Why a phone stops charging
When a phone won’t charge, the problem is usually one of four things: the cable, the charger, the charging port, or the battery. A few quick checks at home can narrow it down.
Check the easy things first
- Try a different cable and a different wall charger. Cables wear out at the ends, often before you can see it.
- Try wireless charging if your phone supports it. If it charges on a pad but not with a cable, the port is the likely problem.
- Look for a moisture or liquid warning. If your phone says liquid was detected, unplug it and let it dry before you try again.
- Restart the phone. Once in a while, charging stops because of a software hiccup.
Lint: the most common cause
Pockets are full of lint, and every time you plug in, the cable pushes a little more to the back of the port. Over months it packs into a hard layer, and the plug can’t click all the way in. The phone charges only at an angle, or not at all.
A careful cleaning often fixes it. Don’t dig in with a metal pin or paper clip: the contacts inside are delicate, and metal can bend or short them. If you want to try yourself, turn the phone off and use a wooden toothpick, gently.
When the port needs replacing
If the port is clean and the phone still won’t charge, the port itself may be worn, bent, or corroded. Signs include green or white crust inside, a cable that feels loose even after cleaning, or charging that cuts in and out when the cable moves.
On many phones the charging port shares a part with the bottom microphone, so a phone that charges badly and sounds muffled on calls can be the same repair.
When it isn’t the port
If the port checks out, a worn battery or a fault on the phone’s main board can also stop it charging. We’ll test it and tell you what we find before any work starts. If it’s the battery, see battery replacement.