The flimsiest part of a charger is the cable, not the adapter that plugs into the wall socket. Apple users are particularly vulnerable here because Apple's proprietary (and expensive) Lightning cables appear to have a life expectancy of around 15 minutes (just kidding!). One of the few exceptions regarding liquids is the use of 70% isopropyl alcohol, recommended by some manufacturers.Ĭlear any gunk that might be clogging your phone's ports./ © NextPit Likewise, cotton swabs, toilet paper, and cotton can not only leave lint but also damage the contacts on the USB plug. Water, cleaning products, or any type of abrasive product will damage the connector, so they should be avoided at all costs. It doesn't hurt to remember that the use of liquids to clean the contacts damages the device. We've seen phones with charging ports choked with chocolate after they were chucked in a handbag alongside a packet of sweets. A can of compressed air can blow out the offending irritants and get your USB connection back to normal. Nine times out of ten, this is all that is required.Ĭheck the 'tab' inside your device's USB port – the cable may not be making contact properly. / © NextPitĭo you keep your phone in the pocket of your jeans? If so, lint could be the culprit: we've lost track of the number of times the reason for unreliable USB charging turned out to be lint from the pocket of our Levis.

Do so very carefully and gently, then reinsert your battery and plug it in again.

The problem is often that the metallic surfaces inside the USB port and the micro USB charger are not making good contact, either through a manufacturing defect or because of the continual plugging and unplugging of the charging cable.Īll you need to do is shut down your device, remove the battery (if possible) and use something small, such as a toothpick, to 'lever up' the little tab inside the USB port on your smartphone or tablet. The quickest, easiest, and often most successful solution is to do a little DIY repair on your actual hardware.

Check your battery pack's voltage and amperage.

Make sure your phone is reporting correct battery status.It’s a very common complaint, so here are a few solutions. Most charging problems are related to your USB cable or charger or even the port itself. Either your phone won't charge at all when it is plugged in, or it will only charge very slowly (sometimes barely faster than it is discharging).

Iphone not charging on laptop