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.
I shut my iphone SE off and then turned it back on: presto, it charges. Thanks!
saved my life – thank you
thanks ! Thought my iphone was broken because it wouldn’t do anything including charging , followed your advice and reboot and it works
David THank you so much for writing this I am going to write a blog post and link back to this page if that is ok? I sure appreciate you paying it forward!!!!! It was the software not the hardware.
Thanks to your article I have my phone up and running again thank you
Thank you so much !
When you do a DFU to restore, will you lose all data, Mail, contacts , apps ??
Thank you so much! The hard re-set saved me. Also going to banish our cheap 3rd party chargers.
Wow! After a short “feeling out” period when al I encountered was a black screen after a night of charging, I grabbed my wife’s iPhone and found this article. I did a super hard reset ( took 30 seconds of holding the buttons ) the phone sprang back to life and showed a 95% charge. THANKS!
wow! amazing.. i almost got a heart attack on seeing my phone not charge. but ur amazing post just helped me literally quarter way through it. lovely!! thanksssss
dear Payette,thanks for your comprehensive brief. My phone just went dead today. It was exposed to water in the morning but did not shut down until the battery finished and it refused to charge.
Have done everything described and when i reboot it shows the picture of the head of the charging cable, the battery with red coming on and off and a flash in between them. what does this mean?
thank you so much i used a toothbrush to get the debris out of there and now my phone changes again thank you
Excellent article, extremely helpful
Thank you. And I no longer feel like a pathological hoarder for keeping all those Alitalia toothbrushes.
Thanks David my iphone was only charging sometimes and would stop halfway through which was very annoying. I got a clean tootbrush and gave my charging port a good clean and now it charges everytime. Very happy.
Thanks, I never realised that it was the software that would tell the phone if to charge or not, now I know for next time, you saved me a trip to Apple and me looking like a right stupid fool. :). Will be saving this page for future reference or just in case any friends have problems, I can send them this link :). Once again thanks.
The phone wouldn’t charge because the phone was on?
omg this worked i tired everythinggggggggg brand new phone it had died and i didnt put it on the charger right away but once i did nothinfg happened so i kept trying new cords and wall pieces ani still got nothing just a blank screen but once i did what you said it came on and is charging thank you so much its a iphone 6 plus
I followed your suggestion and rebooted my iPhone and “hey presto” it started charging. Many thanks!
Thanks been driving me mad trying to work out what was wrong with my phone. So simple.
if i change lightning port to fake, my iphone will spport not sertificated cabels?
thank you. That helped
You’re a star!! The toothbrush worked on the charging port – your info was really helpful so many thanks.
the holding down of the power and home button works like a charm all the time. Thank you.
Cleaning the charging port with a toothbrush sorted mine out, relief !!!
Just fixed my grandson’s phone using the advice above. Thank you so much!
i need help 🙁 i left my phone on 39% then i went somewhere then when i came back, it’s dead. i pressed the lock button cause i’m gonna use the camera but it didn’t turn on anymore. i’ve charged my phone for an hour now alreaady but nothing’s happening. please help
Thank you so much<3
Yes you are 100% corect . I used a brush and found lint inside the charging port.. Thank you so much
my battery ran out and my iphone 5 switched off… i had a broken charger so i couldnt charge my iphone 5 for a night… i bought new cables and ttry charging it again the next day but it wouldnt charge… i tried cleaning the cahrging port and tried holding the home and power button for 30 seconds or more… but its still blank… even itunes cant detect my iphone 5.. plss help me out…
OMG Thank you!!!!! Number 1 worked for me,
Super helpful…love the internet to help solve problems without costing a dime!! Thank you
Thank u very informational
Hi, thanks for your help. I got an apple icon and now only a pic of a plug and itunes. Any idea what I can do next please?
my phone died and i had it on the charger for 5 hours and it wont come on please help!!!!!!
Tried 3 different cables with the same results. Tried the toothbrush to clean out the charging port and it did improve, still a little touchy. Thanks.
my phone was not charging, i had to hold it in a perfect spot just for it to charge, after doing th hard reset it charges normaly now thankyou so much
thanks man it worked
This article was super helpful! Ended up using a toothbrush to get a bunch of lint out of the port. Thank you!
Thank you, this helped. My car charger works just fine so my problem must be in the cord for the charger that I use in the house. Thank you so much!
great
I’ve been charging my iphone allthrought the day but still dead. I don’t know why it happened.
Hard reseting the iphone worked! Thank you. I have to say that I love and defend Apple and all my Apple devices, but if there’s something that scary me and that whent people talk about it I can not say anything to refute their words is those weird things like this charging issue or other crazy bananas things that apple products make.
The toothbrush worked like a charm. No wonder – look at my last name!
Help! My phone is dead and ive only had it for 6 months. Its is an iPhone 5 and it says it is charging when it is not. I tried everything even hard reset. It behaves as if it is dead even though it has been charging for 17 hours now 🙁
I had a problem with my phone only charging when any cord was in the perfect position. Week after about a week of dealing with it. I finally found the problem. I took a thumb tack. And swiped I the inside of the port and found pocket lint in there. After some cleaning my problem was fixed.
Thanks for solving my problem. Very helpful article.
thank you! hard reset and it’s back!
I’m currently having an issue with this. It seemingly sprung up overnight. The funny thing is that literally the charge before, my phone charged fine with absolutely no issues. i’m thinking that it’s either my charging port OR the outlet I’m trying. But I’m leaving for vacation soon so if it’s neither of these I’m kind of screwed
Muchas Gracias Much appreciated