If your wireless charger is slow, the problem may be you.
Wireless charging is all the rage these days, but it took a while to become mainstream. This feature was originally introduced in 2009 on the Palm Pre (one of the many features that helped the device remain a holy grail for smartphone enthusiasts to this day). Ironically, the Pre used a magnetic charging stand to align its wireless charging coils, an idea that was abandoned for 11 years before becoming very popular when Apple introduced MagSafe charging on the iPhone 12.
Between these two iconic smartphones, wireless charging was a more specialized niche. Nokia included it on the Lumia 920, and that 2012 device was the first phone to use the Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi standard, which still remains the de facto standard for wireless charging today. It was quickly followed by the Samsung Galaxy S3, which could be equipped with a separately sold wireless charging accessory. But the Google Nexus 4, made by LG, was the first Android phone to feature Qi charging out of the box. In 2017, the iPhone 8 became the company’s first smartphone to support wireless charging, giving the technology a boost.
But since we’ve had wireless charging, we’ve also put our phones in cases of varying quality. And not all case manufacturers consider wireless charging in their designs. Many of the most common problems people have with wireless charging, from inconsistent connections to frustratingly slow charging speeds, can often be traced back to a case that isn’t working well. Of course, cases are important as phone prices continue to rise and replacements become unaffordable, and you don’t need to leave your phone bare to enjoy the benefits of wireless charging. Here’s how to choose a case suitable for induction charging.
Avoid cases that don’t work well with wireless power
Max Miller for Woozad
Wireless charging is a technology fraught with pitfalls that still need to be overcome. The convenience of wireless charging outweighs these issues for some users, but understanding them can help you get the most out of your Qi charging experience. Wireless charging is inefficient and wastes energy because the energy doesn’t transfer metal to metal but rather passes through your phone’s back plate and charger case, which in turn creates a lot of excess heat. This also means that wireless charging is slower than wired charging. While some smartphones charge at 80W or more with proprietary chargers, the maximum wireless charging speed is currently 25W, and even that is only possible with a Qi2 or MagSafe magnetic ring to more precisely align the charging coils with the charger.
The wrong case type can make these problems worse. If a case is too thick, it will be even more difficult for energy to pass from the pad to the device, and heat will be trapped by the thicker material. If the case uses metal in the wrong place, it can prevent wireless charging altogether. Same for misplaced magnets (unless we’re talking about Qi2/MagSafe magnets; more on those below).
PopSockets and other phone accessories can introduce similar problems because they add hardware that can hinder wireless charging. Even if an accessory claims to support wireless charging, be careful. I’m a big fan of OhSnap! Snap handle. Unfortunately, these grips don’t stick properly to the back of newer Samsung phones, meaning I had to install mine on a case. Although I had some luck charging my phone wirelessly despite the added bulk, I eventually managed to cook the phone enough to loosen the adhesive that holds the back plate in place. As a result, my Galaxy S25 Ultra is probably no longer water resistant.
Choose an induction-compatible case
Max Miller for Woozad
Once you’ve ruled out cases whose design choices limit wireless charging, you can focus on the best iPhone and Android cases that more actively facilitate it. As is probably obvious, you’ll need a case with a Qi2 magnetic charging ring if you want to use your phone with MagSafe and Qi2 chargers. However, don’t assume that a case will work well with Qi2 chargers just because it has a magnetic ring. One case I own has a magnetic ring that can be removed to form a convenient handle and kickstand, but the hinge has become less rigid over time. Eventually, when pairing it with my Qi2 car charger, the ring came loose from the case frame while driving, breaking the connection.
Again, the less material, the better. I’ve had great results with cases like the Spigen MagFit, which features a thin layer of TPU plastic on the back, and the Speck Presidio 2, which features a circular cutout on the inside to remove an entire layer of plastic around a phone’s charging coils. Finding a slim case is especially important if you want to use Qi2 and MagSafe accessories with a phone like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra that doesn’t have built-in magnets, as a case is the only way to enable this feature (unless you want to put an adhesive magnetic ring directly on the back of the phone, saving you from using a case entirely).
The best advice, especially if you’re shopping online, is to look through customer reviews of a particular case and look for YouTube videos that discuss the case’s compatibility with wireless chargers. What seems to check all the relevant boxes in a product listing may not hold up in the real world.
