Your cell phone no longer charges? When the battery goes on strike, there can be various reasons. We tell you what charging problems there are and how you can solve them.
Smartphone batteries are and will remain a nagging issue for quite some time. They often have too low a capacity to make it through the day, wear out rapidly and are also a hardware weak point that is one of the most common reasons for repair. However, if your phone stops charging, you shouldn’t immediately have a new battery installed at great expense. Often, the problem can be identified and solved by yourself. Before you take a closer look at your smartphone, it is worth researching whether it is a common defect that is known by the manufacturer. It does not cost anything to ask Google and if you are lucky, the warranty will still apply.
Android no longer charges
Check power supply and charging cable
Don’t think too complicated. The fact that the cell phone does not charge is often due to very trivial things. Here is a checklist that you should always go through first:
- Power on the outlet: Plug the power adapter into a second outlet or connect another test device to be on the safe side.
- Defective charging cable: Check your charging cable. If it is badly bent or dirty, the phone will not charge. Replace the cable to be on the safe side
- Power supply defective: Often the problem lies with the plug. Replace the power adapter to rule out this source of error as well.
- Dirty USB/Lightning port: Check the USB/Lightning port on your smartphone. Clean it if it is very dirty.
Caution. Never poke around at the connections with needles, paper clips or knife tips. You risk short circuits and deformations. Use a cotton swab or toothbrush instead.
For newer premium smartphones, there is another method to rule out a cable or power adapter defect. If your phone supports wireless charging, place it on a wireless docking station. If the phone still does not charge, you will have to search further for the source of the problem.
Detect viruses and malware
If you have recently opened emails from unknown contacts or visited new websites, you may have caught a virus. Among other things, this can cause the phone to stop loading. New apps are also a possible cause of the error. It is best to install a virus scanner. If it does not find anything, it helps to delete the last installed apps or to reset the smartphone to factory settings in an emergency. However, all of your saved data and settings will be lost.
Here we show you how to reset your iPhone and Android phone.
Eject microSD card
You can increase the storage capacity of your smartphone with a microSD card. They are available in different sizes and types and from different manufacturers. However, not every smartphone is able to read all variants. If the wrong microSD card is inserted in the slot, the smartphone might not charge. It is best to eject it before loading to rule out this source of error as well.
Defective battery – sign for broken hardware
If you have ruled out all other sources of error, only the battery remains. However, you should not jump to conclusions here either. If you haven’t used your smartphone for a long time, the battery is usually deeply discharged. In this case, your phone needs quite a while until it starts charging. Plug it into a power outlet and wait. If the device still doesn’t show any sign of life after ten minutes, deep discharge is not the cause.
If your battery is unusually hot, suddenly discharges above a certain percentage, or does not charge completely, be careful. Your phone is not charging because the metal casing of the lithium-ion battery may have warped. In this case, there is even a risk of fire. To be on the safe side, disconnect the smartphone from the power supply, turn it off and take it to an expert in a cell phone repair shop.
iPhone does not charge
Your iPhone calls for top performance day after day. The demands on the smartphone and the charger are high. But it can happen that your iPhone doesn’t charge at all – or only up to 80 percent in the future. Here you’ll find tips on how to get your Apple smartphone back up to top performance.
Use official accessories from Apple
Power supplies or USB cables from other manufacturers are often used for cost reasons. This may not be recognized by your iPhone. To be on the safe side, you should use original Apple accessories or parts that Apple markets itself. With the Made for Apple label, you know that they are certified by Apple.
The official power adapter didn’t help? Then check if cables or power adapters are faulty. Just try your charging cables on another Apple device like iPod or iPad. If these devices work, it’s your battery and you should go to the repair service.
Lightning connector dirty
Check if your Lightning connector is okay. Maybe dust or dirt has collected on the charging port. Try to clean it carefully. A toothpick or compressed air spray is recommended for this. Other objects are strongly discouraged! If you do use sharp, metal objects like a needle or paper clip, be careful not to scratch anything.
Charging socket bent
It is possible that something is bent on your charging port. In this case, you should send your device for repair.
Keep iPhone at operating temperature
Apple’s charging function depends on the operating temperature. So far, the software restricts charging if the battery gets too warm during charging. An operating temperature of 0 to 35 degrees is intended here. This is sometimes exceeded in the summer months or on vacation. If the temperature drops, the battery charges to 100 percent again. If your device overheats, your display goes dark or the iPhone turns off, the power-saving mode is activated or the camera flash is deactivated.
Battery already replaced
Have you possibly already replaced your iPhone battery yourself or had it replaced? Then this could be the reason: Apple wants to prevent the 2018 iPhone generation Xs, Xs Max and Xr from being replaced by a non-licensed repair service.
Thus, those who try to replace it themselves or have it replaced will have usage problems. If the exchange is not carried out appropriately, the iPhone no longer provides a battery status and diagnostic software is required, which Apple only releases to authorized service providers.
iPhone only charges up to 80 percent
In the future, your iPhone might only charge up to 80 percent. However, this is not due to a software bug, but to the new iOS 13 operating system, because it enables the optimized charging feature. The new feature is supposed to extend the battery life and therefore no longer charges the device up to 100 percent. The protective function with 80 percent charging limit is available from iOS 13, which will be released in fall 2019. With this feature, your iPhone should not age as quickly.
