Meshtastic MagSafe Case

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Mostly Builds

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The Case Build

I recently built a MagSafe case for a RAK Wireless board running Meshtastic. It uses an integrated magnet array to attach to the back of a compatible phone.

If you aren’t familiar with Meshtastic, it’s a peer-to-peer wireless project that lets devices join a local mesh network. I won’t go into detail here, but it allows you to hop messages across the mesh to reach devices that would otherwise be too far away. Check out meshtastic.org for more details.

Here is my in-depth MagSafe case build video that covers everything you need to know to make this case:

3D Models

I copied an existing design for this case and added several features that were important to me. Just wanted to call that out to give credit to the original author — really nice work!

You can download my design here.

MagSafe?

If you’ve been living under a rock, MagSafe is Apple’s magnetic “snap-on” system that lets accessories and chargers attach to the back of an iPhone. Other non-Apple devices also support similar magnet-based mechanisms and can be compatible with certain mounts.

My MagSafe Meshtastic case doesn’t support charging, but it uses an internal magnet array(Amazon) to attach to the back of my iPhone 14. This might sound complicated, but you can buy pre-made magnet arrays that drop directly into a project to make it MagSafe-compatible.

Note that the magnet array has adhesive on both sides. To avoid exposing the stickiness inside the case, I 3D-printed a thin cover for it.

The case is quite thin where the magnet array sits, to keep the magnets as close as possible to the phone on the other side. The first time I printed this, I wasn’t careful removing the part from the heated bed and it cracked in that area. On the second try, I sprayed a light layer of hair spray on the bed as a release agent—worked like a charm.

Electronics

The case is built around the RAK Wireless Mini Meshtastic Starter Kit(Amazon), which includes:

  • RAK19003 base board
  • RAK4631 WisBlock core module
    • Includes the RAK4630 pre-soldered
  • Antennas and mounting related parts

Finding a LiPo battery that fit the available space in the case was a little tricky, but I found an 1800mAh battery(Amazon) that fits well.

WARNING: I had to swap the positive/negative wires in the battery connector to match the polarity of the RAK board. Refer to the product documentation (or this convenient guide) to confirm polarity before powering anything.

Rather than connecting the battery directly to the RAK board, I made a small wire harness that feeds an inline switch so I can disconnect the battery without opening the case. Just make sure the switch is ON when charging the battery.

As for antennas, I’m only using the Bluetooth PCB antenna that came with the RAK kit. For the LoRa radio, I opted for a third-party 915 MHz antenna(Amazon) instead of the 915 MHz SMA or PCB antennas included with the kit. The included antennas work, but they aren’t especially efficient.

Parts

Here is a complete parts list for this build:

Tools

Final Thoughts

This was a super fun build—simple, accessible parts with just the right amount of complexity for a satisfying weekend project. Messing around with the MagSafe magnet array was new and interesting, and might spark ideas for future projects.

The case blends in with my phone and has great ergonomics thanks to the curved edges. The power switch is a welcome addition and gives me solid control over battery usage. As for battery life, the nRF chip on the RAK board is significantly more power-efficient than common ESP32-based boards.

In terms of weaknesses, the case adds a non-trivial amount of weight to the phone. It’s not super practical to keep attached all the time, but it also works well as a standalone unit—especially if you can stick it to something metal. A future upgrade might be a small kickstand so it can sit on a flat surface with the antenna pointing up.

Even with its shortcomings, this case is awesome and earns some certified nerd cred—if that’s what you’re going for.

Follow me on YouTube @MostlyBuilds and comment on the video if you’d like to see more videos on Meshtastic.

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