Add Wireless Charging to Your Galaxy S4 in 2 Minutes

BY GreenBot Staff

Published 21 Feb 2014

The worst part of using a smartphone is dealing with the damn battery! If you actually use your phone, it’ll be lucky to make it through the day. And we’re left plugging, unplugging, and plugging again. This is the bright promise of wireless charging. If you plug your phone in at the same place, like your home or office. You can just set your phone down on a little pad, which will top up the battery. The ever-popular Galaxy S4 isn’t equipped with wireless charging, it’s easy to add it. Seriously, if you can snap off the back cover, you can do this. It may take you longer to read about doing it than it does to perform the surgery. Just follow these simple steps.

1. Procure a Wireless Charging Receiver

Amazon is chock full of wireless charging receiver kits for the Galaxy S4. They range from about $10 to $40, maybe more if they come with a charging pad. Samsung is in bed with the Qi charging standard. Many compatible charging pads exist. With Nokia, Asus, HTC, Huawei, Motorola, and Sony supporting Qi, there are many great options.
You’ll want to pay attention to the thickness of the receiver you buy. I chose this model, it’s skinny and wouldn’t cause the rear case on my GS4 to bulge. Samsung sells an official upgrade integrated in a new plastic back for your phone, and adds a bit of thickness.

I chose a very thin receiver, so it wouldn’t cause a bulge.

2. Take Off the Cover

Turn off your phone, and remove the back cover. Just pry your fingernail in there and pull that sucker off.

3. Line Up the Receiver to the Little Holes

See these little holes here?

You’re going to line them up with the little metal prongs on the receiver, here.

4. Lay it Out Over the Battery

The receiver lays out flat down over the battery. It looks like this.

And another view. See how easy that was?

5. Put the Cover Back On

This is starting to get silly. You were all done back on step 3, and you know it. Your phone can now sit on any Qi wireless charger, and it’ll work. Honest! Just like the recent Nexus devices, HTC phones, and Nokia Lumia phones.