Magnetic Phone Wallets

A wallet that clicks on and off

A magnetic phone wallet is a slim card holder with a ring of magnets in its back. It clicks onto a phone that has its own magnet ring, or onto a case with one built in, and comes off again with a firm pull. The appeal is that it comes off in a second: for wireless charging, to slim the phone down for a run, or to hand someone a card without passing them the phone. The cost is a little more thickness than a stick-on pocket, and the chance of the wallet being knocked off.

What is here

• Slim card holders are a simple pocket on a magnet. Some list an RFID-blocking layer, meant to stop cards being read through the holder.
• Card holders with a kickstand have a ring that folds out to stand the phone up for a video call. One here has a clear back. See also phone wallets with a stand.

For leather-look magnetic holders, see leather card sleeves.

Which phones they suit

Apple designs the iPhone 12 and later for MagSafe, apart from the iPhone 16e. On those, a MagSafe-compatible wallet clicks straight onto the back, or onto a case made for magnetic accessories. Other phones, including Android phones sold as "Qi2 Ready", have no magnets inside, so they need a magnetic phone case first. The wallet holds only as well as the magnet under it: a case made for magnetic accessories gives the firmest hold, and the thicker the case, the weaker it gets. The guide to wireless and magnetic charging explains the names.

Questions people ask about magnetic phone wallets

Will it fall off in my pocket?

Most stay put in ordinary use, but a tight jeans pocket can slide one off as the phone comes out. If that worries you, a stick-on wallet cannot be knocked off.

Can I charge with the wallet on?

Apple's advice for its MagSafe charger is not to put credit cards, security badges, passports or key fobs between the iPhone and the charger, because it might damage magnetic strips or RFID chips, and Samsung says cards and holders between a phone and a wireless charger may block it or make it overheat. So take the wallet or the cards off before the phone goes on a wireless charger.

Are magnets safe near a pacemaker?

Anyone with a pacemaker, an implanted defibrillator or another implanted medical device should ask their doctor and the device's maker about magnets near it. Apple's own figure for its MagSafe-compatible iPhones and MagSafe accessories is to keep them more than 15cm from the device, or more than 30cm while charging wirelessly.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when it usually arrives.

More to look at

• Magnetic phone cases
• Leather card sleeves
• Stick-on phone wallets
• Phone wallets with a stand
• Magnetic wireless chargers
• Guide: Phone wallets and card holders
• Guide: Wireless and magnetic charging explained: Qi, Qi2 and MagSafe-compatible