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The iPhone isn’t a cheap bit of kit, but there’s no reason you can’t save a bit of money on the accessories. Sometimes spending just a little bit of money can seriously improve your day-to-day usage.
While a good case is a worthwhile investment for protecting your iPhone, there are plenty of cheap accessories out there that provide meaningful benefits without breaking the bank. Here are a few of our favorites.
Adam Davidson / How-To Geek
Near-field communication, or NFC for short, is a wireless communication protocol that works over short distances. If you use a smart lock to unlock your home using your phone, or you frequent a gym that has a contactless entry system, you’re probably already using NFC on a daily basis. But the technology has far more uses than these.
NFC tags are small, disposable stickers or cards that you can use to trigger various actions. For example, you can write data to them that others can read, like text, URLs, addresses, network credentials, and more. To do this, take a blank tag and use a free app like NFC Tools to write the record to the tag. Each tag can only be written to once.
Adding Wi-Fi credentials to a tag that guests can just scan and sticking it in the spare room can be a game changer.
You can also use the Shortcuts app to create automations that react to NFC tags. For example, launch Shortcuts, tap the Automations tab, add a new automation, and then choose “NFC.” Hit “Scan” to scan your tag, then choose what happens. You might want to put one in the car to play your favorite playlist, run a specific Shortcut in the kitchen, perform app actions like logging water intake, make a call, set a timer for laundry, and so on. You can even use them to stop yourself overwatering your plants!
Use NFC tags to trigger an automation that logs when you’ve watered a plant.
NFC tags are one of the cheapest accessories you can buy. You can get 50 of them on Amazon for around $15, and then stick them basically anywhere.
8
A 3D-Printed Stand
Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek
Your iPhone comes with StandBy mode, which effectively turns it into an alarm clock with a few more bells and whistles. Along with the time, you can display your schedule, reminders, photos, and widgets that plug into your favorite apps. Paired with the always-on display on the iPhone 14 Pro, 15 Pro, and 16 Pro, StandBy can be a truly useful feature.
Unfortunately, you’ll need some way of propping your iPhone up to use it. That’s where stands come in. If you have a 3D printer (or know someone who has, or have access to one at your local library), you can print some amazing iPhone stands yourself for a few cents’ worth of raw materials. Most of these even have space for a charging puck, so you can charge wirelessly.
A little plastic here, a MagSafe charger there, and you have a great iPhone stand.
7
A MagSafe Ring Stand or PopSocket
If you have a larger iPhone Plus or Pro Max model (and even if you don’t), you might find that holding on to your phone can be a struggle at times. With the wonders of MagSafe, you can add some much-needed security in the form of a ring stand or PopSocket-style grip.
I prefer the ring stands since they allow you to prop your iPhone up at an angle, perfect for watching videos or even taking video calls in portrait mode. Since they’re magnetically attached, you can adjust the angle at which they connect to your iPhone to suit the orientation you want. When not in use, they collapse. You can also easily remove them without fiddling with your case.
Ring holders can be found for around $15 on Amazon. While PopSockets are a name brand and demand a bit more of a premium, they still only cost around $20 for a basic design. These don’t support standing your iPhone up, but they arguably provide a better grip (and they’re just as easy to remove). Look harder and you’ll find plenty of cheaper knock-offs, too.
6
A Fast Charger
Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek
If you’re still limping by with a crusty old 5W charger, it’s time to treat yourself to a fast charger. Though these once demanded a premium, they’ve dropped in price significantly since basically all new phones now support the feature. You can find foldable travel-friendly 30W chargers from brands like Anker for less than $20 now.
If you have an iPhone 16 or later, your device supports up to 45W wired charging. For older phones, a 30W charger will do. You can either buy a single USB-C output charger for cheap, or you can spend a bit more and buy one that’ll charge all of your devices at once for a bit more money. Though this is the pricier way of doing it, it’s still relatively cost-effective when you consider the price of replacing every other charger you have.
I’ve got a UGREEN Nexode 100W four-port charger next to my bed, which primarily charges my Steam Deck but pulls triple-duty for my iPhone and Apple Watch when I’m traveling.
5
A Super-Long Charging Cable
Jason Montoya / How-To Geek
The charging cable that came with your iPhone is long enough to charge your phone on a desk or nightstand, but not much else. Sometimes you just want to doomscroll on the sofa in peace, only to find that you’re unable to do so because you’re desperately low on battery.
The solution here is to buy a super-long charging cable. Thanks to the iPhone’s full transition to USB-C, you can find these dirt cheap. Even brands like Anker have nylon 10 ft (3m) cables for less than $10, which are rated for up to 100W, so they’ll still fast-charge your iPhone.
4
A Wireless Charger
Tim Rattray / How-To Geek
Wireless charging has been a feature of every iPhone since the iPhone 8. That means you almost certainly own an iPhone that can be charged wirelessly. While it doesn’t sound like that big of a deal, wireless charging is one of those modern conveniences that you never realize you needed until you try it out for yourself.
Apple is now all-in on Qi2 charging, with the iPhone 16 supporting an impressive 25W fast charging with a Qi2-certified charger that’s paired with a 30W adapter or better. If you have an iPhone 13, 14, or 15 (including Pro models), you can make use of up to 15W wireless charging with a Qi2-certified charger and a 20W adapter.
Your best choice for 25W wireless fast charging is Apple’s $40 MagSafe charger. It’s not exactly cheap, so if you’re happy to take the hit and settle for 15W instead you can have something like the Anker Zolo 15W puck for less. The magnetic coupling makes these convenient for use on a desk or nightstand, or in the car.
3
Wireless CarPlay Adapter
Apple
CarPlay is awesome, I use it every time I get in the car. The only problem is that my vehicle only has wired CarPlay so I have to attach the phone manually every time. Sometimes I forget, and it’s a scramble at the lights to get the iPhone connected so I can listen to music or a podcast.
Wireless CarPlay adapters take a wired CarPlay connection and make everything work without needing to plug your iPhone in. You’ll need a vehicle or entertainment unit that already supports CarPlay for this to work (these don’t magically add CarPlay to vehicles), after which you’ll be able to use all the CarPlay features you love while leaving your phone in your pocket.
They’re great when paired with wireless chargers, so you can drop your iPhone into a MagSafe charging cradle at the same time. Expect to pay around $40 for the convenience.
2
MagSafe Battery Pack
Andrew Martonik / How-To Geek
If you don’t have it, MagSafe might be the best reason to upgrade your iPhone. Not to be confused with the magnetic chargers that first appeared on MacBooks (which went away for a few years, then came back again), MagSafe on the iPhone is more than just a wireless charging protocol; it also allows your devices to communicate with one another.
Despite this, MagSafe’s best use case scenarios usually involve charging. One of the best examples of this is the MagSafe charger, which allows you to essentially expand the size of your iPhone’s internal battery by literally slapping a power bank on the back.
You don’t need to plug in any wires or put your iPhone into one of those oversized charging cases that were once all the rage. Firm magnets hold the battery pack in place, until you decide it’s time to take it off and embrace your iPhone’s slim form factor once more.
While MagSafe accessories used to be expensive, the technology has matured, and now even these chargers are cheap. You can buy an Anker MagGo 622 5,000mAh power bank for around $45 (and there are plenty of even cheaper alternatives on the market).
1
AirTag
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
Apple’s AirTags let you track and find items, and they pair perfectly with an iPhone. In fact, you need an iPhone in order to use AirTags since you have to pair the tag by scanning it with the Find My app. You’re then free to name and label it, then attach it to an item that you’re prone to losing or want to track.
I’ve got one on my keys and one on each of our cats. While I rarely lose my keys, the cats are always hiding in weird places, so it’s nice to be able to play a sound and track them down. The AirTags are a cheap insurance policy against runaways. Though tracking in real-time isn’t what they do best, they can at least significantly narrow down a search for any items (or felines) you’re trying to find.
You can buy a single AirTag for $30 or less or a four-pack for around $100. You can often find the four-pack on sale for around $80, and at $20 apiece, that makes them individually cheap considering how useful they are. You can also use them to trigger actions just like NFC tags using Apple’s Shortcuts app.
