A few years back, Tech Republic reported that the average iPhone lifespan was four years and three months. While that lifespan may have changed slightly since then, it’s likely that most people aren’t hanging on to their iPhones for more than four years.
Why? For some, it’s the appeal of buying the latest model that leads them to make an upgrade. For others, it’s because the older their iPhone gets, the more glitchy it becomes.
A common complaint for iPhone users is that their iPhone is not charging. When you can’t charge your phone, you can’t exactly use it the way you want to—or at all.
Why does this happen? Read on to learn why iPhones stop charging and whether or not you need iPhone repairs to fix the problem.
The Charger Cable Is Damaged
Before you determine that the problem is with the phone, you should rule out cheaper, easy-to-fix possibilities. The biggest one involves the charger cable, itself.
iPhone charger cables are lightweight and, as a result, a little flimsy. Check the cable, especially near the USB-C connector, for signs of fraying. You can try to repair a fraying charger cable with electrical tape or invest in a new charging cable, altogether.
If there are no visible signs of damage to your charger cable, plug your phone into other cables to see if it begins to charge. If it doesn’t, then you know the issue is with the charging port and not the charging cable. (You may also want to test-run other charger adapters, as well.)
The Charging Port Is Dirty
We use our phones constantly and take them everywhere. Even if you have a phone case with a charging port protector, it’s still possible that there’s a buildup of gunk or debris that’s blocking the connection between your phone and the charging cable.
With the right tools and a little patience, you may be able to fix this problem on your own. First, shine a flashlight into your charging port to detect signs of lint or gunk. If you see any, turn off your phone, keep that flashlight handy, and grab a toothpick.
As gently as possible, use the toothpick to pull out the gunk and debris. Remember, the hardware inside a charging port is delicate, so go slow and don’t go digging around too much.
The Charging Port Is Loose or Bent
Speaking of that delicate hardware, there’s a distinct possibility that that hardware is loose or bent from typical wear and tear. Inserting and removing the charging cable can cause those little wires to get bent out of shape or dislodge the hardware completely.
This is an issue you’re not going to fix on your own unless you’re a total tech wiz. If you can see that the charging port hardware is damaged or you’ve ruled out other possibilities, it’s time to give us a call. We can often replace or restore that hardware so that your phone is capable of charging again.
The Charging Port Is Water-Damaged
If you recently dropped your iPhone in liquid or spilled liquid on it, we can only hope that you’re reading this guide before trying to plug it back in. If your iPhone was exposed to water or other liquids, the best thing that you can do is turn it off and give it at least 24 hours to dry out before you try to charge it again. (You can throw it in some rice if you want, but that doesn’t necessarily do much.)
Why is it important that your phone dries about before you plug it in? A small amount of liquid may not directly damage your charging port. However, when you try to charge it while that liquid is still in there, it can cause the hardware to short, which can create a slew of other problems for your phone and its battery.
If you’ve already plugged it in while wet and suspect that it shorted, turn your phone off and give us a call.
Your Phone Is in Optimized Battery Charging Mode
One thing iPhone users are noticing is that when they go to plug their phone in for a long, full charge, it often stops at 80%. What gives? Why won’t your phone consistently get to a 100% charge no matter how long you leave it plugged in?
This is actually something that Apple has done on purpose, and it’s meant to save your battery from damage. This function is called Optimized Battery Charging.
The health of your battery doesn’t correlate directly to the age of your phone, but instead the “age” of the battery, which can increase at a rapid rate if your battery is often getting too cold or hot. Using temperature sensors and machine learning, your iPhone will now go into Optimized Battery Charging mode to cut off the charge when your phone starts to overheat. If your phone stops charging at 80% just give it a couple of hours before plugging it back in and that should do the trick.
Come to Fruit Fixed If Your iPhone Is Not Charging
Some iPhone issues indicate that it’s time to get a new phone. However, when your iPhone isn’t charging, it doesn’t always mean that the battery has gone kaput. Use this guide to do a little bit of troubleshooting and if you rule out the possibilities that you can address on your own, bring your phone to a professional.
Fruit Fixed can repair everything from iPhones to gaming consoles to watches. If your iPhone is showing signs of wear, tear, and broken hardware, we’ve got you covered. Take a look at our locations to find the Fruit Fixed location nearest you.
Think you may need a new phone? We may have one in store for you. Take a look at what we have for sale.
