What is MagSafe? Which iPhones have it and whether it works on a Samsung

“Is this case MagSafe?” Since the iPhone 12, I hear that question at the counter every day. And rightly so, because the answer decides whether your power bank stays put, whether your car mount holds your phone on a bumpy road and whether your wireless charger charges at full speed. Yet many people don’t know exactly what MagSafe is, let alone whether it also works on a Samsung.

I’m Job from ThePhoneLab. Below I explain it the way I do at the counter, with the customer’s case in my hand. Because that’s usually where the answer is.

In this blog, we discuss:

1. What is MagSafe exactly?
2. Which iPhones have MagSafe?
3. Does MagSafe work on a Samsung or Android?
4. Which MagSafe accessories are actually useful?
5. MagSafe not working or falling off: these are the causes

What is MagSafe exactly?

MagSafe is Apple’s name for a ring of magnets in the back of the iPhone, around the wireless charging coil. That ring makes a charger or accessory click into exactly the right place and stay there. Apple introduced it in 2020 with the iPhone 12. Wireless charging already existed through the Qi standard, but without magnets you often put your phone down slightly off, so it charged slowly or not at all.

MagSafe solves that: the magnets line up the coils precisely, so you charge faster and more efficiently. Since 2023, that same magnet ring has been part of the open Qi2 standard. That’s why you see more and more accessories called “MagSafe compatible” or “Qi2” that aren’t made by Apple. They use the same magnet position and work on every iPhone with MagSafe.

Which iPhones have MagSafe?

Every iPhone from the iPhone 12 onwards has MagSafe; the iPhone 16e is the exception, it has no magnet ring. The iPhone 8 up to and including the 11 does charge wirelessly via Qi, but has no magnets; even older iPhones can’t charge wirelessly at all. Want to use a MagSafe power bank or holder on one of those iPhones anyway? Then you need a case with a magnet ring. Charging only works on the models that already had Qi.

Not sure? Choose your device at the top of the page in our shop, and you’ll see for every accessory whether it fits. The cases also show whether they have a built-in magnet ring. That matters, because a case without magnets blocks part of the strength of the ring in your phone.

Does MagSafe work on a Samsung or Android?

On Samsung and most other Android phones, the magnet ring isn’t inside the phone. The Galaxy S25 series, which Samsung calls “Qi2 Ready”, and the Galaxy S26 series do charge wirelessly, but don’t have the magnets on board. Those have to come from a case with a magnet ring. The best-known exception is Google Pixel: since the Pixel 10, the magnets sit inside the phone itself.

Google calls this Pixelsnap. It’s in every Pixel 10 and Pixel 11 model, except the Pixel 10a. Pixelsnap works via Qi2, so MagSafe accessories click on without a special case. Google isn’t the only one: the Motorola Edge 70 Max also has the magnets built in. So always check the specifications of a new model.

If you have a Samsung with a case with a magnet ring, magnetic holders, grips and card holders simply work. Wireless charging on a MagSafe charger only works if your phone supports Qi, and then often at a lower speed than on an iPhone. Our round Qi charger doesn’t need those magnets: you just lay your phone on it, and that works with any Qi phone.

With the MagSafe power banks and the car mount with MagSafe charger, the magnet is needed, otherwise your phone slides off. That’s why we also have a car mount with a clamp and wireless charger for phones without magnets.

Wireless Qi MagSafe charger

Round charging puck: your iPhone clicks on magnetically, and you simply lay AirPods and Qi phones, Android too, on top.

Shop the wireless charger

Which MagSafe accessories are actually useful?

MagSafe only gets fun when you click something onto it. The three you’ll use most are a power bank that charges without a cable, a car mount your phone clicks into with one hand, and a card holder for your cards. These are the accessories I hand over at the counter most often:

1. MagSafe power bank: clicks onto the back and charges without a cable. Our power banks with MagSafe work via the Qi2 standard and also charge by cable via USB-C.
2. Car mount with MagSafe: click your phone on with one hand and start navigating straight away. The air vent version also charges wirelessly on the road.
3. 3-in-1 MagSafe charger: iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at the same time, foldable to take in your bag. In our shop, apart from the separate Apple Watch cable, this is the only charger that also charges your Watch.
4. Card holder: three cards on the back of your phone, no wallet needed. Take it off and your cards stay inside.
5. Ring holder: a one-handed grip and a stand for watching a video. The Stick-n-Grip is something else: a flat holder that clicks onto your phone with MagSafe and sticks to the bathroom mirror or the kitchen tiles with suction cups, for a recipe or a tutorial. Done? Click it off, without leaving marks.
6. Selfie accessories: the magnetic ring light, the MagMir mirror and the tripod selfie stick with MagSafe. The ring light and the selfie stick come with a separate magnet ring in the box for phones without MagSafe.

Power bank with MagSafe

Clicks magnetically onto your iPhone and charges without a cable, or by cable via USB-C. In 5,000 and 10,000 mAh.

Shop the MagSafe power banks

Browse all MagSafe accessories in our shop. My colleague Yara wrote an extensive tip about straps, grips and selfie sticks in the shop, including her rule of thumb: “if you have an iPhone with MagSafe or a MagSafe case, always choose the magnetic version.”

Car mount with MagSafe charger

Clamps onto the air vent: your iPhone clicks on with one hand and charges wirelessly on the road.

Shop the car mount

A power bank, a car mount and a card holder together? 3 for 2 applies to all accessories, online and in our stores: you pay for two of the three.

3 for 2 on all accessoriesOnline and in our stores. Mix & match: combine whatever you like, the cheapest one is free.

MagSafe not working or falling off: these are the causes

Does your power bank keep falling off, or won’t your iPhone charge on the MagSafe charger? The problem is almost always between the phone and the accessory, not in the phone itself: a case without magnets, something in between, or an adapter that supplies too little power. Go through these points, from common to rare:

• Your case has no magnets. A regular silicone case blocks a large part of the magnetic force. Choose a case with a built-in MagSafe ring; which ones those are and why the strength of the magnets matters, you can read in which phone case protects best.
• Your case is too thick. Book cases and heavy protective cases keep the charger too far from the coil. Take the case off to test.
• Something is in between. A loose card, a sticker holder or a metal plate from an old magnetic holder disrupts the connection. Never put loose bank cards between your phone and the charger.
• The magnets in your case are weak. Cheap cases keep your phone still on a table, but not in the car or in your hand. The test is quick: click your power bank on, stand up and walk a lap around the room.
• Your phone is warm. Wireless charging produces heat, and a warm iPhone charges more slowly or pauses. Get it out of the sun or out of a thick case.
• The charger gets too little power. A MagSafe charger needs an adapter of at least 20 watts to charge at full speed. On an old 5-watt plug it charges slowly.

If your iPhone doesn’t charge properly with a cable either, MagSafe isn’t the problem. Then it’s time to have the charging port or the battery checked. Walk into one of our stores and we’ll take a look for free.

About ThePhoneLab

For more than ten years, ThePhoneLab has been repairing phones, tablets and laptops, every day, throughout the Netherlands. Every repair starts with an honest diagnosis, no cure no pay, and then you choose what suits you: original parts or a more affordable alternative from our own brand, for every budget. Because repairing is almost always smarter than replacing, for your wallet and for the planet. No wonder customers give us a 9.5, in tens of thousands of reviews.

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