It’s easy to blame the cable or power adapter when your iPhone won’t charge. Although they wear out over time, buying new ones won’t help if the real issue is the charging port. You’ll just end up wasting money. So before you fork over $70 to $100 on new accessories, I strongly suggest going through the below steps to check your port.
What to Do if Your iPhone Charging Port Stops Working
1. Clean the Port
Time needed: 5 minutes
One common reason that an iPhone charging port stops working is that it’s clogged. Dirt and debris could build up in the port, blocking a secure connection. Cleaning the port is often an effective solution.
- Get a toothpick and gently insert it into the port.
- Move the toothpick around to gather the debris on top of the pins inside the port.
- Gently blow into the port to help loosen up the dirt.
- Repeat as needed.
- Firmly plug your charging cable into your device.
NOTE
2. Check Other Devices
Try to use other charging cables and devices to confirm whether it’s the port that’s defective. The problem could be the battery or the charging accessory, especially if you’re using non-Apple-certified charger.
- Check your charging cable and adapter for visible signs of damage like breakage or dents.
- Try a different wall power outlet
- Test your charger with other devices, like your iPad or another phone, to check if it works.
- Use a wireless charger to see if your iPhone will charge.
3. Reset Optimized Battery Charging
If your iPhone is running on iOS 13 and later, you have the option to optimize battery charging. This means limiting the amount of charge to prolong the life of the battery. Usually, it stops charging at 80%, so you might mistake it for a faulty charging port or charger.
Optimized Battery Charging is turned on by default when you set up your device. It uses machine learning to understand your phone usage habits and charges past 80% based on its prediction of when you’ll need to use your phone again.
- Go to Settings > Battery > Charging.
- Toggle off Optimized Battery Charging and then turn it back on.
If you’re traveling, your usage habits would be variable, which could affect your phone charging. You need to enable some location settings for optimized battery charging.
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and toggle on Location Services.
- Scroll down, go to System Services, and toggle on System Customization.
- Tap Significant Locations and toggle on Significant Locations.
4. Restart Your iPhone and Charge
Force restart your iPhone and try to perform the above steps again. If your phone’s battery is drained, plug it in and leave it to charge for about 30 minutes. This would usually give it time to get power and turn on by itself.
If the issue persists, it’s best to bring your device to an Apple service center or phone specialist.