Alongside standard wireless charging, many of Samsung's phones also feature reverse wireless charging. It's called Wireless PowerShare, and it allows your Galaxy phone to wirelessly charge Bluetooth accessories and other smartphones that support Qi technology. Below is everything you need to know about Wireless PowerShare, how to use it, and the devices that support the feature.

Does your phone have Wireless PowerShare?

All the major Samsung flagships launched over the last few years feature Wireless PowerShare. This includes the following devices:

Do other Android phones feature Wireless PowerShare?

Many other flagship Android phones feature reverse wireless charging, such as the OnePlus 10 Pro and Google Pixel 6 Pro. The feature isn't called Wireless PowerShare on those devices as that's Samsung's specific brand name for its tech. Not all phones with wireless charging will necessarily support reverse wireless charging. You should check your phone's spec list for more details.

How to use Wireless PowerShare on Samsung phones

Using reverse wireless charging on your Samsung Galaxy phone is relatively straightforward.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Scroll down and select Battery and device care.
  3. Tap Battery.
  4. Select Wireless power sharing.
  5. Enable the option.
  6. Keep your Galaxy phone face down.
    • Place the Bluetooth accessory or smartphone in the center of the device.
    • You need to ensure that the charging coils of both devices align with each other for the wireless power transfer process to work.
    • If you face issues, remove the case from your phone and the device you need to charge and try aligning them again.

  7. The charging process will automatically start when the devices are correctly aligned.

An improper alignment can lead to the charging process not working at its total efficiency, so double-check the placement of the devices.

How fast is Wireless PowerShare?

Samsung's reverse wireless charging implementation can output 4.5W of power, though the power supplied to the device being charged will be lower since wireless charging does not have 100% efficiency. The power loss from your phone will not be proportional, either. For example, if your Galaxy phone loses 30% power during reverse wireless charging, the other device won't gain the same amount of battery power.

Wireless PowerShare will automatically stop when your phone's battery drops below a certain level.

Wireless PowerShare is not fast, though — ideally, you should use it to top up your earbuds, smartwatches, or other Bluetooth accessories that support Qi wireless charging. While it is possible to charge other phones, it will take a long time. The fastest way to charge your Galaxy phone or accessories remains over a wired connection. The 4.5W output is enough to charge your Galaxy Watch or wireless earbuds since even their bundled adapter supplies the same power. I frequently use my Galaxy S21 to wirelessly charge my Galaxy Watch4 when traveling — a full top-up takes around 2 hours. This way, I don't need to carry the Watch's charger with me.

With phones, though, it is a different story altogether. Despite reverse wireless charging an iPhone with my Galaxy S22 Ultra for nearly 1.5 hours, the former only gained about 38% battery. And this was enough to deplete the Ultra's battery from 92% to 31%.

You can use Wireless PowerShare while your Galaxy phone itself is charging, though it will top up at a slower pace.

Wireless PowerShare is a helpful feature to have when traveling, and you forget to carry your smartwatch's charger. It is only good for phones to give them some additional juice in case of an emergency — regularly using the feature is not practical or convenient.

Is Wireless PowerShare bad for your phone's battery?

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Yes and no. Using Wireless PowerShare generates a lot of heat, which causes wear to a device's battery. This means if you use it regularly, it could be bad for the lifespan of your phone's battery over a long time. Additionally, the unproportionate battery drain means it is not a practical feature that you can use daily to charge your smartwatch, wireless earbuds, or phone.

However, using it once in a while to top up the battery of your earbuds or smartwatch when you are traveling or in an emergency is not going to be a cause of concern.

Wireless PowerShare is a valuable feature to have as it allows you to top up your Bluetooth accessories using your Galaxy phone easily. This way, you can avoid always carrying their chargers with you. However, the limited power output and the unproportionate battery drain mean the feature is not ideal for charging smartphones or other devices with a big battery.