Guide to wireless charging your iPhone

Wireless charging for mobile phones was first introduced early 2015 by Samsung when they released the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge mobile phones, giving smartphone users the ability to place their devices on a charging pad and watch their battery replenish.

Apple responded with the Apple Watch, which uses wireless charging technology. The Apple iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X all feature wireless charging technology and there are plenty of charging mats available for Apple’s latest devices. If you have an older iPhone and want to get in on the wireless charging action, there are companies that make protective cases that support wireless charging. Apple has plans to release an iPhone charging pad in the spring called Apple AirPower.

How to do wireless charging your iPhone?

iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus feature integrated wireless charging that allows for an easy and intuitive charging experience. With an all-new design, iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus have a glass back that works with Qi-certified chargers that are available as accessories and in cars, cafes, hotels, airports, and furniture. Qi is an open, universal charging standard created by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC).

There are many Qi-certified chargers available in the market, including two new wireless charging mats from Mophie and Belkin, which charge an iPhone with the latest version of iOS at rates up to 7.5 watts. These charging mats are available at Apple.com and Apple retail stores.

Other Qi-certified chargers might vary in functionality and performance. If you have questions, contact the manufacturer.

• Now connect your charger to power. Use the power adapter that came with your accessory or a power adapter recommended by the manufacturer.
• Place the charger on a level surface or other location recommended by the manufacturer.
• Place your iPhone on the charger with the display facing up. For best performance, place it in the center of the charger or in the location recommended by manufacturer.
• Your iPhone should start charging a few seconds after you place it on your wireless charger. You should see  in the status bar.

Tips to follow when doing wireless charging

Wireless charging uses magnetic induction to charge your iPhone. Don’t place anything between your iPhone and the charger. Magnetic mounts, magnetic cases, or other objects between your iPhone and the charger might reduce performance or damage magnetic strips or RFID chips like those found in some credit cards, security badges, passports, and key fobs. If your case holds any of these sensitive items, remove them before charging or make sure that they aren’t between the back of your iPhone and the charger.

If your iPhone isn’t charging or is charging slowly and your iPhone has a thick case, metal case, or battery case, try removing the case.

If your iPhone vibrates—when it gets a notification, for example—your iPhone might shift position. This can cause the charging mat to stop providing power to your iPhone. If this happens often, consider turning off vibration, turning on Do Not Disturb, or using a case to prevent movement.

Depending on the charging mat you have, you might hear faint noises while your iPhone charges.

Your iPhone might get slightly warmer while it charges. To extend the lifespan of your battery, if the battery gets too warm, software might limit charging above 80 percent. Your iPhone will charge again when the temperature drops. Try moving your iPhone and charger to a cooler location.

Your iPhone won’t charge wirelessly when connected to USB. If your iPhone is connected to your computer with USB, or if it’s connected to a USB power adapter, your iPhone will charge using the USB connection.

Is wireless charging bad for the battery?

ZDNet tech hardware blogger Adrian Kingsley-Hughes suspects that using the iPhone 8 or iPhone X on a wireless charging mat will shorten the lifespan of your battery faster than it would with a normal charger that plugs in.  In the blog post, he used the battery lifespan stats found on Apple’s Battery Service and Recycling page which says iPhone batteries are designed to “retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles” on average. If you live in colder climate locations, your battery lifespan is shorter. Using a charging pad, Kingsley-Hughes expects to reach 500 complete charge cycles in about 20 months, whereas, under normal circumstances, an average iPhone battery will take around three years to reach 500 recharge cycles, according to his calculations.

Kingsley-Hughes explains further, providing technical insight on why iPhone wireless charging could be harmful to batteries.

“The issue is that when the iPhone is being charged using a cable, the phone is being powered by the cord (there is some load on the battery, but it’s minimal), but when using wireless charging, the battery is what’s powering the iPhone, with the wireless charger only being used to top up the battery,” he wrote.

“This means that by switching from a cable to a wireless charger, my battery isn’t getting a break, and in turn, this is making me go through recharge cycles at an even faster rate.”

From a non-technical perspective, you might be more inclined leave your iPhone on a charging mat if all you have to do is set it down on a flat surface. Just from that alone, your device may spend more time charging than it needs to.

So will apple AirPower kill the iPhone battery?

Wireless charging or inductive charging seems to be the wave of the future because of its simplicity. All you need to do is set your phone down on a small pad or mat and your device will charge. The Apple AirPower mat will release this spring, so as of now it’s uncertain if it will affect the lifespan of your iPhone battery. However, if Kingsley-Hughes’ findings are true, there’s a chance the Apple AirPower charging mat could shorten the overall lifespan of your iPhone battery unless Apple makes improvements to the battery itself.

Next time you use a wireless charger for iPhone think twice and do with caution.