The Qi standard for wireless charging was developed way back in 2008, yet it was only in 2018 that Apple finally adopted wireless charging for its first iPhone — the iPhone 8. All the subsequent iPhone models support wireless charging. But can you use a wireless charger with an iPhone 7?
Technically, the iPhone 7 doesn’t support wireless charging, so you can’t use a wireless charger on it. However, you can use a wireless charging adapter. These adapters receive the wireless charge and pass it to the iPhone 7 via the Lightning connector. Some cases add wireless charging as well.
Wireless charging is basically inductive charging, and your phone has to have special electromagnetic coils to receive the charge. The iPhone 7 was not built with this technology. The good news is that some aftermarket options can enable wireless charging on your iPhone 7. So, let’s find out how to use a wireless charger on an iPhone 7.
Can You Wirelessly Charge an iPhone 7?
Wireless charging means transferring energy wirelessly between two objects. This involves induction coils in both the charging station (or pad) and the device to create an electromagnetic field.
The coils convert the electricity into magnetic energy and then back into electricity to charge the device.
The iPhone 7 has no wireless coils, so it can’t be charged wirelessly. However, you can indirectly make use of your wireless charger with the help of a wireless charging adapter.
The adapter will have the necessary coils to receive a wireless charge and then transfer it to your iPhone 7 via the Lightning port.
A wireless charging adapter or Qi adapter basically acts as an intermediary between the wireless charger and your device. It picks up the charge from the charger and then passes it on to the iPhone 7 (or any other device that doesn’t support wireless charging) through the charging port.
These adapters come in different shapes and sizes. They can be integrated into phone cases, used as stickers, or come in the form of a dongle that plugs into the Lightning port. All have different features, so choose the one that’s most convenient for you.
Once you have the adapter, all you need to do is place it on the wireless charger and then connect your iPhone 7 to the adapter via the Lightning port.
Make sure you use a high-quality adapter with made-for iPhone (MFi) certification to avoid damaging your device.
Which iPhones Can Charge Wirelessly?
All the iPhone models released after 2017 come with wireless charging support. That includes anything from the iPhone 8 forward. All makes and models of the iPhone can now wirelessly charge, and it’s considered a standard feature on most smartphones, not just the iPhone.
What Type of Charger Does an iPhone 7 Use?
The iPhone 7 uses a standard Lightning connector cable for charging. You can use any USB charger with this cable to charge your device, including a wall charger, car charger, or portable power bank.
The official Apple mophie speed port 30W and 60W USB Power Adapters are the safest and most reliable options for charging your iPhone 7. However, you can also use other compatible third-party chargers. Just make sure that the charger you’re using has the right specs and is MFi-certified.
How Can You Use Wireless Charging on Your iPhone 7?
The iPhone 7 may not support wireless charging, but that doesn’t mean your new wireless charger will go to waste. You just need the right accessories to make it work.
To clarify, Qi isn’t the only standard for wireless charging. There are also PMA and NFC standards. But, as of now, the Qi standard is more widely used and compatible with more devices.
However, since iPhone 7 doesn’t support any wireless standard on its own, you can use any charger with its appropriate adapter to enable wireless charging.
To explain how it all works, let’s dig into different wireless chargers and see how they can be used with an iPhone 7.
Wireless Charging Case
Charging cases are made with internal inductive charging coils. All you need to do is slip your iPhone 7 into the case and then place it on the wireless charger. The coils in the case will align with the coils in the charger, and your phone will start getting that charge through a lightning connector attached to the case.
The Aircharge Made for iPhone MFi Case (on Amazon) is probably the best-known wireless charging case. However, some other wireless cases like the one from GIN FOXI (on Amazon) also come with a built-in battery pack so you can charge on the go.
This is really useful if you’re traveling and don’t have access to a power outlet. You can charge your phone and the case at the same time and then use the case battery to charge your phone later.
Wireless Charging Sticker
Charging stickers (on Amazon) are very thin adhesive pads with built-in wireless charging coils. You have to peel off the backing and stick it on the back of your phone or a normal phone case, connect its lightning connector to the charging port, and then place your phone on the wireless charger.
Don’t worry; you can find them in all sorts of colors and designs, so they won’t ruin the look of your phone. Plus, they are really easy to remove, so you can switch them to a new phone or case whenever you want.
Wireless Charging Dongle
Dongles are adapters that have a Lightning connector on one end and a Qi wireless charging receiver on the other. They can be in the form of a plate or a stand. You need to connect the Lightning connector to your iPhone 7 and then place the dongle on the wireless charger.
Dongles have the advantage of not adding any bulk to your phone and are really easy to carry around. We recommend this Wireless Charging Pad and Receiver from ANGELIOX (on Amazon).