Magnetic Wireless Chargers

A charger that finds the spot for you

A magnetic wireless charger is a round puck or a slim pad with a ring of magnets in it. Hold the phone near and it clicks on, already in the right place, and it stays put if you pick the phone up to use it. For anyone who has woken up to a phone that slipped off a pad and never charged, that is the whole appeal. The magnets carry no power at all. Their job is to line up the coil in the charger with the coil in the phone, so it charges at full speed and wastes less as heat.

MagSafe-compatible and Qi2

MagSafe is Apple's name for the magnetic ring built into iPhones from the iPhone 12 on. Chargers made by other companies to fit that ring are sold as MagSafe-compatible: they fit the magnets, and they are not made or approved by Apple. Qi2 is the shared wireless standard built on the same idea, so many magnetic chargers are sold as Qi2, MagSafe-compatible or both. Apple notes one recent exception: the iPhone 16e charges wirelessly but has no magnets.

The magnetic chargers here today include a slim 7mm pad, a mini charger small enough for a pocket, and a pad for iPhones that also works with Galaxy phones in a Qi2 magnetic case. Most come with a choice of no cable or a cable included.

How to choose one

• Your phone's magnets. An iPhone 12 or later, or a phone with Qi2 magnets, clicks straight on. A phone without magnets, such as a "Qi2 Ready" Galaxy or an older Qi phone, needs a magnetic case or a stick-on ring to hold on.
• Your case. An ordinary case weakens the hold. One charger here works through cases up to 7mm thick, but not with magnetic or metal attachments. A magnetic case keeps the grip as firm as bare glass.
• The plug behind it. Several chargers here ask for a fast adapter, such as Quick Charge 3.0 or over 18W, to reach their top speed. Use one with a UK three-pin plug: see wall chargers.
• Cards. Apple and Samsung both warn that a charger's field can damage bank cards, travel passes and key fobs. Take a magnetic wallet off before the phone goes on the charger.

Questions people ask about magnetic chargers

Will a magnetic charger work with my Android phone?

A Qi2 charger charges any phone with Qi2. A phone without magnets needs a magnetic case or ring to hold it on, and then charges on the coils as normal.

I have a pacemaker. Is a magnetic charger a problem?

Apple advises keeping an iPhone and its magnetic accessories more than 15cm from an implanted medical device, and more than 30cm while charging wirelessly. Ask your doctor and the device maker about your own device. The guide to wireless and magnetic charging has more.

More to look at

• Magnetic phone cases
• Magnetic power banks
• Magnetic car mounts
• 3-in-1 charging stations
• Wireless charging stands
• Magnetic phone wallets
• Guide: Wireless and magnetic charging explained: Qi, Qi2 and MagSafe-compatible
• Guide: Phone wallets and card holders