I Turned a $3 Dollar Store Wireless Charger Into MagSafe for Just $1

I picked up a wireless charger from the dollar store for only $3, and honestly, it’s what you’d expect: cheap and kind of bad. The biggest issue? It doesn’t stick to the phone at all. Even the tiniest nudge disconnects it from charging.

On the other hand, Apple’s MagSafe chargers cost anywhere from $20 to $60. So I thought: what if I can make this $3 charger MagSafe for just an extra dollar? Spoiler: I did it. Here’s how.

Taking It Apart

First, I removed the bottom tabs on the charger. A quick unscrew later, and it popped right open. Inside was a simple wireless charging board. Seriously, it’s as basic as it gets just a coil, a small PCB, and some wiring.

Adding the Magnets

Here’s where the magic happens. I grabbed a ring magnet I got off AliExpress for about $0.25. These are the same type of magnets that MagSafe chargers use to snap securely onto the phone.

I positioned the magnet around the charging coil, making sure it lined up properly with the phone’s MagSafe area. Then, I reassembled everything and screwed the charger back together.

The Test

Moment of truth: I plugged it in, slapped it on the back of my iPhone, and… it worked perfectly. It charges and stays stuck to the phone just like a real MagSafe charger.

All in all, this little mod cost me less than $4 total, less than half the price of Apple’s cheapest MagSafe charger.

Final Thoughts

This might be my favorite dollar store mod yet. With one magnet and five minutes of work, I turned a cheap, frustrating wireless charger into a perfectly functional MagSafe alternative.

At this rate, Apple’s going to start selling “official magnets” for $19.99.

See you in the next article.