iPhone Wont Charge? Here Are 3 Ways To Fix It

iphone won't charge

If an iPhone won’t charge, then it’s likely to have a bad battery. This is why most people think. But in contrary, charging issues in iOS devices are often tied to software glitches. This means that the charging system isn’t working as intended.

In this post, I will guide you in troubleshooting your iPhone that would no longer charge for some reason. So, read on to find out why this happens and how to fix the problem.

Possible causes of charging problems

Aside from a bad battery, software-related factors such as rogue apps can also prevent your iPhone’s charging system from working as intended. And thus, relevant symptoms from slow to no charge occur.

In other cases, the problem is attributed to a defective charging accessory including a damaged charging cable, power adapter or charger itself. A busted power source or port is also another possible cause. In a worst case scenario, an iPhone won’t charge simply because it’s damaged.

Troubleshooting an iPhone that won’t charge

As mentioned earlier, an iPhone would bump into charging problems due to software issues. Thus troubleshooting is imperative. Before you troubleshoot your device, check on the following:

  • Charging port – make sure that there is nothing inside that port that may block contact with the charger.
  • Charging cable – scrutinize both ends or the entire cable itself for any visible signs of damage like corrosion or cut.
  • Power source – whether it’s the main outlet or portable power source, make sure that it’s working. Try plugging the charger from a different power source, if available. If you’re using a wireless charger, make sure that the charging dock is working and your iPhone is properly positioned.

Also consider removing any third-party accessory from your device as this can also interfere with or block your iPhone from having proper contact with the charger.

After checking and confirming that all charging accessories are working and yet your iPhone won’t charge still, you may go ahead and try the following tweaks to eliminate software-related culprits.

iPhone Wont Charge

First solution: Force restart your iPhone that won’t charge

Since your iPhone is not charging at all, there’s only one possible solution you can try on. And that’s a force restart. This is typically everything that’s needed if rogue apps and corrupted system services are barring your iPhone from charging. So here’s what you should do then:

  1. Connect your iPhone to its charger then plug it into the power source.
  2. Give your iPhone about 5 minutes to charge. It doesn’t matter if you see the charging icon on the display or not. Just give it a few moments to accumulate some power.
  3. After the elapsed time, force restart your iPhone while it’s connected to the charger.

To force restart an iPhone SE, 6s, and earlier model, use these steps:

  1. Press and hold both the Power button and Home button for a few seconds.
  2. Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

To force restart an iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, follow these steps:

  1. Press and hold both the Volume Down button and Power button for a few seconds.
  2. Then release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

To force restart an iPhone 8 or later model, refer to these steps instead:

  1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
  2. Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
  3. Finally, press and hold the Side/Power button until the Apple logo appears and then release.

If your iPhone managed to boot up after performing a force restart, it means that it’s able to charge. The next thing you should do is to eliminate software-related factors that hindered your iPhone from charging properly. And performing the subsequent tweaks can help. However, if still your iPhone won’t charge after this, then try the next solution.

iPhone Wont Charge

Second solution: Install pending app updates on your iPhone

This is usually needed to fix charging issues that are attributed to some rogue apps. If your iPhone managed to charge from a force restart and its internet connection is stable, continue with these steps to check for and install pending app updates on your device:

  1. From the Home screen, tap App Store. Doing so will launch the app.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen then tap on Today.
  3. Tap on the User Profile icon, on the upper-right corner of the screen to load up your account details.
  4. Scroll down to the Available Updates section to view any pending app updates.
  5. Tap Update All to simultaneously install all pending app updates on your device.

Installing any available software updates for your iPhone can also help solve the problem is system bugs are at fault.

  • To check for available iOS update, go to Settings-> General-> Software Update menu.

A notification will show up is a new iOS version is up for grabs. if a new iOS update is available, back up all important data from your iPhone, for safekeeping. Then follow the onscreen prompts to download and install the update when ready.

Restart your iPhone afterwards to ensure that all new software changes are properly saved and applied.

iPhone Wont Charge

Third solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone

This reset is often needed to eliminate flawed system settings that might have caused the charging system to stop working. There’s no need to back up files beforehand since this reset does not affect any saved information on your iPhone’s storage. Just follow these steps to proceed with this reset:

  1. From the Home screen, tap Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Scroll down to and tap Reset.
  4. Select the option to Reset all settings.
  5. Enter your passcode if prompted to continue.
  6. Then tap Reset all settings again to confirm that you want to reset your iPhone’s system settings to defaults.

Your iPhone will then start erasing all your current system settings including faulty overrides from recent software updates. After the reset, your iPhone reboots on its own and then loads up the default system configuration and preferences.

To use necessary features, particularly those that are disabled by default, you will need to re-enable them individually.

If none of that works, try using a different charger that’s compatible with your iPhone. If your iPhone is able to charge using other chargers, it means that the problem is with the previous charger. This means the need for you to secure a new charger for your iPhone.

You can also try using other compatible wireless chargers or charging docks, if your iPhone supports wireless charging feature.

RELEVANT POST: How to fix iPhone slow charging

Leave a Comment