Do This So Your Wireless Charging Device Works with a Case

Wireless charging is a wonderful innovation, but let's face it: It's not without its kinks. For instance, you may find that your phone is charging slower than it should when on a wireless pad, or — worse yet, — it doesn't charge at all, despite being on a wireless charger for hours. Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell what the reason is.

You may be wondering if your phone case is to blame. Does wireless charging work with case options across the board? Yes and no. It's time to take a look at the relationship between phone cases and wireless charging.

Wireless Charging and Your Phone Case

First off: Does wireless charging work with any case? Not necessarily. It's important to understand why some cases work better with wireless charging than others, and why other cases don't work well with wireless charging at all.

Why won't a phone case work with wireless charging?

One of the main reasons wireless charging won't work with a case is that a phone case is too thick. There are some hard plastic or rubber cases that offer you a lot of protection and peace of mind. And, given how much the average smartphone costs these days, it's totally understandable that you want to protect your device as much as possible. However, if these protective cases are 3mm to 5mm thick or more, you could encounter issues with wireless charging.

How do other phone case materials, like metal, affect wireless charging?

What about cases that focus more on design and style, made of different materials? Let's say you opt for a leather case that looks more like an expensive designer wallet than, well, a phone case. In and of itself, that's not a problem; there's no reason you have to compromise on style when seeking protection for your smart device. You may wonder, though, does wireless charging work with case materials like that? Absolutely… for the most part. Again, you have to watch out for the thickness of the case.

You could, however, face an issue with a phone case made of metal. The signal has to be able to reach your phone from the charger, and metal generally gets in the way of that signal. "Case" in point (pun intended), aluminum cases. Aluminum cases are awesome at protecting your phone, but they're really not wireless charging's friend. Of course, some really protective rubber cases will incorporate metal in their design, but by and large, you should still be able to wirelessly charge your phone with them.

But, what if phone case thickness or material isn't the issue with wireless charging?

If case thickness or material is not the issue, there tends to be other specific reasons why wireless charging won't work with a given case; in fact, it might not be the case itself, at all! For example, if you have a plastic case with a card holder on the back, the presence of many different credit or identification cards may get in the way of wireless charging. Can you wireless charge through a case that has a lot of stuff on it? It depends on what that stuff is, and how much there is.

This is so with cases of any material; the more accessories or other materials you have on the back of the case, the harder it is for the wireless charging signal to reach the phone. So, if you've attached a kickstand or PopSocket to the back, depending on what kind of case you have, and where you've placed the accessory, wireless charging could be interrupted. In those instances, it's not the case's fault.

What can I do if my phone case isn't working with wireless charging?

You have three main choices if your phone case isn't working with wireless charging: You can change your phone case, change your wireless charger, or take the phone out of its phone case to wirelessly charge it each time. Since the third choice is more than a bit inconvenient, the two most realistic (and convenient) options are to either change your phone case or change your charger.

Wireless Charger Options

If you're thinking about changing your wireless smartphone charger, you might want to go for chargers that also give you value for your money, like this one from Mophie ($19.95).

If price points aren't something you worry about, then invest in this Twelve South PowerPic wireless charger ($60).

Usually on the go? Then you can also get an iOttie wireless car charger ($50).

Meanwhile, owners of the latest iPhones may find that their device doesn't charge better or faster on anything other than a MagSafe charger ($40; Android users won't get as good performance).

Wireless Charging Phone Case Options

Feel your wireless charger isn't the problem, but that it's time for a new phone case instead?

For iPhone 13 Pro Max owners, this Sparkle MagSafe case from SaharaCase ($31.99) is an excellent option; it even comes in different colors!

For Samsung Galaxy S22 owners, this clear Hard Shell Series case from SaharaCase ($24.99) should work well with wireless charging due to its slim nature.

Find Your New Wireless Charging Phone Case With SaharaCase

You can find a wide variety of cases that work with wireless charging at SaharaCase. To see all the different options, visit SaharaCase today. Be sure to use promo code CHARGE15 for 15% off SaharaCase phone cases!