Cell Phone Repair

How to fix a phone that won’t charge – Try these steps

It has been a long and busy day. You get home with a nearly dead cell phone battery and finally plug it in, only to find out the thing isn’t charging anymore! Cell phone repair issues are annoying, but don’t lose hope just yet. Here are some quick solutions you can try to fix a phone that won’t charge.

Is your cable in good condition?

A phone charging problem could be due to many reasons, but the cable is one of the first things to check. Especially if it’s an accessory you’ve had for a long time, possibly since the phone was purchased. Our cables go through plenty of torture. They go with you to many places, not to mention we can often step or trip on them, they often get tangled up, we throw them in bags carelessly, use them as an emergency dog leash, and so on.

Inspect your charging cable thoroughly and see if there are any clear signs of damage. Any rips, bends, cuts, or general damage will be a good reason for cables not functioning correctly. Also, try to charge another device with it and see if it works. If it does, the issue might be the device. You can also try using another cable to see if it will charge your cell phone battery.

How about the adapter?

Of course, the wall phone charger is just as important as the cable and could be a fast way to fix a phone that won’t charge. Go ahead and put it through the paces. Inspect it for any obvious damage. Cracks or bent outlets are obvious red flags. Likewise, try using it with other devices and switching it with another brick to see if this is the problem.

Check your charging port

If your cable and charger work with other devices, then it’s time to start looking at your phone. A common culprit is the charging port. For starters, go ahead and check if there is any dirt or debris in the port. Something as simple as a dirty port will mess up your charging. You can try cleaning it with a brush or compressed air.

Have you noticed the port feeling loose lately? Ports can get work out with excessive usage. You could also find signs of corrosion in there. This is a good time to use the free basic diagnostic at ClickAway to get that checked out and repaired.

Test a wireless charger

Given that your phone supports wireless charging, and you have a wireless charger, this is an easy way to test if the problem is related to the phone or accessories. Try to charge your phone with a wireless charger. This could also be a temporary solution to keep your phone working until you figure out the problem and get it fixed.

Try a different power source

Plug something else into the same outlet you’re trying to charge your phone with and see if it works. Sometimes outlets go bad, or a section of your home might be having electric problems.

Additionally, some power sources can be weak. Those trying to charge using a USB port in a computer or power strip might not be getting the juice the smartphone needs to charge properly. Move to a regular outlet and see if this gets rid of your charging woes.

Turn your phone off or restart

This is a magical fix for all things tech, and it works most of the time. Sometimes a simple restart will get all your phone’s gears in place and have it working properly. Turning off your phone completely might also help your cell phone battery charge better. Any heavy usage or background processes can affect charging performance. Turning your phone off will leave all resources clear so that your device can solely focus on charging.

Can you replace the battery?

Cell phones with a removable battery are rare these days, but if you still have one of these gems, you could try a few steps to fix a phone that won’t charge. For starters, trying something like removing the battery and putting it back in place might get everything working again. Aside from that, you could have ClickAway install a brand new battery to replace the old one.

Did you completely deplete your battery?

Your phone needs at least a bit of power to continue operating correctly. Devices actually turn off a bit before the battery reaches zero, just so they can have some energy to manage things next time you turn them on, or even while turned off, charging. It’s common to run into problems when you deplete batteries completely. Luckily, those in this position are the luckiest of the bunch, as it’s not really a serious problem to deal with.

You’ll have to be more patient and leave the phone plugged in for a longer time. Eventually, the phone will wake itself back up and start receiving a charge. You can try a soft reset, which is done by pressing the power button for 30 seconds.

Check for software updates

A simple solution to fix a phone that won’t charge might be to check for software updates. Of course, this is given you actually have some power to go through the upgrading process. Just go to Settings > System > Advanced > System Update > Check for Update. Follow instructions to upgrade if an update is available.

If all else fails, maybe it’s time for you to reach out to a professional and try to get it fixed. Otherwise, you can get yourself a new phone. We hope these steps helped to figure out how to fix a phone that won’t charge. Check out our other fixes for cell phone repair issues. ClickAway has been a top rated Diamond Certified cell phone repair service for 17 years.