Phone not charging? Causes and fixes

The short answer

Most phones that stop charging have a blocked or worn charging port, a failed cable or adapter, or a worn battery. If a different cable and a careful look at the port don't fix it, the fault is usually the port itself or, less often, the charging circuit on the logic board.

Symptoms

• Charges only when the cable is held at an angle
• Cable feels loose or falls out
• Charges very slowly, or the percentage doesn't rise
• A liquid or moisture warning appears when you plug in
• Nothing happens at all when plugged in

Safe checks to try first

1. Try a different cable and adapter that you know work on another device.
2. Try a different wall outlet.
3. Shine a light into the port. Pocket lint packed at the bottom is a common cause. Do not dig with anything metal.
4. Restart the phone.
5. If your phone supports wireless charging, try it. If wireless works and the cable doesn't, the port is the likely fault.
6. If you see a moisture warning, unplug it and let it dry. Do not keep trying to charge it.

How we diagnose it

We inspect the port under magnification, measure how much current the phone draws while charging, and test with a known-good battery. If the port and battery are fine, we check the charging circuit on the board.

Repair options

• Port cleaning, when lint or debris is the only problem
• Charging port replacement
• Battery replacement, when the battery no longer takes a charge
• Board-level repair of the charging circuit by micro soldering, which usually takes 1 to 5 days

When repair may not be worth it

On an older phone, a board-level charging fault can cost close to what the phone is worth. Heavy liquid corrosion can also make a lasting repair unlikely. We tell you this before any work starts.

iPads

The same checks apply. iPads need a higher-power adapter than phones, and many will charge slowly or not at all from a computer's USB port. See tablet repair.