**Reverse Wireless Charging on iPhone: What to Anticipate**
A feature that has been present for several years on Android has long been anticipated to arrive on iPhone as well: reverse wireless charging. A recent leak hints that it’s soon to be available on the two iPhone 17 Pro models.
If accurate, this would be positive news for three reasons, but there are indications that it may not be feasible – due to MagSafe.
### What is Reverse Wireless Charging?
Reverse wireless charging is the capability to wirelessly power an accessory like AirPods or an Apple Watch by resting it on the back of an iPhone. For the accessory, wireless charging functions just like it would on a charging pad, but the energy comes from the iPhone.
Samsung smartphones have provided this feature for several years, termed PowerShare. Google later integrated it into certain Pixel devices, using the term Battery Share.
### Three Reasons to Desire It
1. **Convenience for Low-Power Accessories**: The primary and most apparent reason is if your accessory is low on juice while your phone still has a decent charge. The option to recharge your AirPods or Apple Watch wherever you might be, without the requirement for an outlet, charging brick, or cable, could be a really useful feature.
2. **Travel Efficiency**: A second scenario is a weekend getaway, where instead of lugging around multiple cables or charging pads for various devices, you could simply bring one for your iPhone. While that charges from an electrical outlet, you could recharge a second gadget just by placing it on your iPhone.
3. **Multi-Device Charging on the Move**: Third, and associated with this, is the capability to easily and conveniently charge numerous devices on a plane or train. Simply connect the iPhone to power at your seat with one cable, and recharge other devices on top of it.
### MagSafe May Be a Barrier
Considering these advantages, it is somewhat surprising that Apple hasn’t adopted this technology thus far. However, there may be a rationale behind this.
As highlighted by the Portuguese site DroidReader, Google has removed the feature from the Pixel 10, noting that it’s not compatible with Qi2 wireless charging. The Pixel 10 series utilizes Qi2 magnetic wireless charging to offer more effective and reliable wireless charging. However, the arrangement of magnets creates a strong connection with the charger but has limitations for wireless reverse charging.
The issue is that Qi2 is essentially Qi1 plus magnetic attachment, which is similar to MagSafe.
In an effort to establish this as the industry standard for wireless chargers, Apple essentially open-sourced the technology by permitting other Wireless Power Consortium members to utilize it. While the company may have retained some aspects for itself, the fact that reverse wireless charging seems to be incompatible with Qi2 could indicate the same situation applies to MagSafe.
Thus, while it would be fantastic to see the iPhone 17 Pro support reverse wireless charging, don’t count on it just yet.
