Troubleshooting Charging Issues: Outlets, Cable, Port

Battery power and charging capability are naturally important factors for nearly every phone owner, and a phone that won’t charge is a frustrating issue to run into. There’s nothing more annoying than needing your phone for important tasks, but being unable to charge it and utilize it properly due to issues with the battery, charger or some other culprit.

At Bad Apple, we’re happy to offer numerous iPhone repair solutions, including for issues where your iPhone won’t charge properly for some reason. In addition to offering several professional services to remedy charging concerns, we’re also here to provide general expertise on these kinds of issues, including a few DIY areas you can look at that might solve your charging issue before there’s any need for further repairs. This two-part blog series will go over some tips on troubleshooting charging issues on your iPhone.

Try Multiple Outlets

In certain cases where charging isn’t taking place, the issue might not actually be your phone or your charger at all – but rather the outlet you’re using. Maybe the outlet has shorted out, or perhaps it’s not the proper type of outlet for the charger you’re inserting into it.

Early on while trying to diagnose your problem, try multiple outlets for your charger. If none of them works, and especially if they are working for other electronic devices, this is a sign that there’s something going on with your phone or the charger.

Charging Cable Test

Next up it’s time to test your charging cable and its components. Swap out the existing cable for another that’s in your house, if possible – many people have multiple iPhone charger cords or plug-in elements in their homes.

Because of all the use they get, it’s not uncommon for charging cables or wall outlet connectors to wear down or malfunction. Luckily, if another cable works for your phone while the old one wasn’t, you’ve identified the problem – and it’s a cheap one to fix by simply replacing the cable.

Check Charging Port

What if you’ve tested the charging cable on another phone and discovered that it’s working? In this case, you know there’s something specific to your own phone going on. The first area to check here will be whether there’s any kind of dirt, dust, lint or other debris that’s built up inside the phone’s charging port, the small area where the cord plugs into the phone.

If you find any such dirt, do not use a toothpick or any kind of sharp object to clean it – this might just cause more damage. Instead, gently blow into the port, or use a moderate source of compressed air, to dislodge the debris and move it away from the port. Then try charging the phone again. For more on how to troubleshoot a phone that won’t charge, or to learn about any of our phone repair, tablet repair or other device repair services, speak to the staff at FixITMobile | Bad Apple today.