If you’re having problems charging your smartphone on your car’s wireless charging pad, you’re not the only one. It’s most likely NOT because your car’s wireless charging is broken nor due to a broken wireless charging capability in the phone. It’s HIGHLY likely that the problem is purely structural and cosmetic.

TOP 3 MUST-KNOW's when wirelessly charging your smartphone in your car.

#1 The Transmitter in the Pad and Receiver in the Phone Must Align

The Transmitter in the Car’s Wireless Charging Pad Must Align with the Receiver in the Smartphone.

A fundamental fact to keep in mind with most wireless charging pads in today’s market and the cellphone counterpart for which their meant, is that the transmitter in the pad must line up with the receiver in the cellphone.

The transmitter, a nickel-sized piece hidden beneath the wireless charging pad, sends electromagnetic waves for your smartphone to receive power. There is usually a circular-shaped, engraved mark on the center of the charging pad as shown in the above image. This needs to touch the phone where the receiver is inside the phone.

Most receivers are built-into the hardware (if your phone comes with wireless charging capability) at the center part of the back of your phone. This allows the phone to charge by the simple and convenient act of placing your phone on top of the pad (as long as they're touching or aligned.)

Source: Sandablogs.com

If the transmitter is not in alignment with the receiver of your smartphone, then this misalignment will be the cause of the cellphone NOT getting a charge. The transmitter needs to touch the receiver. Just like giving your friend a high five. If you give a high five to someone but miss their hand, this has become a high-five fail.

#2 One Size Does NOT Fit All

NOT all wireless charging pads are created equal and not all smartphones are created equal.

Most likely, your in-car wireless charging pad has a border. Some pads are wider, smaller, bigger or oddly shaped. DUE TO THIS STRUCTURAL AND COSMETIC ASPECT of the wireless charging pad, that is, being a certain shape and size, it may or may not accommodate your phone. Why? Because the transmitter in the wireless charging pad and the receiver in your phone must align, or be touching.

Source: Sandyblogs.com

Remember: not all smartphones have a built-in receiver for wireless charging. (Not all smartphones come with built-in wireless charging capability. The iPhone models prior to the iPhone 8 do not have them.)

Source: Sandyblogs.com

Since the smartphone’s receiver must be ‘touching’ that is, aligned with the transmitter in the wireless charging pad, the phone must be able to fit properly on the pad. If the transmitter is not reaching your phone’s receiver because your phone can’t properly fit, then we have a wireless charging fail.

#3 Simply Make Sure Your Phone Will Fit in Your Car's Wireless Charging Pad

And make sure your phone has wireless charging capability.

If not, you can get a case that enables it; like the Latitude. If you want to take advantage of this jazzy feature that's becoming more prevalent in the latest car models, make sure that your phone, whether it be an Android or iPhone, will fit in your car's wireless charging pad AND that the transmitter (marked in the center) properly aligns with your smartphone's receiver.