Originally published at: Snap Grip Solves a Problem You May Not Have - TidBITS
MagSafe is an impressively flexible technology, as I found out while researching and testing products for “Going All in on MagSafe for the iPhone in the Office, Bedroom, and Car” (6 May 2024). One common use for MagSafe didn’t make it into that article, however: the MagSafe grip. Because the MagSafe magnets are super strong, companies have developed widgets that expand, flex, and rotate to create a more confident connection between your fingers and your phone. I have long been curious about these grips, but between the cost and uncertainty about whether I’d find it useful, it took me a while to try one: the Snap Grip from ohSnap, which I’ve been using since January 2026.
How the Snap Grip Works
Physically, the Snap Grip is a thin aluminum ring measuring just 3 millimeters thick, less than the iPhone’s camera bump, though that’s immaterial if you use it with a MagSafe case. The MagSafe magnets are in the ring, the inside of which contains a plastic base and rotating disc, connected by flexible, interlocking plastic struts.
The idea is that you attach the ring to the back of your iPhone magnetically, pop up the disc from its collapsed position, and insert one or two fingers into the struts to hold the iPhone securely, rotating the disc to your desired viewing position. The disc can also snap into one of two small protrusions at an angle to transform into a stand.
Here’s how each of those works:
- Two fingers: I find the two-finger grip the easiest to engage and most intuitive, with my index and middle fingers sandwiched between the disc and base on either side of the flexible struts.
- One finger: I don’t think I have particularly fat fingers, but getting my index finger in between the interlocking struts is a tight fit. Because of that, I don’t find myself using a single-finger grip. But it does work, and if your fingers are smaller than mine, you might prefer it.
- Stand: By angling the disc as far as it goes, you can tuck its edge under one of the protrusions, creating a triangle that holds the phone at an angle for hands-free viewing. I’m showing it in landscape orientation here, but it also works in portrait, though there’s more wobble when you touch the screen.
Usage Patterns
Even though I’ve been using the Snap Grip for 7 months, I’m writing about it only now because, frankly, it hasn’t become a significant part of how I use my iPhone. That’s not a criticism of its industrial design or manufacturing—it’s extremely cleverly designed, solidly made, and easy to use. It also meets its design goals successfully: it adds minimal bulk to the iPhone, works well with a MagSafe case, and doesn’t interfere with sliding the iPhone into a pocket. You can even use it to attach the iPhone to any magnet-compatible metal surface.
My main problem with the Snap Grip, it turns out, is that it doesn’t solve a problem that I have very often. I had thought the Snap Grip would be a helpful way to hold my iPhone while I’m using the Webscorer app to time races, since I have to hold it for up to a few hours at a time. In real-world use, however, I discovered that timing with Webscorer is largely a two-handed operation, since I need to tap in bib numbers on the keypad at the bottom of the screen and tap a time button at the top. That’s enough of a stretch for my thumb that I need to move my right hand while my left hand provides most of the support for the iPhone. I could have used the Snap Grip with my left hand, but it simply didn’t seem necessary.
At nearly all other times, I’m not holding my iPhone long enough to feel the need for additional grip security. Generally speaking, the iPhone lives in my right pocket. I extract it and immediately employ a four-fingered grip: my pinky under the bottom edge of the iPhone, the next three fingers splayed across the back, and my thumb hovering over the screen. The Snap Grip doesn’t get in the way of that approach, but opening it up and inserting my fingers requires two hands, so I never find myself doing it. (After I wrote this, my friend Paul Kafasis sent me a video showing how he could pop his Snap Grip open and insert his fingers using only one hand—now I have a challenge!)
Nor did I find it all that useful as a stand. I generally read a magazine or alt weekly newspaper at breakfast and lunch, and while I could read on my iPhone, I seldom do. If I used the iPhone more for reading at the table, the stand would be welcome.
The one place I have become fond of using the Snap Grip is when reading in bed at night. I read nearly all books in Libby on the iPhone because it’s handy and the line length is comfortably short. I can hold the iPhone without the Snap Grip, but keeping my hand in the same position for 30–45 minutes gets tiring. So the Snap Grip lives on the bedside table and every night, I attach it to the back of my iPhone, stick my fingers in, and read a book for a while. Having it attached to my hand is much more comfortable than having to cradle it carefully or exert any pressure to hold it. When it’s time for bed, I pop the Snap Grip off and attach the iPhone to the KUXIU X55 MagSafe charging stand. Although it does attach to the charging stand and appears to charge, ohSnap recommends temporarily removing it to charge wirelessly. I suspect that even if it’s charging, the extra material would reduce MagSafe’s already mediocre charging efficiency.
The other problem I have with the Snap Grip is that it doesn’t play super well with the Smartish Side Hustle wallet, which attaches to the company’s Gripmunk case via MagSafe. It actually connects quite well—the Snap Grip’s magnets are extremely strong—but it raises the Side Hustle wallet slightly above the Gripmunk case. It’s bulkier in my pocket, and there’s also a gap that makes it easier to knock the wallet off. I tried replacing the Snap Grip with the Side Hustle wallet every time I left the house, but then I often forgot to reattach the Snap Grip when I returned home, which annoyed me when I wanted to read in bed and had to go downstairs to retrieve it.
In short, I like the Snap Grip and don’t regret buying it, even though it hasn’t changed how I hold my iPhone except when reading in bed. The only better option I could imagine ohSnap offering would be a case that integrated the Snap Grip, so there’s no additional bump to get in the way of MagSafe chargers or wallets. The company does sell standard MagSafe cases, but none that integrate a flexible grip.
If you’re looking for something to help you hold your iPhone more securely, the Snap Grip is worth trying. There are various competitors I haven’t tested, but from what I can tell, similarly priced ones don’t offer anything more and lower-priced ones aren’t as good.
The Snap Grip retails for $39.99, but it’s currently on sale for $29.99. There are 20 color combinations, plus 13 flag designs in honor of the World Cup that retail for $44.99 but now cost $39.99.