Why Your Phone Isn’t Charging (And How to Fix It)

Oh no! Your smartphone is dead and doesn’t seem to want to hold a charge.

“Why is my phone not charging,” you ask?

Recycell’s team explains 5 potential causes and suggests solutions to fix the problem.

1. First, try restarting your phone

If you suddenly notice that your phone isn’t holding a charge, start by restarting the device. It’s entirely possible that the charging problem is being caused by a small glitch that can be fixed with a simple reboot.

When you restart your phone, it automatically quits all apps running in the background. The device’s basic components are also refreshed, in case one of them has failed.

If your phone charges properly after you restart it, it may be a good idea to check the third-party apps installed on your device. Delete any that seem potentially untrustworthy, because they could cause problems.

2. Replace your charging block or charging cable

Defective charging accessories could be another reason why your phone is not charging. These defects could be undetectable to the naked eye but have a big impact on the effectiveness of the accessories.

For example, a wire inside the charging cable may have come loose, or the charging block may have sustained internal damage.

To determine whether the problem is being caused by your charging accessories, plug your phone into a different charger that you know works. If your phone charges normally, then you know that the problem is being caused by the cable or the power supply.

The problem could also be caused by the electrical outlet you are using to charge your phone. If the outlet is defective, your phone won’t charge. Check your electrical outlets before buying new charging accessories.

3. Clean out the USB port

Even if you have the best protective phone case on the market, it’s practically impossible to prevent dust and debris from getting into the phone’s USB port.

Your phone might not be charging because too much dust has accumulated in the charging port. If that’s the case, you need to clean out the port to be able to charge your phone.

Use a cotton swab to try to wipe away any superficial dust. You can also inspect the port more closely with a flashlight to see if there is larger debris lodged inside.

If there is, insert a small tool such as a needle or SIM card ejector into the port and gently dislodge the debris.

4. Check your phone battery

Another reason why you might be having problems charging your phone is if the battery is damaged or obsolete. If you use a charger that is too powerful for your phone’s battery, it may get damaged much faster.

It may also simply be time to replace the battery.

If you have an iPhone, testing your battery is simple. Just go into Settings and click on Battery. If you see a message above the Low Power Mode option, that means your battery needs to be changed. If no message appears, your battery is fine.

If you have an Android, download the Ampere app for free. It can detect the amperage the phone receives while charging, tell you if the current is too much or too little for the battery, and check whether the battery functioning properly.

5. What to do if your phone is not fast charging

Some phone brands, like Samsung and Huawei, offer fast charging technology. As the name suggests, this technology gives phones the ability to charge in far less time.

What do you do if your fast charging stops working overnight? Here are a few tips:

• Check whether fast charging is activated: Go to settings to check whether your fast charging is on.
• Use the right kind of charging block: Some charging blocks aren’t made for fast charging. Make sure your charging block supports fast charging and is the same brand as your phone. Third-party devices may cause charging problems.
• Turn off your smartphone while it’s charging: A phone that’s turned off will charge much more quickly than one that’s in use.
• Run system updates 
• Reset your phone to factory settings: This is a last resort. Save all of your data beforehand, because it will be deleted when you reset.

Phone not charging? Find a new one at Recycell!

A variety of causes can lead to phone charging problems. Dust in the port may be preventing the phone from connecting to the power supply, or your charging accessories may have become defective.

The other unfortunate possibility is that your phone has decided to call it quits.

If that’s the case and you want to replace your broken device, look no further! At Recycell, you can find a used smartphone that’s as good as new for an unbeatable price.

Check out the vast selection of used phones available at our online store!