• MagSafe is the wireless charging technology found in recent iPhone models starting with the iPhone 12.
• It uses magnets to ensure a perfect match between the charger and phone for charging speeds up to 15 watts.
• MagSafe magnetically connects only to MagSafe accessories, so other devices won’t snap to the back of your iPhone.

Apple introduced MagSafe in October 2020, promising a fast, convenient wireless charging alternative to the ubiquitous Qi charging system. Everything you need to know about MagSafe is here.

What is a MagSafe Charger?

MagSafe is the wireless charging technology that Apple debuted in iPhone 12 and is directly compatible with iPhone models from the iPhone 12 series onwards. This is a form of inductive charging that can deliver 15 watts of fast charging, about twice as fast as mobile phones with traditional Qi wireless charging.

Like Qi, MagSafe uses inductive charging — coils in both the charger and phone line up to wirelessly transfer electrical energy over very short distances. MagSafe, however, uses a series of magnets to precisely align the coils for a perfect match every time, allowing it to charge at higher wattages (up to 15 watts, depending on the phone and charger) than other wireless charging technologies. increase.

Magnets also have other uses. MagSafe accessories such as cases and wallets attach easily to your iPhone and stay securely attached to your iPhone via MagSafe magnets.

How do MagSafe chargers work?

Thanks to a series of magnets around the charging coil on the back of the iPhone, MagSafe accessories such as chargers automatically align perfectly so the system works automatically. Apple designed the MagSafe Charger Standard so that only certified MagSafe chargers and accessories magnetically attach to the MagSafe surface on the back of your iPhone. This prevents other types of magnetic devices from being attracted to or sticking to your phone.

The MagSafe charger can charge iPhone 8 and newer iPhones, but is optimized only for models with a magnetic charging coil on the back of the phone, including iPhone 12 and newer models.

For best results, you should always connect the MagSafe charger to a power source before connecting it to your iPhone. This allows the two devices to “negotiate” the connection and set the charging wattage appropriately. If you’ve ever plugged your iPhone into an unplugged MagSafe charger, unplug your device, plug the charger in, then plug it back in. This way your phone is guaranteed to charge at maximum speed.

What is the difference between wireless charging and MagSafe?

Wireless charging using the Qi standard built into iPhones, Androids, and other devices has been around for years. Useful, but very inefficient. There’s no way to know how well your phone and charger are aligned, but you’ll only get maximum charging speeds when they’re perfectly aligned. Even if it’s slightly off, it will charge at a fraction of its maximum speed.

MagSafe solves this problem by ensuring your phone and charger are perfectly aligned with a series of magnets that surround the charging coil. The MagSafe iPhone can be charged with a regular Qi charger, but performs better with the MagSafe charger.