7 Reasons Your Charger Isn't Charging Your Phone

Phone won't charge? It might not be broken: the charger could be the culprit. Here's how you figure out what's going wrong.

Nothing is scarier than plugging in your phone only for it to show signs it's not charging. But, while many people run to the service center at first sight of a charging issue, the fix is likely simpler than you think.

Your phone might not charge because of a minor issue, like a faulty cable or dirt in the charging port. However, the problem can sometimes be a little more serious, like a dead battery. But even then, the issues are usually fixable.

Read our list of the seven most common reasons your phone won't charge or charges slowly (and how to fix the problem!).

If you use the wrong charger, your phone might charge slowly (or not charge at all). This is because chargers are made to meet the amperage of the phones they ship with.

Also, not all adapters are rated for the same power delivery. For example, you might have a phone that supports fast charging, but the adapter you're using isn't capable of fast charging.

To address this issue, use a standard charger to charge your phone. If it works as expected, the charging problem is likely caused by an incompatible charger.

If your phone is always in your pocket, it's likely to get into contact with dust and lint, which can get into the charging port and stop your phone from charging. The foreign materials trapped in the port can make power transfer slow. If the dirt is thick, it will cause the charging port to stop working.

Use a magnifying glass and flashlight to establish if there's dirt in your phone's charging port. Look inside the port, and if you find any foreign particles, remove them.

You can remove the obstruction using a toothpick, an antistatic brush, or a soft toothbrush. Similarly, you can clean the port using a can of compressed air. We don't recommend using a safety pin or anything metal; this can short the connection and destroy your phone.

After removing the grime, try charging; if it doesn't work, the charging port is probably damaged and should be repaired.

A damaged charging cable is one of the most common causes of charging issues and is one reason your charger will stop working. There are many ways cables become damaged, leaving wires exposed or broken. However, cuts and bends are two of the most common causes of cable damage and can prevent the charger from effectively charging the phone battery.

Also, an old cable might not be right for your phone. If you've owned a phone for years, the cable it shipped with is now probably stressed and damaged.

You can diagnose this issue by fixing the broken cable or swapping it out for a newer one. If any of these work, the original cable is likely the problem since new cables tend to be faster. However, if you suspect the issue is wired charging and your phone supports wireless charging, try charging it with a wireless charger.

Check the wall adapter if your cable isn't the problem, as the USB ports of adapters become loose as they age. Similarly, if you're not using an original adapter, your phone could experience hardware incompatibility, and your charger won't work properly. To solve this issue, use a different, compatible power adapter.

Weak power sources can also cause charging issues. For instance, laptop USB ports tend to charge phones slowly, and plugging your device into a wall socket using a charger can fix this.

Water damage through splashes or full immersion can cause phone charging problems. Some phone models (like iPhone XR and later) can detect moisture, auto-disconnect charging, and display a liquid-detection alert on your screen.

Many smartphones display a water drop icon on the screen when the charging port is wet. To take care of the moisture issue, leave the phone (ideally near a window) to dry for a few hours. If the infiltration is severe, switch it off and place it in front of a fan. And remember, rice doesn't fix a water-damaged phone.

The condition of your phone's battery determines whether it will charge or not. As batteries age, they tend to lose their ability to charge fully. And if it's completely dead, your phone will not turn on.

Thankfully, if you think your battery is on its way out, there are ways you can check your battery health on Android and check your battery health on iOS. Signs that your battery might be the problem include the battery draining faster than usual, a battery that doesn't fully charge, the phone overheating, and the charger not charging the phone properly.

Some defective batteries are easy to spot as they bulge or leak fluid, and depending on your phone, you can inspect the battery yourself. For example, if you own a phone with a removable battery, you could try getting a new battery and replace the defective one.

However, many of the latest smartphones have non-removable batteries, and you may need to take your device to a service center for evaluation.

If hardware solutions don't seem to work and it seems like your charger is still broken, it might be that your software has crashed. Software is integral to successful charging as it determines whether or not to charge your device. So, if you've not updated your phone's software for a while, you may want to do so now.

Software glitches can prevent your phone from charging, as software bugs can affect the charging process. You can resolve this issue by downloading and installing updates, as system updates often contain patches that can improve battery life and charging speed.

Another solution might be rolling back your previous software. For example, if the charging issue started after installing a system update, a bug may have caused the problem. To fix this, try rolling back to an earlier version if the phone manufacturer allows it.

Running multiple power-intensive apps at once while charging can cause charging issues. This is partly because some current goes straight to powering the apps instead of the battery, making your phone battery charge slowly.

To troubleshoot these issues, Android users should examine and remove apps they never use. You can remove apps from your iPhone as well.

Closing all the apps while your phone charges might also fix this problem. Charging in airplane mode is another common solution.

A phone not charging can be a scary experience, but it's often fixable. Your phone may not be charging because of dirt or debris in the charging port, faulty cables, a dead battery, or outdated software, to mention a few.

Before taking your phone to a service center, we recommend trying the easier fixes first, like cleaning the charging port or using a different cable or adapter. But if you can't fix the issue, consider visiting a service center or getting a new phone.

Denis is an environmental science graduate who started freelance writing in 2016, while still working as a loan officer. He mostly writes on topics related to cybersecurity threats, security vulnerabilities, and cloud security best practices. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching movies, and listening to music.