have to take it in for repairs.
Here are some troubleshooting options for the battery drain problem:
Repair the Wireless Charger
While it may be easy to replace your wireless charger if you have a cheap one, more advanced wireless chargers are costly to replace. If there’s a minor issue with the charger, it’s better to repair it, especially if you have a warranty.
Get a Compatible Charger
If your wireless charger is damagedsa or incompatible with your smartphone, the only alternative is to get a compatible charger. If you have an iPhone, the MagSafe charger is usually best, but any quality Qi-compatible charger will work for most phones.
However, if you want to get faster charging speeds from your charger, get a wireless charger designed for the smartphone.
Replace Your Phone’s Battery
If the charging problem is due to a faulty hardware component or issues with your phone’s battery, you’ll have to take your phone in for repairs. Faulty batteries usually need to be replaced, but you can also consider getting a new wireless charging compatible smartphone.
Change the Charging Cable or Wall Adapter
Sometimes, the wall adapter or cable connecting the wireless charger to a power socket may cause the charger to malfunction. Try using a different adapter and cable, preferably one of the same brand as the wireless charger.