Phone won't charge: 7 causes and what to check yourself

You plug it in and nothing happens. Or it only charges if you hold the cable at an angle. Before heading to a repair shop, check a few simple things; half the cases can be solved at home.

1. Cable or power adapter

The most common cause. Try another cable and another adapter, ideally ones you know work. Cheap cables fray near the plug, and some third-party adapters aren't supported by the phone.

2. Socket or extension lead

It sounds obvious, but try another socket, especially if you charge via an extension lead or a laptop's USB port.

3. Dirt in the port

Pockets and bags collect dust, lint and, in Batumi, sand. It gets packed into the port and the plug doesn't go all the way in. The sign: the cable wobbles or only charges at an angle.

What you can do: shine a torch into the port. If you see lint, carefully remove it with a wooden toothpick. Don't use metal (a needle or paperclip), as you can short the contacts. Don't blow into the port, since moisture is worse than dust.

4. Water in the port

iPhones and many Android phones warn you if they detect liquid in the port and block charging. Don't override the warning; let the port dry. See if your phone got wet.

5. Software glitch

Restart the phone. If it starts charging after a restart, the problem was in the system.

6. Worn battery

If the phone charges very slowly, the percentage jumps around, or it shuts down at 20%, the battery may have reached the end of its life. See battery health at 80%.

7. Faulty port or board

If none of the above helped, it's hardware:

a worn charging port: after many plug-ins the contacts loosen;
a damaged port cable: after a drop or moisture;
a faulty power chip on the board: can happen after cheap chargers or power surges.

That's a job for a technician. The good news: the charging port is one of the simplest and cheapest repairs.

Wireless charging as a test

If the phone charges wirelessly but not by cable, the problem is almost certainly the port or cable, not the battery or board.

How we do it

The technician checks whether it's the port, the battery or the board, and we give you the price before the repair. If the port is at fault, we replace it. More: iPhone charging port replacement.

Not charging? Message us on Telegram with what you've already tried, and we'll suggest the next step.