How to fix an iPhone 7 that won’t charge or charging intermittently after iOS 11 update? [Troubleshooting Guide]

Last Updated on: March 10, 2023 by Felix

Aside from battery draining, some people have ended up having an iPhone 7 that is charging intermittently, charging very slowly, or not charging at all after updating to iOS 11. This problem is not new though. We’ve heard a lot of prior complaints regarding an iPhone that is charging very slow or not charging at all since the first iOS predecessors. Surprisingly, this issue has been re-iterating despite the new technology that Apple has entrenched into their latest flagship devices. And the thing is that the problem often seemed to become rampant after a new iOS firmware is released. Although some of these were resolved by follow-up minor updates, charging problems still persist on other people’s devices.

Fortunately, there are some workarounds that can be used to deal with charging problems on the iPhone 7. Each of these workarounds stands a best chance of fixing the problem for as long as everything on the iPhone hardware is working fine. Read on and learn what options you can resort to if ever you are among those who are troubled with charging problems after updating your iPhone 7 to iOS 11.

Before going any further though, if you have other concerns with your new iPhone, make sure you drop by our iPhone 7 troubleshooting page for we have already started supporting the device. Moreover, if you need further assistance, you can always contact us by completing our iPhone issues questionnaire and providing us with sufficient information about the problem.

Possible reasons as to why your iPhone is not charging are as follow:

Wall adapter or power source is busted or not working.
The Lightning cable or USB cable is damaged.
The charging port at the bottom of your iPhone is damaged.
Software malfunction

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In the case with iPhone 7 that won’t charge after iOS 11 update, it can be tagged as software malfunction. Most of the time, it’s the software that is preventing your iPhone from carrying out its charging routine. The new update might have messed up the charging system causing it to glitch. Other than that, it could be due to any of the aforementioned culprits.

If your iPhone 7 won’t charge or charges very slowly after installing iOS 11 update, the update is apparently at fault. Something from the new iPhone is preventing the iPhone from carrying out its charging routine as intended. It could be a bug that’s causing conflict or the update itself might have automatically overridden your current settings and thereby caused some conflicts. It is also possible that the update has caused massive battery draining on the iPhone to the point of the device being unable to respond quickly when connected to the charger. Note that it will take time for some device to show the charging indicator if it was totally drained before you charge it. But for as long as your iPhone or charger has no damage, the problem should be rectified with some workarounds.

How to handle an iPhone that won’t charge?

Right below this page is a list of all applicable workarounds and standard procedures that will help you diagnose and fix your iPhone 7 that won’t charge or is charging very slowly. But before you begin, try to plug your iPhone into your computer or wall outlet. If it still won’t charge on either of these power sources, then let’s find out why and that to do next.

First solution: Soft reset

The moment you plug in your iPhone into a power source, its software (charging system) decides whether to charge the battery or not. If the charging system is affected by some bugs from iOS 11, it may not be able to do its tasks. As a result, your iPhone won’t charge or may still charge but not as intended. As your first resolution, you can try a soft reset or simply restart your iPhone. For starters, here’s how to perform a soft reset on your iPhone 7:

Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds until the Slide to Power Off screen appears.
Drag the slider to turn off your iPhone completely.
After 30 seconds, press and hold the Power button again for a few seconds until the Apple logo shows up on the display.

Let your iPhone boot up completely then try charging it again.

Try to use different outlets or power sources to rule out the possibility of the problem being caused by a dysfunctional outlet. You can try to connect or plug your iPhone into a computer or power accessories like USB hub, docking station, or other Apple-certified accessories. When connecting your charging cable to a computer, make sure that the computer is not on sleep mode. As much as possible, do not use the USB ports on your keyboard.

Note that if your iPhone charging system detects power fluctuations, it will prevent your device from charging as a protective measure. This is one of the main reasons as to why your iPhone won’t charge using other power sources.

If you have a different Apple charger, try to use it and see if it works.

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Second solution: Force your iPhone to restart.

Your device may not be able to charge properly especially when some of your apps are crashing and causing the device to become rogue as well. To fix this problem, you can try a forced restart.

To force your iPhone 7 to restart, press and hold the Sleep/Wake or Power button and the Volume Down button simultaneously for about 10 to 20 seconds. When the Apple logo appears, release both keys at once.

Wait until your iPhone boots up completely then try charging it again.

Third solution: Restore your iPhone 7.

Considering that the problem is caused by a faulty update, a system restore might be able to eradicate the bug and rectify the glitch. The only downside of a system restore is the fact that all your iPhone data will be erased in the process. This can be a tedious job especially if you already have a lot of data stored on your device. You will need to spend more time from creating backups before restoring iOS. But if none of the prior solutions is able to fix the problem, then you’ll have no choice but to get this done. Otherwise, you can just take a trip to an Apple Genius bar and have your iPhone diagnosed by a technician. It’s probably a better option if there’s a Apple service center nearby.

Should you wish to proceed with a system restore, you can first try the standard iOS restore through iTunes. Here’s how it’s done:

Open iTunes on your Mac or Windows computer.
Connect your iPhone 7 to your computer using the supplied cable.
If prompted, tap the option to Trust This Computer on your iPhone.
Follow the onscreen instructions.
Select your iPhone 7 or click the iPhone icon when it shows up in iTunes.
Navigate to the Summary section.
Click the button to Restore [device].
Click Restore again to confirm.
Allow iTunes to erase your device and install the latest iOS for your iPhone 7.

After your iPhone restores to factory settings, you can proceed with the initial setup. You may opt to restore your device from an iCloud backup during the setup or restore from an iTunes backup by selecting the option to Restore Backup in iTunes. Locate the date and size of each backup and pick the most relevant backup file. Finally click Restore and wait for the restore to finish. You will be prompted to enter a password if the selected backup is encrypted.

Keep your iPhone connected after it restarts and wait for it to sync with your computer. Once the sync finishes, you can disconnect your iPhone.

If the standard restore fails to fix the problem, that’s when you may opt for a recovery mode or DFU mode restore through iTunes. A step-by-step guide on how to perform each of these advanced iOS restore methods is available on our iPhone 7 Tutorials section in our Troubleshooting Page. Feel free to visit the page if ever you need help in the process.

Other options to consider

Try wireless charging. Try to charge your iPhone 7 using a couple of wireless charging accessories. Although the iPhone 7 official specs doesn’t have wireless charging supports, there are some accessories that can make it work with wireless chargers. These may cost you some bucks but it might be worth the price. Since the iPhone 7 lacks a specific chip that utilizes AirPower technology seen in the iPhone 8, you can use a device that will receive a wireless charge signal. You can find some credible transmitters for both the Qi and PMA wireless charging standards from online and offline stores.
Clean your iPhone’s charging port. Also care to examine your iPhone’s charging port. You can use a flashlight and take a closer look at the charging port at the bottom of your iPhone. Any debris or gunk in there can prevent the lightning cable from making a solid connection with your iPhone. If necessary, you can brush it out using an unused toothbrush or you can use some fancy anti-static brushes if you’re willing to spend more for it.
Escalate the problem. If none of these helps, then contact your carrier’s customer care or Apple Support and have them include it among other post-iOS 11 update issues that should be fixed in their next update rollout.

Connect with us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the new Apple iPhone 7 smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone 7. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

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