I added MagSafe support to my Pixel 9 Pro because Google refused – here’s how

A lot of great things have happened in the world of phones this year, but there’s also one particular change that hasn’t happened. In fact, the new Qi2 wireless charging standard has completely failed to hit Android phones has left me unsatisfied – and it feels like Android phone makers are wasting the chance to adopt one of the best iPhone features of the last 5 years.

I’ve been less excited about the upgrades to wireless charging, which I already use quite sparingly. But I’ve been excited about the possibility of having MagSafe-compatible magnets on the back of Android phones. Because then I could use all the lovely MagSafe accessories which has been released in years since MagSafe arrived to iPhone 12.

Luckily, instead of feeling sorry for myself and moaning on the internet, I went out and got the next best thing. A phone case with a bootleg version of MagSafe on the back.

Faux MagSafe for the masses

google pixel 9 pro with a case that allows magsafe compatibility

(Image credit: Future)

Android users may be aware of cases that advertise that they offer MagSafe or are MagSafe compatible. They’re not new, and I can see them for phones dating back to 2020 — the same year MagSafe debuted. Honestly, there’s nothing particularly complicated about them, as they’re just phone cases with a ring of magnets inside. I just never got around to using one, both out of ignorance and the fact that I’ve been very particular about my phone cases.

My last phone was a Pixel 6 Prowhich has the unfortunate distinction of having a curved front display. I’ve never been able to get a screen protector to sit on a curved screen for more than a few weeks, and I have a general reluctance to let that screen sit bare and scratched into oblivion. So I have been one strong proponent of cases with built-in screen protectors for some time.

The number of cases with a bootleg MagSafe ring and a screen protector are few and far between. Fortunately, I recently switched to one Pixel 9 Prowho have a flat screen and who like to play well with a regular tempered glass screen protector. This means I can finally add a facsimile of MagSafe to my phone – no matter how rejecting Google wants to be of Qi2 technology. Actually, I’m pretty spoiled for choice cursory search on Amazon will tell.

I ended up bringing this up $22 case from Nillkin for three reasons. I liked the look of it, as it was black and had a gripping texture; it was not very bulky; and it had a 15% off coupon – saving me $3.30 off the sale price. There was no particular logic to it, and I’m sure countless other fake MagSafe cases are just as good for similar prices. But sometimes you just have to go with your gut.

Like MagSafe, but neither

google pixel 9 pro with a case that allows magsafe compatibility

Magnets, baby (Image credit: Future)

The first thing I did when I ordered the Nillkin magnetic case was to start shopping for MagSafe-friendly accessories. Starts with a MagSafe PopSocketsince I’m a big fan of PopSockets and wanted to continue using one. Unfortunately, the normal stick-on grips would get in the way of the magnetic ring, defeating the purpose of having a MagSafe-friendly case. So it was time to remove the glue for magnets.

It’s good that the grip can be pulled off and on when I feel like it – and without wearing down the glue in the process. This is useful when using things like phone stands, wireless chargers, and other accessories that might not be happy to have a pop-out grip in the way. The magnets are also quite strong, and you have to use a surprising amount of force to separate them.

The downside is that while this MagSafe case is ideal for clipping on magnetic accessories, it’s not so great for wireless charging. It doesn’t exactly prevent wireless charging, but when I put my case-clad phone on a Pixel Stand 2, it’s clear that it’s not charging very quickly.

Without the case, my Pixel 9 Pro says it takes about an hour to charge from 68% to 100% at maximum speed. And it can be charged on the Pixel Stand 2 without any problems. Having the case on changes things, and it’s clear that something is disrupting the electrical current. Charging keeps turning on and off randomly, and when the phone decides it’s capable of wireless charging, it claims it will reach 100% in 75-90 minutes.

That’s assuming it will keep charging that long, and as I sit here writing this, I haven’t seen the phone charge for more than 10 seconds at a time without disconnecting. Perhaps this is a problem specific to this particular case, and the material within. Or maybe it’s the fact that the Pixel Stand 2 wasn’t built for magnetic charging, and something about the case’s magnetic ring is getting in the way.

Thankfully, I’ve never been a big fan of wireless charging, just relying on it thanks to my old Pixel 6 Pro’s lackluster battery life. Considering how much better the battery is in the Pixel 9 Pro, I don’t have to rely on the Pixel Stand 2 to charge my battery in the middle of the day. It would be nice if the Nillkin case was a bit friendlier with wireless charging, as I could get a MagSafe charging stand while driving, but apparently it’s not meant to be.

Bottom line

I’m still pretty pissed off at Google to dismiss the Qi2 support so easily. I could get over the fact that the Pixel 9 series doesn’t have magnetic charging if we were given a sensible reason to leave it out, like the Qi2 standard was finalized too late to be included. What gets me is that Google simply dismissed Qi2 as having “no tangible benefits” – which is flat out not true. It’s actually the kind of apology you’d expect from OnePlus or Apple, not Google.

In the time since Google issued this apology, I’ve seen countless accessories that could be very beneficial for a Qi2 and MagSafe compatible phone. This includes magnetic wireless charging batteries, storage devices that stick to the back of your phone, wallets, phone stands, and faster wireless chargers. Since Google already discontinued the Pixel Stand 2, which was the only way to maximize wireless charging speed on the Pixel 9, being able to charge at 15W speeds on a regular Qi2 charger would have been a big help.

Hopefully, Android phone manufacturers will start using Qi2 in the next 12 months. The very first Qi2 Android phone is already on sale, from HMD of all people, and I’d like to see the big names follow suit. Here’s hoping Samsung sees the light with Samsung Galaxy S25and when I get rid of my Pixel 9 Pro, hopefully I won’t need a special case to use fancy magnetic accessories.

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I added MagSafe support to my Pixel 9 Pro because Google refused – here’s how

Kaneb

Kaneb

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