Why Is My iPhone Not Charging? (And How To FIX It!)

If your iPhone is not charging, there can be a variety of causes – some easily fixable, others not so much. In this guide, we’ll troubleshoot all the most common issues and, where applicable, provide fixes…

When your iPhone won’t charge, there is always a reason. It doesn’t just stop charging. The most important thing you need to do is isolate what’s causing the charging issue. Once you know what this is, you’re good to go out and get a fix sorted. Below are the three most common reasons why your iPhone will not charge:

#1) Your Lightning Port Is Clogged

The #1 cause of an iPhone not charging is usually a clogged Lightning port. The Lightning port is one of the few openings an iPhone has, so its the natural place for dirt, dust, and lint from your pockets to accumulate.

When this happens, the debris is compacted at the bottom of the port and when you plus your Lightning cable into your iPhone’s Lightning port, it may look like you have a firm connection, but in reality, the power couplings that transfer energy to your iPhone’s battery aren’t connected.

Yes, the feeling of waking up in the morning only to see your iPhone hasn’t charged above the 15% battery level it had when you plugged it in at bedtime is horrifying. The good news is a clogged Lightning port is pretty easy to unclog and once you do your battery should be able to charge again when you plug your iPhone into power.

Here’s How To Clean Your Smartphone’s Lightning and USB-C Ports.

#2) Your Cable Or Charger Is Bad

But what if you’ve cleaned your Lightning port and your iPhone still won’t charge? The next most likely culprit is a bad Lightning cable or a bad USB charger. If either the Lightning cable or USB charger is bad, you can’t fix them. Your only option is to ditch them and go out and buy a new one.

To find out if you have a bad charger or Lightning cable, you’ll have to inspect each one individually–and you’ll need an extra Lightning cable and USB charger to do this. Don’t worry, though, Amazon sells Lightning Cables for not much cash (and they’re way cheaper than Apple’s official ones).

Start by using a different Lightning cable with the same USB charger you normally use. If your iPhone charges with the new Lightning cable, the problem was your old cable.

But if your iPhone doesn’t charge with the new Lightning cable either, it’s time to try a different USB charger. Try both your original and new Lightning cables with a new USB charger. If your iPhone charges on either cable with the new USB charger the problem was your old USB charger.

#3) Your Battery Is Shot

If you’ve cleaned your Lightning port and swapped Lightning cables and chargers but your iPhone still isn’t charging, bad news: your battery is probably bad–or worse, there’s a problem with your iPhone’s logic board.

If this is the case, your only option is to take your iPhone to an Apple Store or authorized repair center and have the battery replaced, or have the logic board inspected.

What To Do If Your iPhone Just Won’t Charge No Matter What

Take it to an Apple Store or authorized repair center. This is especially true if you’ve cleaned the iPhone’s port and made sure your cable and charger are working fine. The most likely scenario as to why your iPhone battery isn’t charging is a bad battery itself.

And bad batteries can be dangerous, so see an iPhone specialist at an Apple Store or authorized repair center ASAP.

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Michael Grothaus

Apple expert and novelist, Michael Grothaus has been covering tech on KnowYourMobile for the best part of 10 years. Prior to this, he worked at Apple. And before that, he was a film journalist. Michael is a published author; his book Epiphany Jones was voted as one of the best novels about Hollywood by Entertainment Weekly. Michael is also a writer at other publications including VICE and Fast Company.