Latest News

A phone not charging properly – or at all – can be a real headache. Careful owners will always have insurance for their iPhone in place to protect against problems arising from damage, breakdown, loss and theft.

However, your charging issue might not be as serious as you may think. Running to a mobile phone repair shop isn’t always the best course of action as a quicker and easier solution is often available closer to home.

Just because your phone has got a problem charging, it doesn’t necessarily mean the battery has died or there’s an issue with your charger. A few tweaks might be all that’s needed to get you back up and running.

Read our list of the top six reasons why your phone might not be charging and learn how to fix them yourself without the need of an expert.

 

Reason 1 - Faulty lightning or micro USB port

A common occurrence over time is for a bad connection to develop between your charging cable and the lightning or micro USB port.

Continually inserting and removing the charging cable can eventually cause components to move slightly within the phone. If you’ve found that fiddling with the connection point seems to solve the issue in the short term, there’s likely to be a problem inside the phone.

However, there’s no need to despair. Simply turn off your phone and remove the battery. Then carefully take a toothpick or small tool and manoeuvre the port a little higher. This is often enough to create a better contact and rectify your charging problem.

Reason 2 - Dirty lightning or micro USB port

It’s not a judgment on your personal hygiene to suggest the problem might lie in a dirty lightning or micro USB port.

From a small piece of lint or an accumulation of dirt or dust over time, there are many ways for a barrier to form within the port and prevent proper contact.

Again, this problem can be easily rectified whether with a simple blast of air or by the careful insertion of a toothpick to remove the barrier.

Remember to take it slow and steady and be careful not to simply push the substance further into the port – you don’t want to make the problem worse!

 

Reason 3 - Damaged charging cable

There are plenty of ways to damage the fragile charging cable, leaving wires exposed or broken.

Simply putting electrical tape around the damage isn’t a viable fix. You should, as a matter of safety, replace a frayed cable immediately.

Even if you can’t see any obvious damage, as part of your troubleshooting process you should try a different cable and see if this fixes the problem.

 

Reason 4 - Damaged or incompatible power adapter

While power adapters are normally quite hardy pieces of kit, they can become damaged. As with troubleshooting cable problems, try another compatible power adapter and see if that solves your charging issue.

Furthermore, if you’re not using the adapter your phone came with, you might be suffering a problem of hardware incompatibility.

If you are using a third-party charger (or cable) then check to see if it’s been certified for use with your device.

Reason 5 - Water damage

Water damage, whether through splashes or full immersion, can play havoc with a whole host of phone systems. To prevent further damage to your phone, make sure the charging port is completely dry before you plug your phone in to charge.

Plugging your phone in when there is still water in the charging port could lead to corrosion or even a short circuit. If your phone won’t charge after being in contact with water then this might be your problem. Read our recent blog to spot the signs of water damage on your phone.

When our beloved phones get wet, they can start to act up and may even suffer long-term damage. Having iPhone insurance in place is the only way to secure fast and reliable help when the worst occurs.

 

Reason 6 - Software problems

Phone software is an integral part of successful charging as it’s the software that decides whether or not to charge your phone.

Therefore, if none of these hardware solutions do the trick, then it might be that your software has crashed. Running regular system updates is the best way to ensure you’ve got up-to-date software installed. Also, simply restarting your phone could be enough to get you going again.

A more brutal approach is a factory reset, but do be warned you'll lose any data not backed up and it will only fix your problem if it's a software issue.

 

How to make battery power last longer

If you’re having charging problems then prolonging your battery power while awaiting a fix is important. Here are some basic tips to help keep your phone running until help arrives.

• Turn down screen brightness and reduce screen resolution.
• Turn off apps which are draining the battery.
• Close apps completely rather than just minimising them.
• Stop apps from running in the background or at Startup.
• Use the power saving option.
• Reduce Sleep timeout.
• Turn down the volume and turn off vibration.
• Turn off the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections.
• Turn on Airplane Mode in areas of poor reception.
• Disable Location Services for apps that don’t require access.
• Fetch your own email rather than getting apps to constantly check for you.
• Reduce app notifications.

Get iPhone insurance from Gadget Cover

Finding iPhone cover that suits your requirements is what the dedicated team of insurance specialists at Gadget Cover prides itself on.

Protecting your iPhone from the risk of being damaged, lost or stolen is vital when we rely on them for so much. Making calls and sending texts is really only a small part of what these incredible devices are capable of.

Policies arranged through Gadget Cover can include protection from accidental damage, liquid damage, theft, breakdown and unauthorised usage. If you choose to pay an extra premium your iPhone can also be covered against loss.

Policies can also cover any accessories (up to £150) if they are lost, stolen or damaged at the same time as your iPhone.

Get a quote from Gadget Cover today.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.