Besides software or human errors, a damaged battery, lightning cable, charging port, or adapter are the main culprits to stop charging your iPhone when plugged in.
Having an average battery life of around 10-17 hours, an iPhone needs to be charged daily. So it can feel really painful when your iPhone does not seem to charge properly. Well, the reasons for your iPhone not charging can be many, and luckily most of the time you can fix it at home! In this article, I will exactly explain why your iPhone is not charging when plugged in and how you can fix this problem.
Why is my iPhone not charging when Plugged in?
“iPhone not charging” is a common and old problem that most users face. If you are one of them, then before going for the straight fixes you need to know why exactly your iPhone is not charging. Here I will mention all possible reasons with at length explanations for you to best identify what causes the problem and get easy help from the mentioned solution!
- Damaged Battery
A faulty battery is one of the main reasons that cause your iPhone not to charge! If you have noticed that your iPhone’s battery is draining fast, it is a clear indication of a damaged battery. There can also be other reasons and solutions for a fast-draining iPhone battery. Thus you better check your iPhones Battery Health where you can see the Important Battery Message. This message tells you what to do in case your battery is damaged. To view the Important Battery Message:
- Go to the Settings app.
- Scroll down to open Battery.
- Open to see Battery Health.
- Optimized Battery Charging is in Work
If you notice that your iPhone stops charging after a certain amount of charges such as 70% or 80%, then it might be an optimized battery charging issue. It mostly happens when you are at a particular location like you are home, and the iPhone is aware of your location. In this scenario, the iPhone’s advanced machine learning technology captures your daily charging pattern and limits charging. To switch off the Optimized Battery Charging option:
- Go to the Settings app.
- Scroll down to open Battery.
- Open to see Battery Health. There you will see the Optimized Battery Charging option.
- Toggle off the Optimized Battery Charging option.
You can stop sharing your location to stop the optimized battery charging feature as well. To disable location service:
- Go to the Settings app.
- Scroll down to open Privacy.
- Open Location Services.
- Switch off Location Services option by toggling it off.
- Filthy Charging Port
Air dust, any dirt, or particles can temporarily damage your iPhone’s charging port. Clean the port with a toothpick or similar thin and long sticks before putting your phone on charge.
- Defective Charging Cable
After using the same charger or charging cable for a few years it starts to break or get frayed. If you see wires of the cable are getting exposed, waggle it a bit. If this also does not start charging your phone again, use a different charger.
- Maybe a System Glitch
A system glitch can cause any device to act abnormally! Your iPhone is no different. If you have started getting charging issues after having a software update or application update, then try charging your iPhone after restarting it.
- iPhone’s Warranty Expired?
If you are facing charging issues with your iPhone and no solution is working out for you, have you noticed whether your phone still has a warranty? This reason may sound very unusual, but you might need to get your phone repaired. A newly changed battery can be of great help as well.
- Suffered a Liquid Damage
You are most likely to be aware of the damage that is caused by water or any kind of drink or liquids. It happened to me once and I tried drying my phone with a hairdryer. Trust me it has worked! Maybe because it was no major damage. So make sure you dry your phone completely in this case. Then plug it in charge. Read this article in order to remove water from your iPhone with ease!
- Frequent Charging
I have seen many iPhone users charging and keep discharging their phones without letting those be fully charged! This frequent and interrupting charging disturbs the device’s functionalities as well as its charging power. Frequent charging is also a reason to damage your iPhones battery or power adapter. So if you also do this and your iPhone is not charging when plugged in, now you know why!
- Third-Party Charging Cable or Charger
A large percentage of iPhone users very often use third-party chargers and lightning cables to charge their phones. In addition, soon they realize their phones are dealing with charging issues! If this feels relatable to you, you should know that Apple has not authorized any third-party charger or cable or any hardware components. Even though you can get some from online stores like Amazon, not sure how long that would last! Therefore, using any third-party charger or a charging cable can be one of the major reasons for your iPhone not charging when plugged in.
How to fix your iPhone when it is not charging?
As there are many reasons for your iPhone not charging when plugged in, there are many solutions as well. Here I am going to point out six best ways to fix your iPhone when it is not charging.
Go for a Hard Reset
Force restart or hard reset is one of the best tricks to try for any small issues a device faces. Whether your iPhone is facing a battery draining issue, or it has got stuck, the screen is not working or even it is not charging when plugged in! A hard reset can help you the majority of the time. So, here are the ways you can hard reset or force restart your iPhone:
- If your device is iPhone 6s Plus or earlier (iPhone 6s, iPhone SE 1st Generation or even earlier):
- Press and hold the power button and home button at the same time until the Apple logo appears on your phone’s screen.
- If you are using iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus:
- Press and hold the volume down button and power button at once until the Apple logo appears on your phone’s screen.
- For iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone SE 2nd Generation or latest iPhones with iPhone Face ID users:
- First you have to press the volume up button. Next but quickly, you need to press the volume down button and at the same time press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears on your phone’s screen.
Clean your iPhone’s Charging Port
I have already mentioned that a dirty charging port is one of the reasons for not letting your iPhone charge. So you should make sure the charging port is clean before plugging it in. You can use thin sticks like toothpicks to remove any dust, dirt or tiny particles that have stuck inside your charging port. Or you can get charging port cleaners from online stores as well. Do it carefully and make sure you do not harm your iPhone’s charging port while cleaning.
Update your iPhone
Sometimes using an older version of iOS software leads your iPhone to misbehave. This may often cause charging issues as well. If you are not using the iPhone’s latest software version and facing a charging problem with your phone, then give it a try to update your iPhone.
Here are the steps you to follow and update your phone:
- Go to the Settings app.
- Open General.
- Open Software Update.
- Choose the latest version if there are multiple updates available.
- Tap Install Now.
A Temporary Fix: Use Wireless Charging
If you are using iPhone 8 or later versions of the iPhone, this solution is for you. You can try wireless certified chargers to charge your phone while it is not charging when plugged in. Just place the iPhone in the middle of a wireless charger and it should be charging. Yet you should not rely on wireless charging for long as it may be risky for your phone to get damaged permanently. It is only a temporary solution, so you need to look for permanent solutions soon.
Hardware Fix: Try a Different iPhone Charger or Cable
When your iPhone is not charging and it is plugged in, it can be the charging cable or power adapter that is causing the problem. Grab another iPhone charger to be sure about it. You can even change your lightning cable only if the problem is in the cable. If your phone charges using another iPhone charger or cable, then that is it. Replace your old charger or lightning cable with a new one.
A Complete Fix: Repair your iPhone
Finally, what to do if nothing works? I mean literally, not a single above-mentioned techs have not helped you! The best thing you can do here is, go for the repair. Go to the most convenient repair center that you trust.
Conclusion
The causes and fixes I explained in this article are considered to be the best help regarding why your iPhone is not charging when plugged in! Here I conclude with a strong hope that you have found your desired solution and got success in bringing back your iPhone in life again!
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