Universal Cell Phone Holder

Adjustable holder, ideal for any size mobile phone.

I had made a custom tripod mount for my iPhone 11 and used it a lot but when I upgraded to the iPhone 13, it wouldn't fit and I realized I should make something adjustable so I wouldn't have to keep redesigning it every time I get a new phone.

My original version had a tripod mount as part of the piece limiting it to that usage and this time I decided to make it so it can be attached to any kind of base I may need in the future making it even more versatile.

3d printer plus your favorite filament

CAD tool (I used Fusion 360)

Calipers

Ruler

Utility knife / Sandpaper (for trimming material around mating pieces)

Foam padding

Glue

I needed an adjustable part so I knew it needed to have two parts that could slide against each other to adjust the length between two holding points.

I then needed an idea for how to hold the two pieces in place once they were at the desired position.

I had an idea that I thought would work that would use one long piece as the main component with a channel inside it that a smaller pieces could easily slide along.

To secure them to each other to hold a phone tightly, I thought a bolt and nut would do the job.

I sketched my rough idea out on paper and used this as my guide to create my digital plans.

I wanted the part to be strong enough for everyday use so I designed it with plenty of material to keep it sturdy.

Design the parts using your favorite CAD tool. I use Fusion 360.

Create a new component in your drawing for each separate piece. This will let you export each piece as it's own STL file so you can choose to print them separately or all-together.

Start with the main piece with the overall dimensions and then add a channel wide enough for the sliding adjuster piece.

Leave a 0.25mm gap on all sides of the piece to allow for easy movement so the channel will be 0.5mm wider than the sliding adjuster.

Create another channel within the sliding channel to allow the bolt to fit through. Leave a 0.25mm gap on either side for this as well so the channel width is 0.5mm wider than the bolt width. I made the bolt 10mm wide from a 20mm diameter tube.

Add threads to the bolt using the thread tool in your CAD tool. You can extend the threads all the way to the base if you like but I prefer to have them be just long enough since they are not necessary inside the channel and I like the smoother fit I get without them inside the channel.

To allow the main piece to quickly and easily attach/detach from any type of base I need, I designed it with 45 degree flares on the bottom and made the corresponding holes on the tripod mounts.

Leave a 0.25mm gap between the empty space on the tripod mount and the main flares to allow for an easy fit. If you get this too tight, it may be very difficult to impossible to slide on and off. The 0.25mm gap allows for an easy install/removal and is still tight enough that it doesn't wobble.

To design the tripod mounts, I measured the original pieces with calipers and a ruler and first replicated as nearly as I could, the exact shapes of them and then added the additional piece I needed for attaching to the main piece on the top.

Print the parts on your 3D printer.

Depending on your settings, you may have some flash on the part where it was sitting on the bed.

Carefully, use a sharp utility knife to remove any flashing along the sliding edges of the parts.

Hold the knife flat to the body with the blade parallel and slide it away from you to remove the flashing.

Alternatively, you can use sandpaper.

You will likely need to use supports for the threaded parts. Carefully remove the support material taking care not to damage the threads. I used the default Fusion 360 settings for threads and didn't make any size adjustments to ensure a nice tight fit on the threaded parts which leaves them with almost no tolerance for damage to the threads.

Assemble the parts.

The adjuster fits into the channel on the main piece with the holding flange towards the top and the rounded edge to the bottom.

The bolt fits through the channel and the nut mates to the bolt.

The construction is very simple and goes together fast and easy.

The main piece then slides onto your choice of base. I have two tripods and I designed bases for each of them.

Cut and glue a piece of foam padding to the flat part of each holder flange. This will provide extra grip to hold the phone securely and it will also help prevent scratching.

Mount the assembled piece to your tripod and loosen the nut slightly to allow the adjuster to move freely.

Place your phone in the holder in the orientation you need, portrait, or landscape, lower the adjuster until it is snug then tighten the nut to secure it.

I verified the functionality with my small iPhone 8 and my large iPhone 13 and it holds both of them very well.

This design can accommodate devices from 65mm(~2.5") to 205mm(~8").