While we all wait for Apple to release its wireless charging-capable AirPods case, which is rumored to cost around $70, there are several solutions out there offering pricey cases for your AirPods that could easily be replicated for under $20. However, what most “cases” (which go for $30 or more) are doing is simply gluing a wireless Qi adapter to the cheap silicone case. You can do better, for less…
In this tutorial, we’ll be walking you through how to get your AirPods case to charge wirelessly for about $10, if you’re okay with sacrificing aesthetics.
How to wirelessly charge your AirPods case for about $10
- First, you’ll need to pick up a Lightning-based Qi adapter. You can find these for around $10 on Amazon. While there are a variety of options that vary based on charging speed, any will do as the AirPods case doesn’t support fast charging and it doesn’t require much juice to charge. Something like this will do the trick.
- Next, you’ll want to simply plug in the adapter via the AirPods Lightning port. Make sure the Qi adapter lies on the back of your AirPods case, otherwise you won’t be able to check the battery or open the case while charging. Keep in mind that this adapter will take up the Lightning port on your AirPods, so you’ll need to remove it if you ever want to charge it with a Lightning cable. But with the convenience of Qi, you’ll probably never want to remove it.
- That’s all there is to it! Simply place your Qi-enabled AirPods onto a wireless Qi mat, and your AirPods will begin to charge.
You can optionally buy a silicone case for your AirPods, and keep the Qi charger permanently attached. However, you’ll need to do some digging for a Qi adapter small enough that will fit on the backside of your AirPods case, as well as be willing to cut into the Qi adapter. We strongly recommend not cutting into the Qi adapter as it could damage the adapter and harm you. Do this at your own risk.
However, if you choose to proceed, you could really pull off a truly wireless AirPods experience with a cheap silicone case like this one, along with a Qi adapter glued to the back of the case. This would be much cheaper and doesn’t require a 6 month wait like this Kickstarter project.
But in my personal experience, I don’t mind plugging and unplugging the Qi adapter since I only charge my AirPods case every other week.
For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:
- How to easily change the color of individual folders in macOS [Video]
- How to find a lost iPhone even when it’s set to vibrate/silent
- How to protect your iPhone data with privacy controls built in to iOS 11
- How to check your iPhone’s warranty & repair coverage
- How to use Podcasts stations to play episode playlists like ‘daily news shows’ on HomePod
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