10 Handy Accessories For The Back Of Your Phone

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While there are smart ways you can reduce your screen time, and many of us probably should try to use our phones less, it's a hard habit to break. After all, we rely on our phones for more than mind-numbing mobile games and social media. We need our phones to stay in contact with friends and family, to navigate to unknown spots, and to stay informed on important local weather changes.

Whether you use your phone for only an hour or you're prone to binging an entire TV series in one day, there are multiple handy accessories for the back of your phone to make it more comfortable to use. You can use an adhesive wallet to eliminate the need for a separate, bulkier wallet, a kickstand to make watching content easier, a grip to make your phone more comfortable to hold, and so much more.

We've gathered nine helpful accessories for the back of your phone, all of which are pretty affordable ways to make your constant companion more ergonomic or practical.

One of the most common accessories you'll find for the back of your phone is a simple grip. Although there are countless brands to choose from nowadays, the company that started it all is PopSockets.

If you're used to having nothing, it may take a day or so to get used to a PopSocket being on your phone. However, once you get accustomed to it, you'll see why this simple grip quickly became so popular.

PopSockets help make holding your phone easier, whether you're scrolling through social media, reading an article, or catching up on a TV show. You can lift the PopSocket up when you're using your phone, and collapse it when you're finished. When the grip is fully extended, it also doubles as a convenient kickstand, perfect for hands-free video calls.

Aside from practical features, PopSockets are simply fun to collect. The newest PopSocket designs are easy to swap out, so you can change it every month, season, or whenever you feel like it. Plus, you can use PopSockets on more devices than just your phone.

Try out an adhesive wallet to add some practical use to your phone. Most people typically have their phone on them at all times throughout the day, so ensuring your cash and cards are with it just makes sense, unless you're prone to forgetting or misplacing your phone.

There are two possible options for adding a wallet to the back of your phone. You can find a standalone wallet that sticks with an adhesive, or you can search for a phone case with a built-in wallet if you don't want to deal with adhesive residue should you ever change your mind.

Most adhesive wallets or wallet phone cases typically offer two or three card slots for any type of card you carry, like a driver's license, insurance card, credit card, or debit card. You can also store some cash in one of the card slots, but multiple bills will add more bulk than a few thin cards. Being able to keep important cards with your phone without adding much extra height makes adhesive wallets like these one of the best phone accessories for runners or those who prefer not to carry a bag.

A magnetic grip takes the great benefits of a simple grip, like built-in kickstand functionality and improved handling, and adds a strong magnet for extra utility. Magnetic grips made by Ohsnap! are among the best alternative to PopSockets if you're not a fan of the brand for whatever reason.

The latest Snap Grip is incredibly thin with just 2.5 millimeters in height, offers multiple grip positions, and is made with aerospace-grade aluminum. Most importantly, it has strong magnets in the middle of the grip, which makes it incredibly easy to attach to a magnetic car mount or a magnetic stand next to your bed.

It's compatible with wireless and MagSafe charging, so you don't have to worry about removing the grip prior to slapping it on a charger. Ohsnap! sells its own car mounts, stands, wall mounts, and other accessories, but you can use the Snap Grip with any magnetic surface, like most refrigerators.

If your phone seems like it's constantly at 20% battery or less, it may be a smart idea to add a slim power bank accessory to the back of it. There are quite a few options available, but this Torras MiniMag power bank stands out to us as the best universal choice that'll work for both Android phones and iPhones.

The MiniMag power bank measures just 4 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches, nestling in perfectly under most phone's camera bump without adding too much height. It's compatible with MagSafe charging at 7.5W, other wireless charging at 15W, and wired charging at 22.5W via USB-C. With a 10,000 mAh capacity, this is a relatively budget-friendly phone accessory for travel or long commutes.

There's a temperature control inside to help prevent overheating, and it can reportedly be charged over 500 times without aging the battery and decreasing its capacity. The power bank attaches magnetically to iPhones with MagSafe tech or Android phones with a magnetic case, so you can tuck it away in a bag when you don't need the extra power.

For the minimalist who doesn't carry around a bag or deep pockets or simply wants easy access to their phone, a lanyard is an excellent accessory for the back of your phone. This is also an incredibly useful accessory for anyone who regularly shoots videos on their phone, as it can prevent drops when filming in high or otherwise precarious locations.

If you have a case for your phone, you can try out a traditional lanyard like this one from Cacoe. It comes with a sticky patch that goes on the inside of your phone case, with the lanyard tab sticking out below your phone's charging port. The tab is only 0.7 millimeters high, so it won't interfere with plugging in a cable to charge your phone. Then, you put your phone back in its case, hook the lanyard strap, and you're good to go.

Alternatively, this lanyard wrap from Kinizuxi works for phones with or without a case. It's made with a stretchy, durable silicone material that wraps around each of your phone's four corners to secure it, without blocking the charging port. In the center of the wrap on the back of your phone, there's a metal ring that can act as a phone grip or a kickstand.

A phone is one of the most useful places to stick an Apple AirTag, but there's not a built-in place to add an AirTag or hook a keychain. One of the easiest ways to add Apple's helpful AirTag tracking technology to your phone is with a case that features an AirTag holder.

Of course, you can also stick an AirTag directly to your phone, but opting for a phone case eliminates any sticky residue being left behind when you get a new phone and need to move the AirTag. Plus, phone cases with an AirTag holder often provide other helpful features, like a built-in wallet or kickstand.

You can opt for a full phone case, like this SkyEagle case constructed with synthetic leather, which features a magnetic, detachable RFID-blocking wallet with an AirTag holder inside that can also act as a kickstand. Or, there are a few magnetic options that you can attach to your phone without a case, like this ExtreLife magnetic wallet with a built-in AirTag holder.

Although a phone grip can double as a kickstand, some people don't want the added bulk that comes with many grips, like PopSockets. If you don't care about making it easier or more comfortable to hold your phone when using it, but you want a kickstand to prop up your phone for video calls or watching content, there are standalone kickstand accessories for the back of your phone.

For example, this basic kickstand from ESR takes up very little room with just about 4 millimeters of height and works with any smartphone. It's recommended to use this kickstand on a phone case, and not directly on your smartphone, but it won't interfere with wireless charging, including MagSafe charging. You can adjust your phone's position on the kickstand up to 60 degrees.

Another option is this finger kickstand that can actually lift your phone off a surface when in use and swivel to multiple different angles. It's made with a zinc alloy and stainless steel, features a strong magnet that lets you quickly attach it to a magnetic car mount or phone stand, and needs to be used with a phone case. It does interfere with wireless charging, so you'll need to take your phone case off first in order to charge wirelessly.

If you like the functionality of PopSockets and other phone grips, but don't want to add the extra height to your phone, a simple strap may be a better option for you. This affordable strap by LoveHandle is one of the popular, reliable options you can find right now, with over 20,000 total reviews on Amazon.

You can stick the LoveHandle strap to your phone anywhere with the included 3M adhesive that's supposedly removable without leaving any residue behind. The strap measures only 2.6 x 0.9 x 0.1 inches, so you'll barely notice it's there when sliding your phone into a pants pocket. It only takes about 2 minutes to affix the strap, and then it's ready to help you hold your phone while texting, scrolling social media, watching content, and more.

There are multiple unique, colorful designs to choose from if plain black isn't your vibe, and they all feature the same easy installation process and durability. The company also offers LoveHandle Pro straps that are MagSafe compatible and also come with a kickstand feature.

One of the best ways to protect your smartphone without a bulky case is by getting a skin instead. With a skin, you gain scratch protection and potentially improved grip if you opt for a textured skin without adding much weight or height to your phone.

There are multiple companies to choose from, but one of the most reputable skin brands available is dbrand. This company offers skins for a lot more devices than just smartphones, including tablets, game consoles, and laptops, and hundreds of designs to browse through. Or, you can even customize your own unique phone skin.

Installing any skin for your phone for the first time comes with a bit of a learning curve, but dbrand tries to make the process as easy as possible. To help make sure your skin installation is successful, watch a few tutorials prior to getting started to gather helpful tips.

In the future, if you ever want to swap to a different skin, you won't have to worry about cleaning away sticky residue. The company promises that zero residue will be left behind when you remove a skin from your phone.