How to Fix a Phone that is Not Charging Properly

What’s the first thing that you do once you’re home after work or college? Well, many of the people I know do something similar – put their phones on charge. Let’s admit that, most of us can’t stay with our phones being switched off. In fact, I have a friend who panics when the phone battery goes below than 50%!

So, you connect the charger and switch on the socket, but the phone is not charging. We have all had that situation, at least once. Sometimes, it gets fixed once you have unplugged the cable and plugged it again. It is not the case all the time, though. And, then, you have to see methods to fix the phone and make it charge.

I, personally, have come across this issue often, and some methods helped me a lot when the phone is not charging. So, I thought of doing a compilation of some methods to fix a phone that is not charging properly. None of these methods would be a definite solution, but one might help.

What if Phone is Not Charging Properly

1. Switch Off, Switch it On

This is perhaps a universal solution to many Smartphone problems we come across. It’s better functional in the case of charging errors. If you think the device has enough charge for a rebooting, do it.

Something may be wrong regarding battery, software or internal hardware. If the issues are simple enough, they would be fixed through a reboot.

2. Dust and Lint Can Be Villains

I do keep my phone in pant’s pocket and I had this issue. Although we don’t see, a huge amount of dust and lint is accumulated in the course of time. These things can be thick enough to stop the flow of power via USB cable. Similarly, if you keep the phone in your handbag or something, all sorts of things can get into USB port of the device.

The solution is simple, but may not work all the time. You can bring some strong flow of air into those ports, and most of dust and lint will be taken care. This is not the case if something stronger is inside. We’ve even seen smartphone USB ports filled with chocolate and stones ;).

3. Fixing Your USB Port

I had a Moto G3, whose charging got wrong, because there was a kind of sweet inside the USB port. Haven’t you seen those little stick-like structures inside USB ports? They are the ones that make contact with charging cable for transferring current. If there is something wrong with those structures, charging won’t work. That was my case, and I had to contact the customer care for fixing it.

Well, things can be simple if you have a phone with removable battery. Make sure that you have switched off the phone and taken out the battery. Then, you can use a dedicated tool or even a toothpick to rearrange those structures in the wrong way. If it’s a USB Type C port, you have to keep the thing straight. Now, you’d have to re-insert the battery and power on the device. There is no 100% assurance, but it works fine in most cases.

4. Let’s Check the Charger Cable

Now, let’s move on to the major components used for charging your phone. We have charger cable on the first place. There are a few questions you have to answer.

• Which cable are you using to charge the phone?
• Is it the cable included in the box?
• Have you checked if the cable is compatible with your phone?
• Is it a locally-purchased and non-authentic cable?

If you are using a third-party cable for charging your phone, it can be a reason why the phone is not getting charged. In the same way, the cable might not be compatible with the power-supply standards of your phone or the charging adaptor. So, we always recommend using the in-box charging cable – if you have got one.

Well, it’s not really possible for Apple users. The included Lightning cables are vulnerable to damages. You’d end up breaking one in no time. In that case, what you can do is to purchase a Lightning cable from a trusted manufacturer, certified by Apple. Keep all these apart, the problem can be of individual cable itself. Just try to use another cable and if it works, you are good to go.

5. Now, to The Adaptor

Adaptor is the next thing you should check if the phone is not charging properly. More often than not, it’s a USB port that causes all the problem. If you plug in and plug out the cable, this is frequent. There may be an extremely small misplacement of the port, and that can stop charging your phone.

The best thing to do is to try the same USB cable with another adaptor. Here too, you should have a look into the compatibility aspect. The adaptor may not be producing enough power required for your device, and that can cause issues in the long run. If these things aren’t the culprits, you can accuse the Charging Adaptor and take it to the service center – if you’re still on warranty or something. Or, I recommend getting a brand-new, compatible adaptor.

6. Power Source

You will be using different power sources for charging your devices. Sometimes, it’s the wall charger, power bank or your laptop. In case if you did not know, USB ports of your laptop don’t supply much power especially when compared to wall socket. This can be a reason why your phone isn’t charging right. Sometimes, power is so slow that there’s no increase in charge level for minutes.

Once again, there comes the aspect of compatibility. If you have bought a flagship phone recently, it would be powered by Fast Charging, Quick Charging or Dash Charging. When you are using another adaptor, power bank or some other sources, the power supply won’t satisfy what the device demands. So, in the end, phone won’t get charged. So, every time possible, charge using the right sources.

7. Updates Can Be Helpful and Harmful

Well, here is the thing about software updates for smartphones. If you have a high-end device, it’s somewhat fine. On the other hand, if you are updating a really old phone to the latest software update that is released, there may be some issues with the battery. Yes, it can be a reason why your phone is not getting charged.

Similarly, there may be some old software that can cause problems in battery. If you are running one of the old versions, it’s a reason for battery wreck and charging issues. In that case, try to update your phone to an available update. If an update isn’t available via OTA, you can flash it manually.

A bit riskier, there is an option to go back to an old version of Android. You’d have to root the device and do some techy stuff, but that’s not impossible. There are plenty of guides to do that.

8. Is there a Faulty Battery?

We have a few questions here too.

• Is your phone battery more than 2 years old?
• Have you ever changed the battery?
• Are you using a third-party (non-original and non-certified) battery for the device?

Every smartphone battery has a definite life-span, which is something around 2 years. If your phone is more than 2 years old, it may be the time to replace the battery. In that case, you have to visit a certified service center and replace the battery. Now that most devices come with non-removable batteries, this would be a good option. On the other hand, also check if you are using a non-authentic, third-party battery in your device. We’ve had not charging and charge draining issues with these batteries. In that aspect, you will have to change to a new battery that complies with power requirements of

On the other hand, also check if you are using a non-authentic, third-party battery in your device. We’ve had not charging and charge draining issues with these batteries. In that aspect, you will have to change to a new battery that complies with power requirements of the device.

A Few Other Things if Phone not Charging Properly

There can be miscellaneous small reasons why your phone is not charging. Here are some steps to deal with most of them.

• Check if your phone ever had water damage. If water made its way into battery section, it can cause a lot of charging-based issues.
• Use an application like Ampere to find out the power that you receive to the device. If it is not getting charged due to power insufficiency, you can confirm it via Ampere app for Android.
• Battery Calibration is another effective method, but not so recommended frequently.
• Last but not least, see if something is wrong with the wall socket you’re using.
• Make sure your phone is good with all these.

Summing Up – A Few Tips if Phone Not Charging

So, these are the fixing methods to consider if your phone is not charging properly! Not all methods would be functional for all devices and cannot be seen universally. The suggestion here is to try out these methods before you rush into the service center. You will not only save your time and money but also get to know the problem cause. We hope the guide helps.