Can your phone case weaken cell reception? What you need to know.

Key Takeaways

• Case material is crucial: Phone cases made of non-conductive materials like plastic, silicone have minimal impact on cell reception.
• Metal cases disrupt signals: Cases made with conductive materials like metal can worsen or block cell signals, affecting Wi-Fi & Bluetooth.
• Rugged cases are cell-friendly: Most rugged cases made of plastic don’t disrupt cell reception, even with metal elements like Supcase cases.

Phone cases are a must-have accessory for many of us. Here at Pocketnow we recommend you invest in a case to protect your device, whether you have a Pixel 8 Pro, iPhone 15, or any other model, as they offer protection against scratches and accidental drops. But there’s a common question on people’s minds: do phone cases impact our device’s performance, especially when it comes to heating up or affecting cell reception? While the former is a topic for another day, today we’re diving into whether cases really affect our phone’s signal strength.

First off, it’s essential to understand the science behind cell reception. Our smartphones receive signals from nearby towers to make calls, send texts, and for mobile data to access the internet. Now, since these signals travel in the form of radio waves, they can be affected by various factors, including distance from the tower, your surroundings that can cause interference, and yes, even the materials surrounding your device. These materials fall into two categories: conductive and non-conductive, and they play a role in how our cases affect cell reception.

It depends on the material of the case you pick

Phone cases made out of non-conductive materials, such as plastic, leather, and silicone, have minimal impact on cell reception. These materials do not interact with radio waves, so the overall impact on cell signals is virtually zero. However, phone cases made with conductive materials, like metal, can interfere with cell reception. These are the type of cases you should avoid, as metal can worsen or even block signals — not only cell signals, but it can also affect Wi-Fi performance and Bluetooth as well.

Now, you might wonder why our phones, often made with metal, don’t have reception issues without cases. That’s because they’re designed with antenna lines made of non-conductive materials, like plastic, to ensure signal reception isn’t affected. Look carefully on the side of your iPhone, and you’ll find antenna lines all around your device. But when a case covers these lines, especially with metal, it can mess with reception. On the other hand, cases made with non-conductive materials do not have any effect.

This article was produced in partnership with
Supcase
, but its contents were not shown to the company beforehand. All content is written independently and meets Pocketnow’s stringent editorial standards.

Rugged cases are totally safe

Now, some people worry that heavy-duty cases, like rugged ones, can affect the cell reception of the phone because of their thickness and bulkiness. However, this isn’t the case and rugged cases generally don’t disrupt reception. Most rugged cases are made from plastic and other non-conductive materials, so they won’t disrupt your signal — unless there are some metal bits in there, in which case, you’d want to avoid them.

Consider the Supcase Unicorn Beetle Pro, a case series we have often recommended. It is equipped with features like metal ring holders or belt clips. Despite having these additional features, these metal bits don’t disrupt signals. These metal elements don’t cover the entire case surface, allowing signals to pass through. Even their Defender series cases, which are made with chrome and copper, offer full cellular connectivity without compromising on protection.

However, not all rugged cases are reliable though, so here are some trusted case makers that ensure you get the best performance and signal strength while using their cases:

• 

  Supcase

  Promoted Pick

  In partnership with Supcase

  Supcase offers some of the most durable and affordable cases for iPhone, Samsung, and Google Pixel on the market. Check out their impressive range of rugged cases using the link below!

• 

  Spigen

  Alongside one of the best rugged cases, Spigen also offers a wide range of slim and thin cases almost all brands. Check out their store using the links given below!

• 

  CASETiFY

  If you’re searching for cases that provide the durability and protection of rugged cases while still being visually appealing, be sure to explore Casetify’s collection of cases.

Still facing issues?

If you’re not using a metal case or a case from a lesser-known brand, and are facing cellular connectivity problems on your smartphone, there might be some other issue with your smartphone. Of course, you can remove the case and check the signal strength, but if that doesn’t help, you might need to troubleshoot and identify why the signal strength is weak. Resetting the network settings on your iPhone often does the trick, but there are other methods to improve connectivity. However, the bottom line remains the same — when it comes to phone cases and signal strength, it’s a case-by-case basis (pun totally intended).