Wireless charging is convenient; However, since it is even less popular than wired charging, not everyone is familiar with all the details of this interesting technology. For example, many people wonder if wireless charging will impact the health of their phone’s battery, or if they can use a USB cable and a wireless charger at the same time; the answer for the latter is no.
Another major cause for concern is a sudden flashing light on your wireless charger that you’ve never seen before. While this may seem like a big deal, you’re probably just seeing one of your wireless charger’s built-in safety features in action, and that’s a good thing. This means your wireless charger is working as expected.
Although different wireless chargers may use the blinking light to highlight different errors, it is usually the result of one of these few common reasons. Once you determine the cause of the indicator, you will likely be able to get your wireless charger back into action fairly quickly.
Foreign object on charger or misaligned phone
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The best wireless chargers come with a feature called foreign object detection. It basically tells the wireless charger when there is something on the charger that isn’t supposed to be there, like a paper clip, coin, or metal inside your phone’s case. If there is such an object between your phone and the wireless charger, the LED light will flash to warn you. For example, Google’s Pixel Stand (2nd generation) displays alternating white and orange flashing lights if there are metallic stickers on your phone or in the case. You can check and remove these items, then place the phone on the wireless charger again to enjoy a smooth charging experience.
Some chargers will also start flashing the light if the phone is not properly aligned with the wireless charger. For example, Samsung wireless chargers flash red if misaligned. While some chargers may have two or more charging coils, most only have one, and the coil must be properly aligned with that of your phone to work.
If the two are not aligned, the charger will not start the charging process and display the flashing LED. Align it correctly and the warning should disappear. Poor alignment is also one of the reasons why MagSafe and Qi2 charging are increasingly preferred, as the magnets built into your phone, or the case, provide most of the alignment themselves.
Bad power adapter or USB cable
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Another notable reason many brands offer for flashing lights on your wireless charger is using an incompatible or underpowered wall adapter or USB cable. Google says its Pixel Stand will flash an orange light every 2 seconds if the connected power brick is incompatible. Other brands use similar flashing warning LEDs. Essentially, you can’t use just any power adapter or USB cable with your wireless charger.
Use the power adapter that came with the charger or check the power requirements of your wireless charger and choose an adapter that meets or exceeds them. For example, for most wireless chargers capable of delivering up to 15W charging, you’ll typically need at least an 18W power supply. Some wireless chargers also require the power supply to support USB Power Delivery (USB PD) or Qualcomm Quick Charge. Likewise, it is best to use the USB cable that comes with the charger or use one that can meet the power consumption needs of your charger.
Some less common causes of blinking lights include the charger overheating or problems with the phone’s software. You can just let the phone and charger cool down a bit for the former; However, for the latter case, you will have to wait for your phone manufacturer to release a fix if there is indeed a widespread problem. If none of this works, check the wireless charger’s manual to see if there are other possible reasons for the flashing light, or contact the manufacturer for help.
