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01How a phone becomes a charging pad
Reverse wireless charging is a phone feature that runs the wireless charging coil backwards, so instead of pulling power from a pad, your phone pushes power into whatever you set on its back. It's meant for small things: earbuds, a smartwatch, a friend's phone that's about to die.
Every phone that charges wirelessly already has a copper coil behind the back panel. Normally a charger's coil creates a changing magnetic field and your phone's coil turns it into current. With reverse charging switched on, the phone's own battery drives that coil, and it behaves like a basic Qi pad. Anything that charges on a standard Qi pad can, in principle, charge on the back of the phone.
The catch is power. A phone's battery and its tiny coil aren't built to be a desk charger, so manufacturers keep the output low. Samsung lists Wireless PowerShare at about 4.5W on its recent flagships. That's in the same range as a basic earbud charger, and well under what a modern phone needs to charge at a useful speed.
02Which phones support reverse wireless charging
| Brand | Feature name | Output | Where it stands in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy S and Z | Wireless PowerShare | About 4.5W | Still on current flagships, including the S26 series |
| Google Pixel 5 to Pixel 9 family | Battery Share | Low, a few watts | Flagship models; most a-series phones skip it |
| Google Pixel 10 series | None | N/A | Removed when Google added Qi2 magnets |
| Apple iPhone | None (wireless) | N/A | Never offered for other devices; USB-C cable sharing on iPhone 15 and later |
The Pixel 10 change surprised a lot of people. Google swapped Battery Share for built-in magnets so Qi2 chargers snap on, which is a trade most owners will feel every day rather than once a month. If you're curious how that magnet system works, see does the Pixel 10 have MagSafe.
Why your iPhone can't do it
Apple has never switched on wireless power sharing for other devices, even though iPhones have had charging coils since the iPhone 8. What iPhone 15 and later models can do is share power over the USB-C port: plug AirPods, an Apple Watch charger or another phone into your iPhone with a USB-C cable and it'll top them up. It's slower than a wall charger, but it's more efficient than any wireless method because no energy is lost across an air gap.
03Turning it on (Samsung and older Pixels)
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Unplug anything first
On Samsung phones you can share power while plugged in, but the phone stays cooler if you don't. Take off any thick case, metal plate or card wallet.
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Open the toggle
Samsung: swipe down twice and tap Wireless power sharing. If the tile isn't there, it's under Settings > Battery. Pixel 5 to 9: Settings > Battery > Battery Share.
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Place the device on the back, centered
Lay the phone screen-down on a flat surface. Put the earbud case or watch on the middle of the back, roughly level with the coil, which usually sits below the camera bump.
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Wait for the vibration or sound
Both phones signal when power starts flowing. If nothing happens within a few seconds, slide the device slowly around the center until it connects.
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Set a battery floor
Samsung lets you choose a battery limit so sharing stops before your own phone drops too low. Set it higher than you think you need.
Both Samsung and Google switch sharing off after a short idle period, if the phone gets warm, or once your battery hits the floor. That's deliberate. If it stops mid-charge, let things cool and start it again.
04The honest downsides
+Where it helps
- Rescues dead earbuds or a watch when you have no charger
- No cable or extra gadget to carry
- Works with most Qi-certified earbud cases
- Can give a friend's phone enough charge to make a call
–Where it falls short
- Slow: a few watts at best
- Wasteful: a lot of energy turns into heat in both devices
- Drains your own phone faster than the other device gains
- Both devices get warm, which is bad for batteries
- Gone on Pixel 10 and never existed on iPhone
Efficiency is the big one. Wireless charging between two flat devices with plastic and glass in between loses more than a good pad does, and the phone has to power its own electronics at the same time. In practice your phone's percentage falls a lot faster than the earbuds' rises. Treat it as an emergency tool, not a daily habit.
Heat matters too. A warm battery ages faster, which is the same reason we'd avoid gaming on a wireless pad. Our guide to a phone overheating while charging explains what temperatures to worry about.
05Better ways to charge earbuds and a watch on the go
If you find yourself using reverse charging every week, a small power bank is the cheaper fix. A 5,000 mAh magnetic bank can refill earbuds many times over and still top up your phone, without either device sitting face-down and warm on a table.
Reverse wireless
- Free, built into Galaxy phones
- About 4.5W on Samsung
- Costs your phone a lot of battery
Small wireless power bank
- Charges earbuds and phone
- Your phone's battery stays untouched
- One more thing in the bag
USB-C cable from phone
- More efficient than wireless
- Works with any USB-C device
- Needs the right cable on you
Compact banks and a watch charger for topping up accessories without spending your phone's battery.
Apple Watch owners should note that the watch doesn't charge on ordinary Qi pads, so Samsung's PowerShare won't help it either. You need an Apple Watch charger or a bank with a watch puck built in. For the bigger picture on cable versus pad, read wireless vs wired charging.
Questions people ask
Does iPhone have reverse wireless charging?
No. Apple doesn't let iPhones wirelessly charge other devices. iPhone 15 and later models can charge AirPods, an Apple Watch or another phone through the USB-C port with a cable, which is also more efficient than wireless sharing.
Does reverse wireless charging damage your battery?
Occasional use won't hurt it. It does add charge cycles and warmth, and heat is what ages lithium-ion batteries. Using it daily to run another phone is the habit to avoid. Phones also shut the feature off automatically if they get too warm.
Can I charge another phone with reverse wireless charging?
Yes, if the other phone supports Qi wireless charging. At around 4.5W it's slow, and the giving phone loses noticeably more charge than the receiving phone gains. It's best for getting a dead phone back on long enough to make a call.
Why did Google remove Battery Share on the Pixel 10?
The Pixel 10 series added built-in Qi2 magnets for snap-on chargers and accessories, and Google dropped Battery Share at the same time. Pixel 9 and earlier models that had it still do.
How fast is Samsung Wireless PowerShare?
Samsung rates it at about 4.5W on its recent Galaxy S models. That's fine for earbuds and a Galaxy Watch, and slow for anything bigger.