Quick question, reader: what do your phone, laptop, and tablet have in common? Simple: they all need charging to work as intended!
Unfortunately, that charging juice isn’t always readily available. When you put the charger into the device, it will refuse to acknowledge it. Other times, the device will see the charger but won’t seem to know what to do with it.
Most of the time, the cause of this issue will lie in a faulty port. Here are some tips on how to fix a charging port from the safety of your home!
Reset the Device
We’re all familiar with the old IT cliche of “turn it off, then on again.” Well, what if we told you that this is a cliche because it so often works?
Sometimes, your port will work fine and allow your device to receive power from the charger. However, some software glitches will prevent the battery status bar from going up, making it seem like a port issue.
You can solve software problems of this kind with a quick restart. This will reset the device’s temporary memory and make it “see” the charger again. You can restart most devices by holding the Power and Volume Down keys.
Next, ensure you’re running the latest version of your operating system. That said, this may require a certain amount of battery power. As such, you should only consider it if you can charge your device wirelessly.
If you’re still stuck, consider doing a factory reset. Keep in mind this will delete all the data on your phone, so back everything up before starting. Consult your phone manual for more information on this process.
Try a Different Charger
By eliminating software-related issues, only the hardware ones are still in play. Even then, there’s still a chance your port isn’t the culprit.
Due to wear and tear, some cables eventually stop being able to conduct electricity. If you take your cable everywhere with you, all that twisting may take its toll. You can test this theory by trying a different charging cable.
Let’s say you’re usually charging your iPhone by connecting it to a USB port on your laptop. This time, plug it into a wall outlet. If your phone’s been dead for a while, it might need extra power to start the charging process.
Alternatively, use your usual charging setup with a different phone or tablet. If the device charges up as normal, you’ll know the issue lies with the phone. This would be a good time to start looking into iPhone repair options.
Clean Out the Port
Do you often carry your phone in your pocket? If so, there’s a decent chance that dirt and debris will contribute to the phone not charging.
Check for debris by pointing a light source into the port. If you find something, turn the phone off and use a soft toothbrush to clean the port. Doing so should take care of smaller pieces of dirt and debris.
If the debris proves stubborn to remove, use a sharp object like a toothpick. Be careful when handling it, or you may end up damaging the port. Once you dislodge the debris, use a can of compressed air to blow it out.
Another possibility is that your charging port is too damp to use. Of course, this only applies if you dropped your phone into the water recently. If you did, though, give the port a chance to dry out before using it.
Check for Physical Damage
If the problem persists, you’ll need to open the device to check the port from within. If you’re not comfortable with this step, have the pros do it for you.
For phones and tablets, the opening process is fairly similar. All you need to do is remove the back cover with a screwdriver and a pry tool. If you’ve ever had to replace a phone battery, you should have no issues here.
Next, take a look at the inner workings of your device. If you see any debris in or around the port, use a toothbrush to clean it. Ensure the wires are in the correct position, then put the cover back up and try charging the phone.
If this doesn’t help, you’ll likely need to replace the port itself. Take the back cover off and carefully disconnect the wires attached to the port. Use a soldering gun to remove solder joints on all four corners of the port.
The best way to do this is to put the tip of the gun over each solder joint and hold it. Once the solder starts flowing outward, use pliers to pry it up. Do it for each of the four solder joints, then replace the old port with a new one.
Assess the Laptop Port
On a laptop, replacing the charging port is a bit easier than on the phone. The real challenge of laptop repair lies in assessing the port.
First, switch the laptop off and find the screws that are holding the outer casing together. Remove them while noting where each screw came from. That way, you’ll know where to put them back once you’re done.
Now, look for electrical components close to the area where the port connects to the laptop. Disconnect them carefully and detach the port from the laptop. Check the port for any abnormalities or broken sections.
For example, if the middle part of the port is bent, try correcting it. If the metal plates around the port are loose, use a screwdriver to tighten them. Once you’re done, plug the power back in and see if the port is charging.
if the issue with the laptop not charging persists, you’ll need to replace the port. If you’re doing it yourself, use compressed air to remove any debris around it. Reconnect the wires attached to the port, then close the laptop.
This Is How to Fix a Charging Port
Learning how to fix a charging port may range from a simple task to a complex one. If you’re not comfortable with this level of technical expertise, take your device to a repair shop and have professionals fix it for you.
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