When an iPhone won’t charge, it’s a big deal. I’m a former Apple employee, and during my time in the Apple Store, fixing iPhone charging problems was a big part of my daily work. The good news is that the majority of iPhone charging problems can be fixed at home. In this article, I’ll show you how to fix an iPhone that won’t charge, step-by-step.
Table Of Contents
Know This Before You Begin
One of the most common questions Apple techs receive when an iPhone won’t charge is this: “If my iPhone won’t charge, do I need a new battery?”
In spite of what you’ll read on many websites, the answer to this question is no! There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and that was one of the main reasons I wanted to write this article.
As a former Apple tech with experience working with hundreds of iPhones that wouldn’t charge, I can tell you that replacing a battery is the absolute wrong thing to do.
The truth is that most of the time, it’s your iPhone’s software — not hardware — that’s preventing your iPhone from charging. If your iPhone won’t charge, 99% of the time, replacing the battery will have zero effect!
And, if there is a hardware problem, it’s much more likely that the issue is with the charging port itself — but we’re not there yet.
If you’d rather watch than read, our YouTube video will walk you through the fixes.
Wireless Charging: A Temporary Fix
While you work on fixing your iPhone, you may still be able to charge it wirelessly. Every iPhone since the iPhone 8 supports wireless charging with Qi-certified chargers. Place your iPhone on the center of a Qi wireless charger and see if starts charging.
If it does — that’s great! However, we still need to address the problem preventing your iPhone from charging with a wired connection.
If your iPhone won’t charge wirelessly either, follow the step-by-step guide below, or check out our other article on how to fix wireless charging problems.
How To Fix An iPhone That Won’t Charge
1. Hard Reset Your iPhone
Sometimes the solution is as simple as hard resetting your iPhone. That’s the first thing an Apple tech would do in the Apple Store, and it’s easy to do at home. Here’s how:
How To Hard Reset Your iPhone
| Phone | How To Hard Reset |
|---|---|
| iPhone 6S, SE, and older models | Press and hold the power button and the Home button together until the Apple logo appears on the screen, and then let go. |
| iPhone 7 and 7 Plus | Press and hold the power button and the volume down button together until the Apple logo appears on the screen, and then let go. |
| iPhone 8 & Newer | There are three steps: 1. Quickly press and release the volume up button. 2. Quickly press and release the volume down button. 3. Press and hold the power button (called the “side button” on iPhones with Face ID) until the Apple logo appears on the display, and then let go. |
Apple tech tip: The #1 mistake people make while trying to hard reset their iPhone is that they don’t hold the buttons down for long enough. On iPhone 8 or newer, however, make sure you are pressing the first two buttons very quickly and holding the power button down for a long time. Sometimes the process can take 20 seconds or more!
If that doesn’t work, don’t worry! We’ll dive into the hardware fixes in the next step.
2. Check Your Lightning Cable For Damage
Take a very close look at both ends of the USB cable you use to charge your iPhone. Apple’s lightning cables are prone to fraying, especially at the end that connects to your iPhone. If you see visible signs of wear, it might be time for a new cable.
How can I tell whether my lightning cable is the reason why my iPhone won’t charge?
If there is no visible damage to the outside of the cable, try plugging your iPhone into a USB port on your computer to charge instead of using the wall adapter that came with your iPhone. If you already charge your iPhone using your computer, try using the wall adapter. If it works in one place and not the other, your cable isn’t the issue.
This might seem obvious, but sometimes the best way to determine whether you have a “bad cable” is to try charging your iPhone using a friend’s cable. If your iPhone suddenly springs back to life after you plug it in, you’ve identified the reason why your iPhone won’t charge — a faulty cable.
Don’t forget about your iPhone’s warranty!
If your iPhone is still under warranty, the USB cable (and everything else in the iPhone box) is covered! Apple will replace your lightning cable for free, as long as it’s in decent shape.
You can set up a return on Apple’s support website or call your local Apple Store to make an appointment with the Genius Bar. If you decide to go to the Apple Store, it’s always a good idea to make an appointment at the Genius Bar before you go in. That way, you won’t have to wait in line — at least not for long.
3rd-party cables can charge iPhone charging problems
One of the most common reasons why an iPhone won’t charge comes from low-quality, third-party iPhone charging cables that people buy in gas stations. Yes, Apple cables are expensive, but in my experience, those $5 knockoffs never hold up like the real thing. There are good ones out there — you just have to know which ones to choose.
If you’re looking for a high-quality replacement iPhone charging cable that’s more durable than Apple’s, check out our favorites on Amazon. These aren’t cheap gas station cables that are going to break in a week. I love the 6-foot Lightning cable because it’s long enough for me to be able to use my iPhone in bed.
The important thing to look for is a Made For iPhone (MFi) label on the box. MFi is essentially Apple’s seal of approval — it’s an accessory that meets Apple’s software and hardware requirements.
If you plug a non-MFi charging cable into your iPhone, you may see a message that says, “This accessory may not be supported.”
3. Try A Different iPhone Charger
Do you charge your iPhone by plugging it into the wall, using a car charger, in a speaker dock, in your laptop, or some other way? There are a lot of different ways to charge an iPhone.
Remember that it’s your iPhone software that says ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to charging when your iPhone connects to an accessory. If the software detects power fluctuations, it will prevent your iPhone from charging as a protective measure.
How can I tell whether my charger is the reason why my iPhone won’t charge?
We’ll do the same thing we did when we inspected your Lightning cable. The simplest way to find out whether your charger is bad is to try another one. Make sure you try more than one because chargers can be very finicky.
If your iPhone won’t charge with the wall adapter, try plugging it into a USB port on your computer. If it won’t charge in the computer, try plugging it into the wall — or try a different USB port on the computer. If your iPhone charges with one adapter and not the other, then your charger is the problem.
There are high-quality fast chargers out there, but you have to be careful
If you need a new charger, check out the chargers we recommend using the same link as above (for the cable). The maximum Apple-approved amperage for iPhone chargers is 2.1 amps. Unlike many third-party chargers that can damage your iPhone, these ones will charge your iPhone quickly and safely.
(The iPad charger is 2.1A and Apple says it’s OK for iPhones.)
Tip: If you’re trying to charge using an Apple keyboard or USB hub, try plugging your iPhone directly into one of your computer’s USB ports. All the devices plugged into USB hubs (and keyboards) share a limited supply of power. I have personally seen iPhone charging problems occur because there wasn’t enough power to go around.
4. Brush The Gunk Out Of Your iPhone’s Charging Port
Use a flashlight and take a close look at the charging port in the bottom of your iPhone. If you see any debris or gunk in there, it might be preventing the lightning cable from making a solid connection to your iPhone. There are lots of connectors down there (the lightning cable has 9), and if the wrong one is blocked off, your iPhone won’t charge at all.
If you find lint, gunk, or other debris in the charging port of your iPhone, it’s time to brush it out. You need something that won’t conduct an electric charge or damage the electronics in the bottom of your iPhone. Here’s the trick:
Grab a toothbrush (one you’ve never used before) and gently brush out your iPhone’s charging port. When I was at Apple, we used fancy anti-static brushes to do this (which you can get on Amazon for next to nothing), but toothbrushes work just as well.
Dealing with liquid damage
One of the most common reasons why an iPhone won’t charge is liquid damage. Liquid damage can short out the connections in the charging port of your iPhone cause all sorts of problems with your iPhone. Even if you’ve dried out the port and brushed out the gunk, sometimes the damage has already been done.
5. Put Your iPhone Into DFU Mode And Restore
Even if your iPhone won’t charge, a DFU restore may still work! You’ve eliminated the possibility of a simple software problem and taken a look at your USB cable, charger, and the iPhone itself, so it’s time for a last-ditch effort — the DFU restore.
A DFU restore is a special kind of restore (when you restore your iPhone, you erase everything on it and restore it to factory settings) that can solve severe software issues — if they exist.
Check out my article about how to DFU restore an iPhone to learn how to put your iPhone into DFU mode, and cross your fingers before you try. When I worked for Apple, this is the first thing I’d try, even when the phone appeared to be damaged. There’s a small chance that a DFU restore will bring a non-functional iPhone back to life.
If it doesn’t work, come back here to learn about fixing a hardware problem.
6. Repair Your iPhone
If you go to an Apple Store to repair your iPhone and there has been liquid or physical damage to phone, the only option they can offer is to replace your entire iPhone. If you don’t have AppleCare+, this can get expensive, fast.
If you had pictures, videos, or other personal information on your iPhone and your iPhone won’t charge, Apple will say they’re gone forever. Get in touch with an Apple representative and see what they can do. If all they can do is replace your iPhone, you may want to consider visiting a local mom and pop repair shop.
iPhone Charging Again!
I hope your iPhone has sprung back to life and you’re on your way back to a full charge. I’d love to hear from you about your experiences fixing the iPhone charging problem, and I’m here to help along the way.
huge help, thanks a ton!
Worked perfectly! Thanks,
If your having trouble with your iPhone this site is fantastic
All these year of trying to solve problems with my I phones
Here it all is in one place
Thank you! This article saved me from having to use an android until my iphone 6 was fixed. 🙂 you saved my from certain he;;. When it came back up my battery was still at 73% full.
Can you change battery in 6 plus
Excellent. Thank you. Toothbrush has worked me.
commencing update. i hope it will work out because i spend too much money for cables….. this is the real nightmare in my life. thanks for explanation and in the future, i can even save lives/money
All the while I thought I needed another cable.. then what I found out is that the problem was with the phone’s software.. hard reset the phone and tada!!! My phone was charging again!! I screened shot this as I type it in!! Awesome!! Cool!!
my i phone is not charging properly time to tome.what the reason for that?
Very helpul. Thank you. I managed to rectify the situation following one of your recommendations.
My iPhone is just showing apple logo and low battery logo
this sucked massive dick
My phone will charge when turned off, but will not charge when on. Suggestions?
Thanks for alll your helpful info, but what I’m trying to find out is why my phone (iphone6s) has yesterday stopped holding its charge? It charges ok normal length of time but within 3hrs and not much use it’s at 10% again any ideas
Cleaning the port with a toothbrush did the trick!
Thanks! I’d never seen my phone so dead. Step #1, the hard boot, fixed it.
how does it work
Thank you for saving my life!!! Got phone going after it just died today
Thank you, you’re a genious!
I though my 6s battery was toast. I did the hard reset for a little more than 30 seconds, while the black screen display showed 2 red lines in the nearly exhausted battery icon. The display died, and I thought that this was it – the battery failed completely. After about 20 seconds of despair, the white Apple logo appeared, and the phone appears to becharging normally now. Thank you for reminding me of the obvious first step.
Clean the charging port did it for me.
You saved my phone right before a long vacation weekend. Thanks a whole bunch.
THANK YOU!!!! My phone hasn’t been charging and I would have to jiggle, pinch and twist the charging cord all weird to only sometimes get a charge. I could tell it was a problem with my phone charging port.
I tried the Toothbrush suggestion and as soon as i plugged my phone in to charge it started charging! YAY
Fantastic information. The hard reset did the trick, thank you
When i charge my iphone 4, i only see the apple logo which appears on the screen but will later disappear after 4seconds . so the phone is not charging
charger wont go into port
You made me feel like an iPhone repair genius! I was ready to buy a new charging cord, but the hard reset worked. I’m amazed! Thank you.
Reset worked just like you said on my partners iPhone 5C. Thank you
Hard reset worked! Thanks for sharing your expertise.
THANKS!
This article was enormously helpful. I assumed something was wrong with the phone and or cable. I had used compressed air to blow out the cable port but did not notice a change. The toothbrush seems to have been just the technique needed. Brushed for a few seconds, dampened bristles with alcohol then use can of compressed air. took 30 seconds, now charges fine. Perhaps with was pocket lint, dust, etc had accumulated and embedded in such a way as to prevent charging without a lot finagling of the cable – but whatever the cause I really appreciate the help.
very helpful thanks. i hard reset my phone and its back up and charging…
THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!! My phone would not charge, but brushing out the charging port worked a treat and it’s now charging up properly! 🙂
Veru helpful indeed. Many thanks. The hard reset worked straight way
Hi David, very helpful article. Thank you. Here’s my problem; I’ve got an iPhone 5 that won’t charge and is dead flat and unbootable. I’ve put in a replacement battery and it came with 40% charge and connected via USB using the lightening cable to a PC and I’ve used iCloud to backup. Phone charge was then 33%. I turned the phone off using the power button at the top. Overnight the phone lost all charge and is unbootable again. I’ve tried various charging methods and cleaned the ports. So hard reset/restore isn’t possible at the moment and I’d love… Read more »
2 min read, 30 second fix! Thanks 😉
Thanks for the help.
Thanks David. Mine sorted itself simply by plugging into iTunes. It took a while for iTunes to register the phone’s presence, and then the phone rebooted itself and it was fine.
You are really the life saver ^_^ My charging problem has been solved! Thank you so much!!!
hi! david thank you so much for the awesome information it helps me a lot.. God bless you:)
I just bought a refurbished Mophie juice pack from what I consider a reputable online dealer. It caused the phone to shut down or perhaps the screen to go dark and it was unresponsive until a hard reset. I’m wondering whether there are issues with battery packs (or refurbished accessories) that you or anyone has encountered. Thanks
hard reset worked…thank you
Thank you. Fixed my 14 year old daughter’s phone in 10 secconds by doing a hard reset. Disaster averted.
great advice-gunk in the port 🙂
For the price of a new toothbrush. I have a working phone. Thank you so much!
My last battery became swollen to a point where the screen was lifting. I replaced the battery with a new one which worked fine for about 2 weeks. i would charge all night and withinh an hour after I take it off charge and use it the battery drains. This weekend I used it til the battery died then plugged in to charge. I shows that the power cable is plugged in but it doesnt come on so I dont know if its actually charging. Ive tried a different charger and plugging it into my laptop and it does the… Read more »
Thank you, I did a hard reset on my Iphone 5s and it worked!!!!
Hard reset on the 6 saved my life…massive
thanks for the help!
Toothbrush worked.Thank you.
Thank you! Just did the hard reset and it worked. Really appreciate this information!