There can be several reasons why an iPhone won’t charge. It can be as simple as dirt in the charging port. Or, faulty cable and adapter. At the same time, it may be something complex like a software bug that is preventing your iPhone from charging. Whatever be the cause, in this guide, let us look at useful solutions to fix the iPhone not charging issue.

Clean Your iPhone’s Charging Port

This may seem simple. But most of the time, cleaning the charging port with a soft, dry toothbrush or carefully with a toothpick, or paperclip will get the job done.

Over time, debris, dust, etc. get accumulated in the interiors of the port. Removing them and also carefully cleaning the lightning pin on the charging cable with a dry cloth will solve the problem.

Related: How to Clean and Disinfect Your iPhone

Check Your Charging Cable for Damage

Carefully inspect the charging cable and see if you notice any accidental cuts or damages. If yes, this may be the reason for your iPhone not charging.

If you do not see any physical damage on the cable, then try to charge your friend’s or family member’s iPhone with this cable. See if it works or not.

Sometimes the answer to why is my iPhone not charging may lie in the cable you are using. Faulty cheap knock-off cables may be the culprit. It is a good idea to use a lightning wire that has MFi certification.

MFi is the short form for ‘Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad.’ It is a licensing program, and if you see the MFi logo on a product package, it means Apple has authorized the maker. Usually, these products are made to work well with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Here are some suggestions for the best iPhone cables:

Restart Your iPhone

To restart your iPhone, use the button as you normally do. Or open the Settings app, tap General, and then tap Shut Down.

After a minute, switch on your iPhone and plug in the cable. See if your phone is charging or not.

Force Quit All Apps

If iPhone won’t charge when plugged in, killing all running apps and stopping media playback may help. To force quit all apps, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold; on iPhones with Home button, quickly double press it. Next, drag all app cards up.

Try to Plug into Another Outlet

Again, this is a basic solution that you may have most likely already tried. If not, here is a reminder. Please try to connect your iPhone’s charging adapter to a different wall plug.

If you are charging via a laptop or computer, try to plug it into another port. And if you are using a dongle, then unplug it from the computer and then try to connect your iPhone directly using an appropriate cable.

Try a Different Charger or Cable

Grab the cable and charger from a friend or family member and see if it works on your device or not. This test will give an estimate about where the problem lies – your cable and adapter or your iPhone.

Stop Wireless Charging

If you are trying to charge wirelessly, then stop this for now. Grab a regular lightning cable and adapter and try to charge using these. If it works, let your iPhone charge at least for 30 minutes via cable. After that, you may opt to charge it wirelessly.

If charging issues are due to software glitches, then updating your device might fix the problem in most cases.

To update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS, open the Settings app, tap General, and then tap Software Update. If you see a pending update, tap Download and Install.

Note: If your device has less than 50% battery (or 80% in some cases) then, you can not install the update. In such a situation, read the next solution.

Hard Reset Your iPhone

If your iPhone is not charging and a simple restart (or other methods above) does not fix the issue, you may have to perform a hard reset. It is also known as force restart. The steps for force restarting are slightly different than standard switching off and switching on of your iPhone.

Signing off…

The fixes here are limited to addressing software issues and hardware problems related to cable and adapter. If your iPhone’s charging port is damaged, then the only way is to contact Apple Support or an authorized technician.

Also, if your iPhone stops charging after 80%, then it may be because the battery gets too hot. And thus, for safety, iOS automatically cuts the charging. It may also be because of Optimized Battery Charging.

If a message on iPhone says ‘Accessory isn’t supported,’ then try using an Apple Certified cable and adapter. Questions? Please feel free to ask in the comments section below.