What is MagSafe? Understanding Apple's wireless charging technology

• MagSafe is a wireless charging technology in recent iPhone models, starting with the iPhone 12.
• It uses magnets to ensure the charger and phone properly align for a top charging speed of 15 watts.
• It only connects to MagSafe-certified accessories so other devices won't snap to your iPhone.

Apple introduced MagSafe in October 2020, promising fast and convenient wireless charging as a better alternative to ubiquitous Qi charging systems. 

Here is everything you need to know about MagSafe.

What is MagSafe?

MagSafe is a wireless charging technology that Apple debuted with the iPhone 12, and it's directly compatible with the iPhone 12 series and subsequent iPhone models. It's a form of induction charging that can deliver fast 15-watt charging, about twice that of phones with traditional Qi wireless charging. 

Like Qi, MagSafe uses inductive charging — coils on both the charger and phone line up and transfer electrical energy wirelessly over very short distances. But MagSafe uses a series of magnets to precisely align the coils, allowing them to perfectly match every time and charge at a higher wattage (up to 15 watts, depending on the phone and charger) than other wireless charging tech. 

See our guide to the best MagSafe chargers for a variety of top options. 

The magnets also have other applications. You can easily affix MagSafe accessories to any of the best iPhones, such as wallets, car mounts, and stands, which stay firmly attached to the phone via the MagSafe magnets. 

See our guides to the best MagSafe car mounts, best MagSafe wallets, and best iPhone stands with MagSafe charging. 

How does a MagSafe charger work?

Thanks to the series of magnets around the charging coil in the back of your iPhone, MagSafe accessories like chargers automatically snap into perfect alignment, so the system works automatically. Apple designed the MagSafe charger standard so that only certified MagSafe chargers and accessories will magnetically attach to the MagSafe surface on the back of an iPhone so that other magnetic devices won't get attracted to or stuck to your phone. 

While a MagSafe charger can charge recent iPhones, starting with the iPhone 8, it is only optimized for models that feature the magnetic charging coil on the back of the phone, which include the iPhone 12 and later models. 

For best results, you should always plug your MagSafe charger into its power source before connecting it to the iPhone. This allows the two devices to "negotiate" their connection and set the charging wattage properly. If you ever connect the iPhone to a MagSafe charger that's unplugged, separate the devices, plug in the charger, and then rejoin them. This way, your phone is guaranteed to charge at top speed. 

What's the difference between wireless charging and MagSafe?

Wireless charging using the Qi standard built into iPhones, Android, and other devices has existed for years. Although convenient, it's highly inefficient. There's no way to know how well you've aligned the phone and charger, but you only get the maximum charging speed when they are perfectly aligned — even slightly off, and you'll charge at a fraction of the top speed. 

MagSafe solves that problem by ensuring the phone and charger perfectly align with the magnets surrounding the charging coil. MagSafe iPhones can still be charged with ordinary Qi chargers, though they perform better with a MagSafe charger.