There have been many questions about how to charge the Apple Watch without the magnetic charger. People are concerned that they may lose the charger, or that it may not be included with the purchase of the watch. And some of us always look for alternatives as a backup saves us in time of trouble.
An engineer recently introduced a USB charging dock in the iPhone, and people were taken by surprise. This led many to believe that we can apply DIY hacks to the Apple Watch which charges wirelessly.
Almost all the models of the Apple Watch are charged by a proprietary magnetic charging dock or charging cable. There is simply no way around it.
What adds to the confusion is the secret pinhole that was introduced in the Apple Watch Series 2. The watch can be charged using a hidden 6-pin port on the side of the device. This charging method was not approved by the company, and yet, there were companies like ‘Reserve Strap’ that designed a watch strap to take advantage of this pinhole.
All you have to do is to remove the bottom strap of the watch and then attach the one by Reserve Strap. This way the Apple Watch can be charged wirelessly, and you won’t have to remove the watch without charging.
Unfortunately, this happiness was short-lived. It removed the port in the latest editions of the smartwatches. Reserve Strap still works for the old Apple Watch Series 2.
The latest Apple Watch models have no such secret pins as it runs counter to the theme of Apple’s end-to-end control on its devices. So the only way left is the magnetic charging dock or Apple Magnetic Charging Dock. Without it, you can’t do anything with the depleted battery on your Apple Watch.
So, if you are thinking about charging the Apple watch with any wireless charging dock or mat or any other way, keep in mind that Apple Watch doesn’t support the Qi charging standard.
Can you use any wireless charger for Apple Watch?
You can’t use any random magnetic charger to charge your Apple watch. Use the company’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM) charger whenever possible. To charge your Apple Watch, use the Apple Magnetic Charging Cable or the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock. Alternatively, you can use the MagSafe Duo Charger to charge the watch.
Conclusion:
So far, there is no possible way to charge the Apple Watch without its magnetic charger. The accessory is essential to the function of how it works and how you use it on a daily basis. Maybe in the future, the Cupertino-based company will open the watch to other charging methods, but for now, this is all we have. Be sure to always keep the charger handy, especially when you’re on the go.
Kevin is a Tech journalist for over a decade. He writes on Wearables, Headphones, and Laptops. When he is not glued to his laptop, You will find him working on exciting projects that include Unboxing new Gadgets, comparing them, and tweaking their hardware.