How To Transfer Power From One Phone To Another?

Your phone is at one percent and you still need to make a call. The person next to you has a full battery. You might be able to borrow some of their power directly — no cable, no wall outlet, no charging case required. This is called reverse wireless charging, and it is a built-in feature on many newer phones. It lets one device act as a power bank for another. The process is simple, but it has real limits you should understand before you rely on it.

What Is Reverse Wireless Charging?

Reverse wireless charging uses the same technology as a standard wireless charging pad, but in reverse. Normally, your phone receives power through its back panel. With reverse wireless charging, your phone sends power out through that same panel to another device placed on top of it.

The feature is also called power sharing, battery share, or wireless power share, depending on the brand. It works on many recent flagship phones from Samsung, Apple, Google, and Huawei. Mid-range phones rarely include it. If you are unsure whether your phone has it, check the battery settings or the manufacturer’s support page.

The technical name is Qi reverse charging. Qi is the standard for wireless power transfer. The phone that shares power becomes the transmitter. The phone that receives power becomes the receiver. The two devices communicate through the Qi protocol to negotiate how much power flows.

How To Transfer Power From One Phone To Another

The steps are nearly identical across brands. Enable the feature on the phone that has battery to spare. Then place the other phone on its back. The receiving phone should be centered on the back panel, roughly where the wireless charging coil sits. On most phones, this is near the middle or upper-middle of the device.

Here is the general process:

• Open the battery settings on the phone with the fuller charge.
• Turn on the reverse wireless charging toggle. On iPhones it is called “Battery Share.” On Samsung Galaxy phones it is “Wireless PowerShare.” On Google Pixel phones it is “Battery Share.”
• Place the receiving phone face-up on the back of the charging phone. Remove any case if charging stalls.
• Wait for the confirmation. Most phones show a notification or a charging icon on the receiving device.
• Keep the phones still. Movement interrupts the connection.

You can also charge earbuds, smartwatches, and other Qi-compatible accessories this way. The same feature that charges a phone will charge a pair of wireless earbuds.

How Fast Is Phone-To-Phone Charging?

Reverse wireless charging is slow. It is not a replacement for a wall charger. Typical output is between 4.5 and 10 watts, depending on the phone model. Wired charging on the same devices usually delivers 25 to 65 watts or more. That means transferring power phone-to-phone takes roughly three to five times longer than plugging into a wall outlet.

For context, a 10-watt reverse charge might add about 10 to 15 percent battery to another phone in 30 minutes, assuming ideal conditions. Real-world results are often worse. The charging phone loses power too, because wireless transfer is inefficient. Some energy is always lost as heat.

The practical takeaway: use reverse charging for emergencies, not for a full recharge. It is best for getting a friend’s phone from one percent to enough for a short call or a ride-share pickup.

What It Costs The Charging Phone

The phone that shares power drains its own battery. The transfer is not free energy. The charging phone typically loses more battery than the receiving phone gains. This is due to energy lost as heat during wireless conversion.

For example, if your phone sends 500 mAh to another phone, your own battery may drop by 700 to 800 mAh. The exact ratio depends on the devices, the battery temperature, and the cases involved. This inefficiency is normal and expected.

Heat is the other cost. Both phones warm up during the transfer. This is harmless for short sessions. Extended charging in a hot car or in direct sunlight can push temperatures higher than ideal. If either phone gets noticeably hot, stop the transfer and let them cool down.

Does It Work With All Phones?

No. Both phones need to support the feature. The charging phone must have reverse wireless charging hardware. The receiving phone must support standard Qi wireless charging. Most modern phones from major brands support Qi receiving. Fewer support reverse charging.

If the receiving phone does not support Qi wireless charging, it cannot receive power this way. Older iPhones before the iPhone 8, older Samsung Galaxy models, and most budget Android phones lack wireless charging coils entirely. You cannot add the hardware with software.

Some brands restrict reverse charging to their own devices. Samsung’s Wireless PowerShare works with any Qi-certified device, but some features are optimized for Samsung products. Apple’s Battery Share works with Qi devices, including Android phones, as long as the receiving device supports Qi. Google’s Battery Share similarly works with Qi-certified devices.

Is It Safe For Your Phone Battery?

Reverse wireless charging is safe when used occasionally. The feature is designed and tested by manufacturers. It will not damage your phone under normal use. The phones communicate to prevent overcurrent and overheating.

That said, it is not ideal as a daily charging method. The inefficiency means more charge cycles are effectively consumed for the same amount of received power. Over months of heavy use, this could contribute to faster battery aging on the charging phone. For occasional emergency use, the impact is negligible.

One important note: do not use reverse wireless charging while the charging phone itself is plugged into a wall charger. Some phones allow this, but it generates extra heat. If you must charge both phones at once, use a power bank or two wall adapters instead.

What If Your Phone Does Not Support It?

If neither phone has reverse wireless charging, you still have options. A USB-C to USB-C cable can transfer power between two phones directly. Many modern phones support USB Power Delivery over their USB-C ports. Plug one phone into the other with a cable, and the phone with more battery will charge the other.

This method is faster than wireless in most cases. It works with almost any phone that has a USB-C port, regardless of wireless charging support. The main caveat is that not all phones automatically enable this. You may need to go into the charging phone’s settings and select “USB tethering” or “Charge connected device” if prompted.

For older phones with micro-USB ports, cable-based power sharing is not supported in most cases. A portable power bank is the more reliable option there. Power banks are inexpensive, fast, and do not drain your phone to help another.