Android 15 seems to be adding support for wireless charging via NFC

Ben Schoon | Apr 15 2024 - 12:10 pm PT

Wireless charging is typically handled by the Qi standard, but it seems Android is adding overdue support for charging via NFC, but it’s unclear what it may be used for.

Back in 2020, the NFC standard added official support for limited wireless charging capabilities. This allows the NFC hardware already in your device to transmit power to other devices.

Now, Android 15 appears to be working on support for NFC wireless charging.

Code spotted by the folks over at Android Authority specifically calls out the addition of support for “NfcCharging.” This was found in Android 15 Beta 1, but is apparently not yet in AOSP. There is, however, recent talk of NFC charging in AOSP commits, so it’s clear Google is making an effort for this tech.

However, the thing about charging via NFC is that it only works at up to 1W of power. That’s a far cry from even the slowest Qi chargers. So, what could this functionality be used for?

Accessories seem like a key use case, such as with trackers, a stylus, and other smaller products that could be mounted to your device and use this particular form of charging. When this functionality was first announced, the WTC proposed it could be useful for “…smart watches, fitness trackers, wireless earbuds, digital pens, and other consumer devices.”

For now, though, it’s unclear how this will be used. Having it natively support in Android, though, is certainly good news.