How to Remove a PopSocket

Done using your PopSocket? Removing it is quick and easy

By
Amanda Derrick
Amanda Derrick
Amanda Derrick
Freelance Contributor
  • University of Utah
  • Florida Tech
Amanda Derrick is a mechanical engineer, business strategist, and former Lifewire writer who has also written for USAF Civil Service, ATK, and Boeing.
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Updated on May 14, 2022
Reviewed by
Michael Barton Heine Jr
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Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr
Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
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What to Know

  • Collapse the sticky PopSocket so it's flat against your device.
  • Move your fingernail underneath and around the disc to pry it away from the device.
  • Carefully pull the PopSocket away from your device. Move it to a new device within 15 minutes.

This article explains how to remove a sticky PopSocket from your phone or other compatible device. It includes information on removing a MagSafe PopSocket, which is compatible with iPhone 12 and later.

How to Remove a Sticky PopSocket

PopSockets are great for holding a smartphone with one hand while you text with the other, but if you have a new case or upgrade your phone and want to keep your PopSocket, you need to remove it from your current device. Until iPhone 12 and its new magnetic back panel, all PopSockets were sticky and incompatible with Qi inductive chargers.

Removing a sticky PopSocket is simple. The adhesive gel that sticks it to your phone or case is reusable by design and leaves no residue behind. Here are the steps to remove the PopSocket:

  1. Collapse the PopSocket so that it's flat against your device.

  2. Pry the PopSocket away from the device. Move your fingernail, spudger, or another tool underneath and around the disk as you lift it.

    Having a hard time getting the PopSocket to come off? Slide dental floss under the adhesive to get it started. This is easier with a second pair of hands to help.

  3. Carefully pull the PopSocket away from the device until it releases.

    Using a PopSocket

    When moving a PopSocket to a new position, case, or different phone, do it within 15 minutes of removing the PopSocket so that the adhesive gel doesn't dry out.

  4. While the gel is sticky, move the PopSocket to another device or case or move it to a different spot on the current device.

If the gel on a PopSocket becomes dirty, wash it off with water and allow it to dry for 10 minutes before replacing it.

The phone is clean and PopSocket-free, leaving you ready to add a new case, slip that phone in your back pocket again, or put the PopSocket on your next device.

How to Remove a MagSafe PopSocket

The new MagSafe PopSocket that attaches to a ring of magnets on the back of the iPhone 12 and later doesn't impede wireless chargers.

Removing a MagSafe PopSocket is easier than removing the sticky type. Because it attaches to the phone case with magnets, it can be lifted and repositioned or removed entirely with almost no effort, whenever you want. The only downside is that the magnetic connection isn't as strong as the sticky connection.

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