Joe fedewa

The iPhone 12 introduced a feature called “MagSafe” which allows accessories and chargers to magnetically connect to the back of the phone. You might be a little jealous if you have an Android phone, but you don’t have to be.

MagSafe 101

Not to be confused with MacBook “MagSafe” chargers, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 include a built-in magnetic ring on the back. This can be used for a number of things including wireless chargers, batteries, wallets, etc.

Although they are not designed for these accessories, some of them work with Android devices. However, the magnetic connection is not as strong as with an iPhone. You can buy special cases for some Samsung Galaxy phones, but we’ll show you an even easier method.

Warning: IPhones were designed explicitly to use these magnetic accessories, your Android phone was not. There is a risk that the magnets will not work well with your device and cause damage. It is unlikely, but not impossible.

RELATED: What is MagSafe for iPhone and what can it do?

What you will need

For this to work, you will need a few things. The exact things you will need will depend on the type of MagSafe accessories you want to use.

The only thing everyone will need is a simple metal ring for the back of their device. This gives the MagSafe accessory something to hold onto. You can get a six-pack for $ 10 from Amazon and just peel off the film to stick it on your phone.

Simple and efficient

MagSafe Ring on Pixel 5
Joe fedewa

Now, if you are only interested in uncharged accessories like a wallet, the placement of that ring is not very important. Just place it somewhere comfortable in your hand. Put on the accessory and you are good to go.

To use MagSafe charging accessories, there are a few additional considerations. First of all, your phone needs to be charged wirelessly. Second, the metal ring should be placed where the wireless charging coils are located. You can see this by simply moving the charger on the back of your device until it starts to charge.

Why does it work?

You might be wondering how “exclusive” iPhone chargers can work with random Android devices. All thanks to universal charging standards.

MagSafe power accessories use the Qi charging standard, the same standard that Android devices use for wireless charging. It may seem like Apple just added magnets to hold the chargers in place, but there’s a little more going on behind the scenes.

IPhones communicate with charging accessories through the MagSafe connection. This tells the charger that it’s connected to an iPhone and can charge at higher speeds. So while any Qi charger can wirelessly charge your Android device, you won’t get those higher speeds.

RELATED: What is a “Qi Certified” wireless charger?

Which MagSafe chargers can I use?

MagSafe battery on Galaxy Z Flip 3
Joe fedewa

So you have the metal ring stuck to the back of your phone, what now? As noted in the section above, you can now use just about any MagSafe accessory.

The only major exception concerns electrical accessories. Your Android device must have wireless charging if you want to use Apple’s MagSafe charger or a battery. After all, MagSafe is basically just wireless charging with magnets.

Other than that, however, you can go wild with MagSafe accessories. Car mounts, wallets, tripods and more. Go to Amazon or Best Buy and search for “MagSafe Accessories”. The ecosystem of iPhone accessories is very large, you should be able to find something cool.

The only thing to keep in mind is that these accessories were designed for iPhones. Android devices come in all shapes and sizes, so they may not work perfectly on all devices. Make sure you take measurements and think about the shape of the back of your phone.