Phone Kickstand Types: Magnetic, Adhesive and What to Check Before You Buy

A phone kickstand that you add to the back of a phone or case attaches in one of two main ways: by magnets or by adhesive. Which one suits you depends on what is already on the back of your phone. This guide sorts the kickstands we stock by how they attach, shows which way each one props the phone, and lists what to check before you buy.

We sell phone kickstands, so read this as a shop’s notes on its own listings plus what buyers ask online.

Start with how it attaches

Turn your phone over. A magnetic kickstand needs a magnetic ring to hold to, either in the phone or in the case. An adhesive kickstand sticks to the back of the phone or case and stays there.

People search for the same thing as a kickstand for a phone, a MagSafe kickstand or a magnetic phone kickstand. Kickstands that look alike in a photo can attach in different ways, so read the attachment line on the listing before anything else.

Magnetic kickstands

A magnetic kickstand snaps onto the ring and lifts off again. We stock two shapes.

The ring type. Our listing for the Orange Magnetic Ring Phone Kickstand says it combines a circular ring base, a hinged open loop and a textured center strap. If you want a phone kickstand ring, our phone ring holder guide covers where a ring should sit on the back of the phone.

The disc type. Our listing for the Rose-Gold Hinged Mirror-Disc Magnetic Phone Kickstand says the disc folds outward to support a phone in portrait and landscape. The same listing says magnetic attachment requires a compatible phone or case, or an appropriate adapter. It also describes the kickstand as a passive support with no charging function, so plan your charging separately.

The magnets do not have to be in the phone. One commenter on Reddit said they moved an old magnetic kickout grip onto a tablet case that has a magnetic ring on the back, although the tablet itself has no built-in magnets, and that it works surprisingly well. That is one person’s report about another brand’s product. It shows why the case matters as much as the phone. Our magnetic phone grip guide explains how to check a case for a ring.

Adhesive kickstands

An adhesive phone kickstand suits a phone or case that has no magnetic ring. Our listing for the Pink Openwork Butterfly Folding Phone Kickstand describes adhesive attachment and says to check the installation instructions, case surface and device fit before use.

An adhesive kickstand stays where you put it, so choose the spot with care. Pick a flat, smooth area on the back of the case, clean it first, and hold the kickstand in place to see where your fingers and the camera sit before you press it down.

Kickstands for landscape viewing

Some kickstands are built around one viewing direction. Our listing for the Rose-Pink Three-Panel Phone-Back Kickstand shows its hinged construction supporting a landscape phone. If you mostly watch video with the phone on its side, a landscape kickstand does the job. If you also want the phone upright for calls or recipes, choose one that is shown both ways.

What buyers ask before choosing

Three questions from Reddit set out what people want from a kickstand. Each is one person’s post about another brand’s product.

• Both directions, and a finish that lasts. One buyer wrote that they wanted something to prop the phone up horizontally and vertically, and that their ring kickstand serves that purpose. The same buyer wrote that they bought it less than six months earlier and that the paint on it is flaking. Look at the finish in the listing photos as closely as you look at the shape.
• Any case. One owner asked whether any decent MagSafe kickstands could go on the back of any case. The answer depends on the case: a magnetic kickstand needs a ring in the case or the phone, and an adhesive one does not.
• Folding phones. One folding-phone owner asked whether any MagSafe stand will hold their phone in landscape and portrait without wobble when the inner screen is open on a desk. If you own a folding phone, test the kickstand over a soft surface with the screen open before you rely on it.

Check before you buy

Work through these in order.

1. Look at the back of your phone or case. A magnetic ring means a magnetic kickstand can snap on. No ring means an adhesive kickstand, or a case that has a ring.
2. Decide which way you prop the phone. Choose portrait, landscape or both, then check that the listing shows the direction you use.
3. Look at the finish and the hinge. Zoom in on the photos. The hinge is the part you will open every day.
4. Think about what else goes on the back. A magnetic kickstand lifts off when you want the back clear. An adhesive one stays on.
5. Test it when it arrives. Prop the phone over a bed or a sofa first, in each direction you plan to use.

Quick answers

Will a magnetic kickstand work on any case?

It needs a magnetic ring in the case or in the phone under it. If yours has neither, choose an adhesive kickstand or a case with a ring.

Can a phone kickstand hold the phone in portrait and landscape?

Some are shown both ways and some are shown one way. Check the listing photos for the direction you use most.

Is an adhesive or a magnetic phone kickstand better?

It depends on your phone and case. Magnetic suits a phone or case with a ring and comes off when you want. Adhesive suits a plain case and stays put.

Where to go next

Browse all phone kickstands or the magnetic kickstands.