Welcome to another troubleshooting article for the iPhone XS. This post talks about how to deal with an iPhone XS that won’t charge.
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When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.
How to fix iPhone XS won’t charge issue
If you find your iPhone XS unable to charge, there’s a whole set of troubleshooting that you must do to find out where the problem lies. As an end user, all you can do in this situation is perform software troubleshooting. If none of them works, you’ll most likely end up with repair or replacement. To see if the problem is fixable on your level, follow our suggestions below.
Step 1: Hard reset
Bugs can develop out of nowhere. Some may become major headaches while others are minor and can be fixed by simply refreshing the system. To check if your phone has merely developed a minor bug, try to perform a hard reset on it. Here’s how:
- Press and quickly release the Volume up button.
- Press and quickly release the Volume down button. NOTE:Make sure that steps 1 and 2 are done in quick succession.
- Then, press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen. Some devices may complete the process after 30 seconds.
Step 2: Install iOS update
A few months ago, a huge number of iPhone XS devices around the world showed a bug that blocks a device from charging when it’s on standby, or when on sleep mode. It was remedied by Apple recently but similar issues occur randomly over the years. In case your iPhone XS has a unique bug that blocks charging, make sure to install the latest available iOS version for the device. Also, make sure that all apps are up-to-date.
Step 3: Use another set of charging accessories
Some cases wherein an iPhone fails to charge are caused by a bad charging accessory. To know if the lightning cable or adapter is to blame, try use another set by borrowing one from a friend. If you can’t do that, visit your local Apple store and charge your phone using their official charging cable and adapter.
Step 4: Flip lightning cable
Some users were able to fix charging problems before by doing a simple trick: flipping the cable. The sides on the tip of a lightning cable are identical so it can be inserted in any manner, unlike the standard USB cables. Try to see if this will help in your case.
Step 5: Charge via computer
Topping up the battery thru a computer may sometimes help in fixing charging problems. Some users swear that this trick did help in fixing charging problems on their iPhones. We can’t see any logical explanation for this other than the possibility that the lower energy input from a computer’s USB port may trigger a change in a phone’s power management settings. We haven’t really established if this is a reliable way to fix a charging issue. If you’re lucky and the main reason for your case is due to a minor glitch, this might help.
Step 6: Check the port
If you regularly expose your iPhone in a dusty environment, its charging port may have collected dust or debris, blocking the charging cable. Make sure to check the port for obvious damage or debris inside. If you think the port is dirty or has something that does not belong, use a can of compressed air to clean it out. Do not stick anything inside to avoid damaging the system.
Step 7: Check port for water or moisture
A wet charging port prevents charging. Your iPhone XS is designed to stop charging when the port has presence of water or liquid to avoid damage. Be sure to dry the phone and port using a soft, clean cloth. Water naturally evaporates after a few hours in room temperature. If you think the port is still wet or has moisture in it that you can’t get rid of, bring the phone to a local repair shop so a professional can dry it. Be careful not to void the warranty of your device during this session though. If a technician will say that the device must be opened up, don’t proceed. Instead, you want to bring it to Apple Service Center so its warranty won’t be voided.
Step 8: DFU Mode Restore
Performing a DFU Mode Restore may be necessary if nothing has changed at this point. This troubleshooting step will restore all firmware to their default state so if the problem is due to bad programming changes, this might help.
These are the steps to do a DFU Mode Restore:
- Connect your iPhone XS to your computer using the USB or Lightning cable that comes with it.
- Open iTunes on your computer.
- Turn off your iPhone XS as you normally do. In iOS 11, you can turn off your iPhone by going to Settings-> General-> Shut Down menu-> then toggle the slider to the right. Doing so turns off the iPhone.
- Press and hold the Side button (Power button) for 3 seconds. Then, press and hold the Volume Down button while still holding down the Side button. Keep holding both buttons for 10 seconds.
- If the Apple logo appears, it means that you have held the buttons for too long. If this happens, you need to go back from the very start. Otherwise, skip to the next step.
- Release the Side button but keep holding down the Volume Down button for about 5 seconds more.
- If you are prompted with the Plug into iTunes screen, it means that you have entered Recovery Mode instead. So you’ll need to go back to the very first step and make sure you’re not holding the buttons for so long.
- If your iPhone XS screen remains black, that means your device has successfully entered DFU mode. iTunes will then prompt you with an alert message saying that it has detected your iPhone and will allow it to be restored. Follow the onscreen instructions to restore your iPhone XS in iTunes.
Step 9: Get help from Apple
Professional repair may be necessary if your iPhone’s charging remains a problem. Contact Apple so they can set up repair or replacement appointments.
Step 10: Workaround: Use wireless charger
If you want to hold off sending in the device, you can consider using a wireless charger to power up the phone. This will work if the reason for the problem is due to a bad charging port. Be sure to only use an Apple certified wireless charger.
Engage with us
If you happen to have a problem with your own iPhone, let us know about it and we will do our best to post them and their solutions in our upcoming articles. You can use this link to contact us for assistance. We can’t guarantee an answer to every question but rest assured that we will exhaust everything on our end to help you.
Be as detailed as possible when describing your problem to help us diagnose your issue easily. If you can include error messages, popups, attempted troubleshooting steps, and circumstances leading to the problem, that would be very helpful.