How to Add Magnetic Wireless Charging to (Almost) Any Phone | Reviews by Wirecutter

By Sarah Witman

Sarah Witman is a writer focused on batteries and charging accessories. She has spent countless hours charging, discharging, and recharging batteries.

Most of the latest wireless phone chargers are equipped with magnets to firmly hold devices—including some smartphones, earbud cases, and smartwatches—in place while charging. They take the guesswork out of aligning gadgets with the charger and can potentially provide a more efficient and faster charge.

And yet, many devices—even some of the newest phones, such as the Apple iPhone 16e, Google Pixel 9 series, and Samsung Galaxy S25 series—aren’t built to take advantage of this useful feature. They lack the ring of internal magnets that allows devices such as the iPhone 16 and AirPods 4 to snap seamlessly onto any magnetic wireless charging pad, whether it’s on a power bank, a car mount, or a desktop charging station.

Fortunately, several cheap and easy DIY options—including magnetic ring or plate adapters, magnetic kickstand or hand-grip adapters, and magnetic phone cases—add magnetic connectivity without requiring you to shell out for a new phone. All of the options we recommend below were relatively simple for us to install and came with clear instructions. They don’t always allow you to charge as quickly as with true MagSafe or Qi2 devices, but they get the job done.

The most widely available option is a magnetic ring adapter, which is exactly what it sounds like: a ring of magnets with adhesive backing that sticks to either the back of your phone or the outside of your phone case (as long as the material is relatively smooth).

Most come with a handy template to help you properly align the ring with the wireless charging components inside your phone, which is an important factor in getting a consistent charge. Some are also packaged with disposable wipes to clean the surface of your phone or case, which can help the adhesive stick to it better.

Included in the box are two black adhesive magnetic ring adapters, four disposable cleaning wipes, and an alignment template.

One of our favorites is the iOttie Universal MagSafe Ring Adapter. The package has two black adhesive magnetic rings, four disposable cleaning wipes, and an alignment template. Plus, the adapter is backed by a two-year warranty.

This package includes a black adhesive magnetic ring adapter, a disposable cleaning wipe, and an alignment template.

Another clear standout is the Scosche MagicRing. The black adhesive magnetic ring comes with a disposable cleaning wipe and an alignment template, and Scosche backs it with a one-year warranty. If the iOttie ring adapter is unavailable, or you want to save a few bucks—and you don’t mind getting fewer rings, fewer cleaning wipes, and a shorter warranty—this Scosche adapter is a good alternative.

Mophie’s package includes two black adhesive magnetic rings and an alignment template. It doesn’t provide disposable cleaning wipes, though.

We also like the Mophie Snap Adapter. You get two black adhesive magnetic rings and an alignment template, and the adapter is covered by a two-year warranty. Disposable cleaning wipes aren’t included, so you have to make do with a microfiber cloth (sold separately), but this adapter is otherwise on a par with the iOttie one if that model is unavailable.

Magnetic plate adapters are rarer than ring adapters, but since they have more surface area—they’re shaped more like a biscuit than a doughnut—they have more adhesive to remain stuck to your phone or case.

The package includes a black adhesive magnetic ring adapter, a black adhesive magnetic disc adapter, two disposable cleaning wipes, and an alignment template.

One of our favorite magnetic plate adapters comes as part of the Scosche MagicRing Kit. The kit includes the Scosche MagicRing described above, as well as a MagicRing Disc, which is essentially the same thing but in a solid disc shape. Also in the package are two disposable cleaning wipes and an alignment template. The adapters are backed by a one-year warranty.

The center of the MagicRing Disc is made of plastic, so it has no additional magnets (no more than the MagicRing has, that is) to hold your device in place on a charger. It does have a bit more adhesive, though, and some people might prefer the look of the circle over the ring shape.

This squarish adapter is encased in weatherproof nylon canvas. It’s on the bulky side, but its adhesive and magnets are especially strong, and it has a lifetime warranty.

At about $30, the Peak Design Universal Adapter is pricier than the other adhesive adapters we tested, but it offers a more luxurious look and feel. Shaped like a square bandage with a small divot in the center, it’s encased in a weatherproof, charcoal-colored nylon canvas.

It’s larger and thicker than most adapters we tested, and it’s not designed for use on a bare phone, but its adhesive and magnets are especially strong. Plus, like all Peak Design products, it has a lifetime warranty.

Even if your phone has built-in magnets, you can still stick any of these adhesive magnetic ring or plate adapters on the back of a thick phone case to help reinforce the magnetic connection between the phone and a wireless charger. The phone likely won’t charge at top speed, but it will adhere better to the charger.

Or, if you simply want to add a magnet to a non-wireless-charging device—such as a wired power bank, Bluetooth tracker, or card holder, or an older phone such as an iPhone 7, Pixel 4a, or Samsung Galaxy S6 series—an adapter offers a cheap way to do so.

For instance, New York Times enterprise productivity manager Cory Hartmann cleverly stuck a magnetic adapter to his TravelCard Plus power bank (which doesn’t charge wirelessly but has two built-in charging cables) so that his phone firmly adheres to the power bank while charging in a pocket or backpack.

To remove any adhesive magnetic adapter, use a piece of dental floss or a razor blade to gently peel it away from your phone or case. Use a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol to wipe away any remaining residue.

The package includes an adhesive silver-tone metal ring, a round black sticker (to cover the metal ring if you wish), an extra adhesive ring, and a double-sided magnetic kickstand/hand grip.

As far as we can tell, the Ohsnap Snap Grip Luxe is in a category of its own. Typically costing about $40, it’s much pricier than most of the options we considered, but it adds a unique feature: It also works as a kickstand or hand grip for your phone.

The package consists of an adhesive silver-tone metal ring, a round black sticker (in case you want to cover the metal ring), an extra adhesive ring, and a double-sided magnetic phone grip/stand. It’s backed by a one-year warranty.

Unlike most phone grips or stands, this one is thin enough that you can charge wirelessly through it, so you don’t have to remove it before popping your phone on a charger. It also comes in six different colors, more than most other models do.

If you want to reposition the metal ring or the magnetic phone grip/stand, Ohsnap’s adhesive is reusable—just rinse it with water and let it air-dry before placing it back on your phone. If you want fresh adhesive, you can buy the separate Grip Replacement Adhesive Kit, which offers two adhesive rings.

The Snap Grip Luxe doesn’t come with disposable cleaning wipes or an alignment template, so you have to eyeball it or use a ruler to ensure that it’s perfectly centered. And since the adhesive metal ring isn’t magnetic, it can work only with the magnetic phone grip/stand stacked on top of it or on its own with a magnetic wireless charger.

This case offers a seamless way to add magnetic connectivity to your phone. It comes in a variety of sizes and colors and has a lifetime warranty.

A long-standing pick in our guide to the best phone cases, the Peak Design Everyday Phone Case costs between $16 and $60, depending on the size you get.

It comes in a variety of sizes, including for the iPhone 16 Series, 15 Series, 14 Series, 13 Series, 12 Series, 11 Series, and SE; the Pixel 9 Series, 8 Series, 7 Series, and 6 Series; and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Series, S24 Series, S23 Series, S22 Series, and S21 Series.

Notably, at this writing, the Everyday Phone Case isn’t available for the iPhone 16e. Many other companies and brands have released magnetic cases for the 16e—including Casetify, ESR, Mous, OtterBox, PinLiSheng, Rokform, Smartish, Spigen, Urban Armor Gear, and Zagg—but we haven’t tested them fully.

Most sizes of the Everyday Phone Case come in one color (charcoal), but some are available in up to six colors. And like the Peak Design Universal Adapter, it has a lifetime warranty.

The case is primarily designed for use with Peak Design mobile accessories, including a stand/wallet, a tripod mounting system, and mounts for your car, motorcycle, and bike. But we’ve found that it works well with any magnetic wireless charger.

The Andobil Double-Sided Magnetic Phone Grip provides you with two adhesive metal rings (one black, one white), a disposable cleaning wipe, an alignment template, a double-sided magnetic phone grip/stand, and a small tether to attach your phone to a keychain or lanyard. But since the rings aren’t magnetic, they can work only with a magnetic wireless charger. Also, you can’t charge through the handgrip/stand, so if you use that accessory you have to remove it before placing it on a wireless charger. Furthermore, this model has no listed warranty.

The ESR for MagSafe Sticker 360 package offers two adhesive metal rings (black), two disposable cleaning wipes, two alignment templates, and an alignment clip. ESR covers it with a one-year warranty. However, the alignment clip is made of flimsy plastic and could easily get stuck in your phone’s charging port. Also, since the rings aren’t magnetic, they can work only with a magnetic wireless charger.

The Journey Magnetic Ring package gives you two adhesive magnetic rings (black) and an alignment template. The warranty is for one year. At about $15 at this writing, it’s nearly twice the price of similar models we tried, and it doesn’t come with disposable cleaning wipes.

In the PopSockets Adapter Ring package, you get an adhesive metal ring (black) and an alignment template. But since it’s not magnetic, you can use it only with a magnetic wireless charger. Also, PopSockets lists no warranty and offers no disposable cleaning wipes with it.

The Spigen Magnetic Ring Plate Adapter consists of an adhesive magnetic ring (black) with an alignment template, and Spigen backs it with a two-year warranty. The template is the easiest to use of any we tried: It’s a transparent plastic tray with etched lines on all four sides, so you can actually see your phone through the template as you line it up, and four rubber bumpers on the bottom keep it from sliding around. However, at nearly $20 this adapter is roughly twice the price of similar models we tried, and it doesn’t come with disposable cleaning wipes.

This article was edited by Ben Keough and Erica Ogg.

Sarah Witman

I research and test a wide variety of batteries, including some that are smaller than a Tootsie Roll (for tiny gadgets such as a stylus or penlight) or bigger than an overweight English bulldog (to keep vital electronics running during a power outage or camping trip). To test chargers, I’ve spent countless hours waiting for the batteries in my phone, laptop, and other household appliances to die—just so I could recharge them. Outside of my usual coverage areas, I’ve reported on the best wooden pencils, mousetraps, massage chairs, and scented candles for Wirecutter.

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