Are you wondering if wireless charging is bad for your iPhone? The good news is it is certainly not. Read on to learn why you should not worry when using wireless charging and its long-term effects on your battery.
Wireless charging adoption has skyrocketed over the past few years. iPhone 8 and iPhone X were the first iPhones featuring Qi wireless charging functionality. After a few years, Apple launched MagSafe, which brought magnetic powers to the Qi wireless charging party.
Now there is a plethora of wireless charging accessories that enable users to charge their iPhone by simply placing them on top of them.
So does wireless charging harm your device?
The short answer…
Wireless charging itself does not harm your iPhone’s battery or reduce its battery health, wireless charging has some side effects that may contribute to the degradation of the battery compared to plug-in charging. Wireless charging generates more heat than plug-in charging, which isn’t very good for the battery and can reduce lifespan.
The long answer…
Wireless charging is harmless when it comes to battery degradation and is no different compared to the traditional plug-in method of charging that involves you physically plugging in a USB cable inside the charging port of your device.
However, when compared to plug-in charging wireless charging produces more heat. Heat causes lithium-ion batteries to wear. This makes wireless charging slightly worse than wired-based charging.
So why does wireless charging generate more heat you might ask. Well, it is because wireless charging is less efficient at bringing the power it pulls from the socket to your device. According to the Wireless Charging Consortium wireless chargers are only able to achieve a charging efficiency of just around 70 percent. Real-world results may produce even less efficient performance.
This is partly because of how wireless charging works. A wireless charger and a smartphone both feature coils that deliver power to the phone. Coils in both the charger and the device need to be aligned to achieve maximum charging efficiency. If the coils are not perfectly aligned the energy is not only wasted but also contributes to slower charging and generates more heat. Thankfully this issue is lessened with MagSafe charging and Qi2 wireless charging, both of which use magnets to align the charger and device perfectly.
The energy that is not delivered to your smartphone is converted into heat and makes your iPhone hot, which in turn makes the battery hot and causes degradation to the battery.
Using thick protective cases such as rugged cases for maximum protection makes this worse as heat does not escape such chargers very quickly and they cause your iPhone to remain hot for longer periods.
It’s not that bad for iPhones
The good news is heat is not a big issue when it comes to iPhones even if you are using a non-MagSafe wireless charger. This is because iPhones only charge at 7.5W charging speed when charged with non-MagSafe compatible wireless chargers. Such a small amount of power does not generate much heat to is a major cause for concern for iPhone users who are worried about battery degradation due to wireless charging.
Tips for better charging and preserving iPhone battery health
- Make sure to turn on the Optimized Battery charging feature on your iPhone by going to Settings -> Battery.
- If you own an iPhone 15, then make sure you select the 80% Limit option so that your iPhone only charges up to 80% by going to Settings -> Battery -> Charging Optimization.
- Use MagSafe-compatible wireless chargers.
- Do not let your iPhone battery fall below 20% charge. Charge your device regularly throughout the day to maintain a battery percentage that is above 20%. Avoiding overnight charging can also help preserve battery health.
- Avoid using your device and performing power-intensive tasks such as gaming while your device is charging.
- If you use a rugged iPhone case, make sure to remove it before charging the device.
- Update your iPhone to the latest iOS version to avoid bugs and battery drain issues.
- Deactivate features that you do not use and disable Background App Refresh to apps you don’t use regularly.
Find a complete guide on how you can prevent iPhone battery health from falling here.
Wireless chargers with built-in fans
One of the ways to help prevent iPhone overheating is using wireless chargers with cooling fans. Here are a few options that work great.
INIU MagSafe Charger
This wireless charger is not only MagSafe compatible but it also features a built-in cooling fan that ensures low temperature charging for your iPhone. It has features like a USB-C connector, a detachable design that lets you charge your iPhone horizontally, vertically, or in hand, strong magnets, and more. You can buy the INIU Magsafe Charger for $26.99 from Amazon.
Anker PowerWave 7.5 Pad wireless charger
The Anker PowerWave 7.5 Pad Wireless Charger features a built-in fan that keeps the charging components cool, which in turn keeps your iPhone cool while charging. This charger can charge your device up to 30% faster as there is less power loss due to heat. It is capable of charging the iPhone at 7.5W speeds, which is the industry standard and the maximum iPhone support for non-MagSafe chargers. You can buy this wireless charger with a cooling fan for $28.95.
For your on-the-go wireless charging needs the charge ICEMAG Magnetic Power Bank offers MagSafe charging with the active cooling feature. This MagSafe-compatible wireless charging power bank features a high-speed fan and airflow design that charges your device while keeping the temperatures at the lowest. It is packed with a 5000mAh battery, which can charge an iPhone 13 up to 2 times from 0% to 100%. You can buy this power bank with a cooling fan for $59.99 here.
