The arrival of the iPhone 12 not only saw a new standard achieved for Apple’s flagship handset, but also saw the beginning of a new ecosystem for apple with the MagSafe charger and compatible MagSafe accessories.

What is MagSafe?

You may have initially thought the name sounded familiar, and you would be correct in doing so. MagSafe was the name given to the old snap on MacBook charger by Apple. At that time, MagSafe was not the wireless technology it has been reintroduced as. For the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 range, MagSafe is the new wireless charging standard. With long-term rumours suggesting Apple aim to remove the need for lightning ports in the future, MagSafe charging signals the next chapter in this journey.

In order to accommodate MagSafe charging, select TORRO cases (marked as MagSafe compatible) have been incorporated with a magnetic plate/ring in order to establish MagSafe connectivity through our cases. Similar to our recent blog post covering standard QI Wireless charging, it is not common knowledge that the power output emitted by the plug/adapter being used is massively important for the connection and efficiency of MagSafe charging and there is even a difference between both the single and the duo MagSafe charger.

Single MagSafe Charger

In order to establish a connection from your MagSafe Charger, Apple recommend that a minimum of 20W should be emitted from the adapter/plug for efficient and stable charging. You may be able to establish a connection with some lower wattage plugs, but the connection will not be as stable or as efficient as 20W or above. The video below shows how best to charge via MagSafe through your TORRO case.

After running a number of tests, we established that for the single MagSafe charger, the following adapters allowed for successful charging though a TORRO case:

Please Note: It is also very important to note that USB-A will not work with your MagSafe Charger, even if using a USB-A to USB-C cable.

MagSafe Duo Charger

For the MagSafe Duo Charger, the official Apple recommendation is that for stable charging the unit must be attached via their lightning to USB-C cable to a 27W plug. A plug of 27W and higher will charge through the TORRO case but again, the higher the Wattage the more stable the charge will be.

If you are wondering why the MagSafe Duo Charger requires a higher output than the single charger, it is due to the fact that the power emitted needs to be split between each side of duo charger dock to wirelessly charge your handset and Apple Watch, for example. Therefore, in order to wirelessly charge, a higher power output is required that the single charger. We recommend the official Apple 30W USB C adapter which will allow you to successfully charge your handset through your TORRO MagSafe phone case.

Troubleshooting Common MagSafe Difficulties:

My charger has 30W output, but I still cannot charge, why is this?

If you have a 30W output, going to either your single or dual MagSafe charger there is nothing to prevent charging through your TORRO case. In this instance it is likely that your plug is a multi-port charger. If you do have multi ports, even if your plug is advertised as being a 30W plug, it will actually be a lower amount per port.

For example, a plug advertised as a 30W plug with three ports will split the power between all three ports. The plug may have a USB C port which emits a maximum of 15W and two USB A ports with maximum outputs of 7.5W each meaning in total the plug is a 30W plug but unfortunately the maximum power being output through your USB-C cable is only 15W which is insufficient. You need a plug with a USB C port which on its own outputs 20W / 27W of charge.

I have the correct wattage plug but still cannot charge through the case, what is the problem?

First, please ensure that you have the latest version of iOS installed. It was a known issue in previous versions that devices may have difficulty connecting to MagSafe even without using a case. If you already have the latest version of iOS installed, then, as cliched as this sounds, the simple trick of turning your handset off and then on again allows the wireless sensor to rest. This is also a known problem in the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 range where you will find you cannot wirelessly charge with or without a case and the device needs restarted, this is widely reported online and can easily be found with a quick search

I am using Apple’s 20W USB-C Plug an my Dual MagSafe Charger is not working through my TORRO case, why?

With the dual MagSafe charger, the power output is split between each side of the dock meaning a greater output is needed to charge. Apple’s product overview for the Dual MagSafe charger states that their 20W USB-C adapter will only generate 11W of power for charging your handset. Unfortunately, this will not emit a strong enough signal to charge through your TORRO case. Using Apple’s official 30W USB-C adapter or higher will allow the Dual MagSafe charger to emit a strong enough signal to charge through your TORRO MagSafe phone case.

My 18W plug charges fine without a case but won’t charge through a case, why?

If your 18W adapter allows your MagSafe charger to connect without a case, then you’re in luck! This is not a consistent occurrence and the official Apple advice is to use a minimum of 20W, then you would not be getting the most out of MagSafe charging. When adding any case to your handset, this adds additional distance between the sensor of your handset and the charger itself. This means that it is not as easy to establish a connection and it is more difficult for the sensor to pick up a signal. In this instance, you would need to use a stronger wattage plug to allow for charging through any case you use.

To summarise, as with regular QI charging, the power output supported by the plug/adapter you are using not only effects the speed of charge, but also whether you are able to charge or not. At TORRO we appreciate it can be frustrating when you purchase your new phone, leather case and charger only to discover that there is an issue preventing this combination from working successfully. Through using any of the adapters specified as compatible above, you will be able to successfully get the most out of MagSafe charging while using your TORRO MagSafe phone case.

Are you having other wireless charging issues?

Read our "Wireless Charging - Common Mistakes" article for common mistakes when using Qi Wireless charging technologies.

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