How Do I Enable Wireless Charging on Android in Easy Steps

Like most smartphone users, you’re probably wondering how to enable and experience the convenience of wireless charging on your Android. Well, the entire process is actually pretty simple and you can do it in just a few steps.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Not all Android phones support wireless charging. Check your smartphone’s manual or simply perform a Google inquiry about wireless charging on your model.
• If your phone doesn’t support wireless charging, you can add this functionality by employing a wireless charging receiver.
• Wireless chargers are not as efficient as wired chargers.
• Despite their convenience, wireless chargers are actually quite limiting in terms of phone use.

With that said, in this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of enabling wireless charging on your Android device. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Method 1: Native Wireless Support

Smartphones with built-in wireless charging don’t actually have a feature toggle. In other words, you can’t enable or disable the feature by visiting the Settings menu. Since the feature is automatic, it’s enabled by putting your phone on the charging pad. Despite its simplicity, we’re still going to explain the process.

Step 1: Connect Your Wireless Pad

Regardless of which wireless pad you get, they all come with a power brick and a USB cable. Plug the power brick into the wall outlet. Then connect the corresponding end of the USB cable to the power brick.

After that, place the wireless charging pad in a convenient spot, and connect the other end of the cable to the pad. That’s it. Some wireless chargers have a small LED that shows the pad is in standby mode. However, some don’t, like our old Te-Rich V12 12.5W wireless charging pad, which only indicates when something is charging.

The one we’re using for this guide is discontinued tech, so we recommend a 15W Qi-certified Belkin Wireless Charger Stand or an Anker Wireless Charging Station.

Best Qi Wireless Charging Stand

Belkin BoostCharge 15W

$43.99

• Comes with a QuickCharge 3.0 24W charger power supply
• Capable of 15W Fast Charging
• Input voltage: 100 Volts

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08/29/2023 08:19 am GMT

All-in-One Charging Station

Anker Wireless Charging Station with Adapter

$29.99

• Does not include watch charging cable
• Qi-certified wireless charger
• Universally compatible with wireless charging capable devices
• Excellent safety features to protect your devices

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08/29/2023 08:19 am GMT

Step 2: Place Your Android on the Charging Pad

As previously stated, wireless charging is enabled by default in phones that support the functionality natively. So, when you place your Android phone on a wireless charging pad, it should start charging automatically.

Due to the working principle of wireless charging, it’s really important to place the phone correctly. Ensure that the center of your phone aligns with the center of the charging pad for the most efficient charging. Some pads, like the one we use, feature an indicator for proper alignment. Once you have properly aligned your phone with the charging pad, it should start charging. It will also display the remaining time until full charge.

It’s also a good idea to remove your phone from the case. Physical obstacles between your phone and the charging pad will impede the charging process. The best-case scenario is that it can prevent wireless charging entirely. The worst-case scenario involves excessive heat generation, which can damage the battery.

Optional Step: Fast Wireless Charging

Fast Wireless Charging is standard with Samsung phones, as it delivers over 10 watts of power, helping your phone charge faster. This, of course, implies that your wireless charging pad has the ability to provide over 10 watts.

Unlike wireless charging, which is automatically enabled on compatible devices, fast wireless charging might require manual activation. To activate fast wireless charging, go to Settings, scroll down and tap on Battery and device care, and then tap Battery.

Then, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap on More battery settings. Here, you’ll find an option to toggle fast wireless charging on or off.

Method 2: Use a Wireless Adapter

Unfortunately, more accessible Android phones don’t actually feature wireless charging. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t add this functionality to the model that you own. You can buy a third-party wireless adapter that fits the back of your Android phone and plugs into the charging port.

These adapters feature a wireless charging coil that facilitates wireless energy transfer and charges the phone via its charging port. Just like with native wireless support, there’s no toggle option for you to enable. Just align the charging coils of your phone with the one on the pad, and your Android phone will charge.

Step 1: Get a Wireless Charging Adapter

You’ll need a wireless charging adapter to enable wireless charging on a phone that doesn’t have that feature built in. However, there are several things you need to pay attention to when buying a wireless charging adapter.

Most phone manufacturers opted to use the newer USB Type-C for their phones’ data transfer and charging ports. However, older phones and some budget-friendly devices still use micro-USB connectors. There’s nothing to worry about when it comes to buying a wireless charging adapter if your Android has a USB-C port. The port’s design allows you to turn the connector however you want, and it will still work. However, that’s not the case with micro-USB. Micro-USB has a trapezoidal shape with rounded corners and five pins. Most adapters have an L-shaped connector. Therefore, the port orientation is something to factor in when selecting the adapter.

We used a generic wireless receiver for the purpose of this guide. If you’re looking for a wireless charging receiver, consider the Nillkin Qi Receiver USB-C.

Patch Wireless Receiver

Nillkin Qi Type C Wireless Charger Receiver

$13.99

• Compatible with all phones with Type-C ports
• Receiver only, charger not included
• Small form factor to fit on any phone
• Durable, and made to last

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08/29/2023 08:19 am GMT

Step 2: Connect the Adapter to Your Android

The wireless charging adapter has electromagnetic coils like the ones built-in into the wireless-enabled phones. The adapter, often called a wireless charging receiver, receives the charge from the charging pad and charges your phone via the USB port it’s connected to.

The installation of the adapter is rather simple. There are some slight variations in the installation process, depending on whether your phone has a removable battery. The first part of the process is the same regardless of whether your battery is removable. Simply plug the adapter into your Android phone’s port, and place the coil on the back of your phone.

Now, if your phone doesn’t have a removable battery, consider using a thin silicone phone cover. That will keep the coil in place without impeding energy transfer. Additionally, you can consider using some thin, double-sided adhesive tape to secure the wireless charging receiver to the back of your phone.

If your phone has a removable battery, you can place the coil underneath the back plate. However, this isn’t applicable to all phones, so you might want to keep the receiver coil stuck to the back of your phone.

Step 3: Wirelessly Charge Your Android

To wirelessly charge your Android phone using a wireless charging adapter/receiver, simply put the phone on a charging pad. Please note that you have to align the receiving coil on your phone with the transmitting coil on the pad for maximum efficiency.

Wireless Charging: How Does It Work?

Wireless charging works on the principle of electromagnetic induction. When an alternating current is passed through the coils inside the charging pad, it generates a changing electromagnetic field (EMF). When you place the phone on a wireless charger pad, the EMF induces a voltage in the receiver coil built into or attached to your phone. The phone’s wireless charging circuitry (or one attached to the wireless adapter) draws the alternating current from the receiving coil. The circuitry then converts it into direct current to charge the battery.

Receiver coils are usually centered on the back of your phone, which is why it’s important to align the transmitter and receiver coils. Better alignment means more efficient energy transfer, resulting in faster charging time and less heat generation. Some wireless chargers have several overlapping coils, which makes aligning your phone more straightforward and, thus, more convenient. 

Smartphone wireless charging technologies rely on two major standards: Qi and PMA (Power Matters Alliance). Despite offering the same power delivery output, these two standards have different specs. However, since Qi arrived on the market earlier, it’s now more widely adopted by smartphone and consumer electronics manufacturers.

It’s also important to note that wireless chargers aren’t really wireless in the true sense of the word. There’s still a cable connecting the power brick to the wireless charging pad. They’re only wireless in the sense that there’s no cable connection between the charger and the phone.

The Advantages of Wireless Charging

Wireless charging is incredible, and the technology will only improve and become more efficient over time. However, it’s important to know that, when compared to wired chargers, the advantages of wireless charging are quite limited.

The biggest advantage of wireless charging is its convenience. Humans are lazy by nature; we like to get things done while spending the least amount of energy possible. And when charging our smartphones, wireless charging allows us to do just that.

There’s no need to plug and unplug a cable each time you need to charge your Android phone. Just place the charging pad in a convenient spot, plug it into the outlet, and place your phone on the pad. If you followed the steps we previously described, your phone should start charging wirelessly. This eliminates the need to plug a cable into your phone each time you want to charge it — and that’s at least once a day for most of us. Additionally, this also eliminates wear and tear on both the USB cable and the phone’s port.

Larger wireless charging pads have multiple charging coils built in, meaning you can charge multiple smartphones at the same time. If you’re specifically looking to charge multiple devices wirelessly, be sure to check the specs of the charging pad you’re buying.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of these chargers is that they’re universal. You don’t need separate power bricks and charging cables for different phones, e.g., iPhones and Androids. Just place the smartphone on the pad to charge wirelessly.

The Drawbacks of Wireless Charging

The first commercially available wireless charging pad became available in 2012 for the Nokia Lumia 920. So, the technology is arguably still in its infancy, and there’s plenty of room for improvement. In fact, wireless chargers are approximately 20% to 30% less efficient compared to wired chargers. Less efficiency means that for the same amount of invested electrical energy, you get 20% to 30% less charge. This also means that it takes longer for your phone to reach full charge while charging wirelessly.

Another drawback is actually associated with the perceived convenience of wireless chargers. While it’s easier to place your phone on a pad to charge, the phone will immediately stop charging once it’s removed from the pad. Therefore, you can’t pick it up and keep charging it. With wired charging, you can still use your phone while it’s connected to the power brick and the outlet.

There’s also a matter of price. Wireless charging is mostly associated with more premium smartphone models. As a result, wireless chargers also come at a premium price compared to wired chargers, which are relatively affordable.

The Impact on the Battery

You might’ve heard that wireless charging is harmful to the battery. This simply isn’t true; wireless charging is no more harmful than wired charging. The myth states that wireless charging generates heat, which in turn damages the battery over time. This might’ve been true with early iterations of wireless technology, or it can still be true for really affordable budget chargers. However, modern chargers and smartphones have various thermal protections, and if the charger and the phone detect excessive heat, they will reduce the current flow through the coils. This will reduce the temperature at the expense of charging speed, but your battery will remain safe.

This is why it’s recommended to avoid using any phone case while charging wirelessly. Cases act as obstacles, which further put more distance between the coils. With more distance, the charger will have to increase the current flow to maintain efficiency. This will increase the temperature. If you absolutely have to use a case, use thinner ones, at least while charging.

Prolonging Your Battery’s Life

You can set your phone to charge to a maximum of 80% in order to prolong its battery life. To do this, enable Battery Saver mode by following these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Battery.
2. Tap on Battery Saver.
3. Toggle on the Battery Saver switch.
4. Tap on Advanced.
5. Under Charging, tap on Charging preferences.
6. Toggle on the Stop charging at 80% switch.

When Battery Saver mode is enabled, your phone will stop charging at 80%, which will help prolong your phone’s battery life.

Wireless Charging: 5 Must-Know Facts

Here are five must-know facts about wireless charging:

• The first commercially available charger was released for Nokia Lumia 920 — a Windows phone.
• Wireless charging pads come at different power ratings, which affect charging speed. However, make sure that the power ratings between the phone and the charger match. Your wireless charger will only charge at the speed the phone dictates.
• To ensure maximum wireless charging efficiency, it’s highly recommended to use a charger and a smartphone that both support the same wireless charging standard, like Qi.
• Using a phone case can affect charging speed and efficiency, as it interferes with the charging process. With that said, there are cases specifically designed to support wireless charging.
• Not all phones are compatible with wireless charging. Luckily, you can use wireless charging receivers to wirelessly charge the phones that aren’t.

How Do I Enable Wireless Charging on Android: Final Words

As seen in this guide, charging your Android wirelessly is done in two simple steps if your phone supports wireless charging. If you need any other help with your smartphone, check out our other guides on How to Transfer Contacts from Android to Android and How to Transfer Data from Android to iPhone.

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