Galaxy S10: How to use, what you need to know about Wireless PowerShare
Samsung's latest phones can wirelessly charge your friend's iPhone.
When Samsung announced the Galaxy S10 lineup last month, the company also unveiled a new feature called Wireless PowerShare. The feature essentially turns your phone into a wireless charging pad that can charge another phone, smartwatch or set of earbuds.
It's a cool feature that may not be used all that often but has the potential to save the day before a long flight when your headphones are just about to die.
Compatible devices
Wireless PowerShare is currently available on the following Samsung phones :
- Galaxy S10E
- Galaxy S10
- Galaxy S10 Plus
We also know that Samsung's Galaxy Fold will also support the feature when it launches at the end of April.
Things to keep in mind
The Galaxy S10 needs to have a charge of 30 percent or higher for Wireless PowerShare to work. The feature is automatically disabled if you drop below that.
Wireless PowerShare charges at 4.5W at all times. Yes, it's fairly slow. But keep in mind that Samsung has to manage the heat created by wireless charging and there's a battery just underneath the charging coil.
The S10 will charge any Qi-compatible accessory or phone. All iPhone models, the most recent Pixel models and previous Samsung Galaxy phones are all Qi-compatible.
Wireless PowerShare can be used when the S10 is charging or completely wireless. So if you frequently travel and need to charge your smartwatch or headphones, you can plug the S10 in to charge, turn on Wireless PowerShare and then charge your watch while you sleep.
How to use
Wireless PowerShare doesn't have its own dedicated app. Heck, it doesn't even have its own settings pane in the Settings app.
It's straightforward to use: Swipe down from the top of the screen to view the Quick Settings pane and tap on the Wireless PowerShare button. A popup will show up on your screen, advising you how to best line up the S10 with whatever it'll be charging.
Flip your S10 over, screen down, on a flat surface and then place a phone or accessory on the back of your device. I've found that the middle of the S10+ is the best spot. Wireless PowerShare will disable itself after 30 seconds if it doesn't detect a device charging.