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Wireless charging is one of those smartphone features that isn’t essential, but it’s very handy if you have it. You might think that if your phone doesn’t have wireless charging, you can’t retroactively add it. you are wrong.
How does wireless charging work?
It might not look like it, but wireless charging is actually a very old technology. Electric toothbrushes have been around since the 90s and were first included in mobile phones in the late 2000s. To learn how to add it to your phone, let’s see how it works.
Wireless chargers use magnetic induction to transfer energy. Essentially, a magnetic field is created between the coils in the wireless charger and the coils in the phone. The magnetic energy is converted into electricity, which charges the battery.
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These coils are key to our purpose. Wireless charging coils are very tiny. They don’t take up much space in your phone at all. In some cases, people turned on their phones and added coils themselves. We’re going to do something simpler than that.
related: How does wireless charging work?
Add wireless charging to your phone
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All we need to do is add these wireless charging coils to your existing phone. This is very easy to do. The only thing to consider is what kind of charging port your phone has: USB-C? lightning? Micro USB? (Hopefully not the last.) Modern Android phones tend to use USB-C, while iPhones use Lightning.
There are a variety of “wireless charging adapters” available online. They’re just a wireless charging coil that connects to a small cable that plugs into your phone. The coil part is usually glued to the back of the phone with adhesive. It can be easily hidden under the casing.
Nillkin Qi receivers are a popular choice for users with USB-C charging ports. It comes in a “long version” or a “short version” so you can match it to the size of your phone. This adapter is also waterproof, so if your phone is waterproof, you can still take advantage of it.
Best USB-C Adapter
Nillkin Qi Receiver USB-C
Affordable wireless charging adapter for USB-C devices, available in different sizes for different sized phones.
Nillkin offers the same adapter with a Lightning cable for iPhones and iPads that don’t have wireless charging. As with the USB-C version, there are different sizes to help you fit your device.
Best Lightning Adapter
Micro-USB is mostly no longer used on smartphones and tablets. However, if you happen to own one of these older devices, you can still add wireless charging. Nillkin has the same micro-USB adapter, but pay attention to the orientation of the ports.
best micro usb adapter
These are just a few of the many options you can find online. Just search Amazon or your favorite tech retailer for “wireless charging adapter” and the name of the type of phone charging port (“USB-C,” “Lightning,” or “MicroUSB”). It’s amazing how easy wireless charging really is. You can add it to almost any device with small stickers. Technology is cool.
Of course, you’ll also need a solid wireless charger. Not all wireless chargers are created equal, and they can charge different devices at different speeds.
