Phone Not Charging? Port, Cable and Battery Fixes for iPhone and Android

You plug it in at night and wake up to the same percentage. Or the charging icon flickers on and off, or it climbs so slowly it’s hardly worth it. A phone not charging is one of the most common problems there is, and most of the time the phone itself is fine. It’s a dirty port, a bad cable or a setting.

Start with the cheap, quick checks and work towards the battery. The steps cover iPhone and Android, with notes for Samsung, Pixel and recent iPhones where they behave differently.

Match the symptom first

Cable, adapter and socket checks

Restart the phone. A frozen charging service or a crashed app can stop the phone noticing it’s plugged in. Restart, then plug in again. If it’s completely dead, leave it on a charger you know works for 30 minutes before trying to switch it on.

Swap the cable and adapter. Cables fail far more often than phones do. Use a cable that works on another phone, and a USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) wall adapter rated at 20W or more. While you’re diagnosing, stay away from laptop USB ports and cheap car chargers. They often supply too little power, which looks like “charging slowly” or “not charging”. If one cable works and another doesn’t, you have your answer.

Take the case off and try another socket. A thick case can stop the plug going all the way in, and some wall sockets and power strips are simply dead.

Try a wireless pad. If the phone supports Qi, MagSafe or Qi2, put it on a wireless charger. If it charges wirelessly but not by cable, the battery is fine. The problem is the port or the cable.

Cleaning lint out of the port

Pocket lint packs into USB-C and Lightning ports until the plug can’t seat properly. It’s the most common reason for a charging port not working.

1. Switch the phone off.
2. Shine a torch into the port and look for compacted grey fluff at the back.
3. Scrape it out gently with a wooden or plastic toothpick. Never use metal pins, needles or SIM tools. They can short or bend the contacts.
4. Blow out the loose bits. Don’t use compressed air on a wet port.
5. Plug in again. The cable should click in firmly.

The 80% stop is usually on purpose

A lot of “my phone stops charging” reports are a feature doing its job.

iPhone. iPhone 15 and later can cap charging at 80% or another limit you choose, and every recent iPhone uses Optimized Battery Charging, which pauses at 80% overnight and finishes before you usually unplug. Check the limit in Settings › Battery › Charging. A pause at 80% with a note on the Lock Screen is normal.

Samsung. Settings › Battery › Battery protection can cap charging at 80%, which looks like “not charging” once it gets there.

Pixel. Adaptive Charging slows overnight charging so the phone hits 100% around the time of your alarm. A Pixel that seems stuck in the 80s at night is usually doing this. The charging options for your model are in Settings › Battery.

iPhone 17 and Air: dead at 0%

Earlier this year some iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air owners found the phone wouldn’t charge by cable once the battery had fully drained. According to BGR, citing 9to5Mac, putting it on a wireless charger brought affected phones back. Apple fixed it in iOS 26.5.1 in early June 2026, describing it as an issue that “may prevent wired charging on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 models when the battery is nearly drained”. Install the latest update in Settings › General › Software Update.

Two other iPhone messages come up a lot. If you see a liquid-detection alert, unplug, tap the phone gently against your hand with the port facing down, and leave it to dry somewhere with a bit of airflow for at least 30 minutes before trying again. “This accessory may not be supported” usually means a damaged or uncertified cable. Swap it.

Moisture warnings on a Galaxy

Galaxy phones block wired charging when the port is wet and show a moisture-detected alert. It’s a safety feature. Dry the phone, shake the port gently, and wait for the warning to clear. Wireless charging still works in the meantime on models that have it.

If the warning shows up on a dry phone, clean the port as above and restart. False alerts that keep coming back can mean corrosion. Our water damage check guide explains how to tell.

When the percentage won’t climb

The phone says it’s charging, but the number barely moves. Go through these:

1. Let it cool. Phones slow or pause charging when they’re hot. Gaming, navigation or a hot car while plugged in can stall the percentage. Take the case off, stop heavy apps, let it cool and try again.
2. Try Safe Mode. A misbehaving app can drain the battery as fast as it charges, and Safe Mode turns third-party apps off. On a Samsung, hold Side key + Volume Down, then touch and hold Power off until “Safe mode” appears and tap it. On a Pixel and most other Android phones, hold the power button (or Power + Volume Up), then touch and hold Power off or Restart until “Reboot to safe mode” appears. If it charges normally there, uninstall recently added apps one at a time.
3. Run the built-in tests. On a Samsung, open Samsung Members › Support › Phone diagnostics and run Cable charging, Wireless charging e Battery status. On a Pixel, check Settings › Battery › Battery health on supported models. Many other Android phones have hidden test menus, listed in our Android hidden diagnostic codes page.
4. Check battery health. An ageing battery can say “charging” while gaining almost nothing, or jump from 20% to 0%. On an iPhone, look at Settings › Battery › Battery Health. Apple treats 80% or lower maximum capacity as a sign the battery should be replaced, and our guide to iPhone battery health and parts history explains the readings.

If the port is loose, corroded or bent and none of this has helped, it needs a professional port or battery repair. See whether it’s still under warranty first.

Testing charging on a used phone before you buy

A worn port or battery is one of the most common hidden faults on second-hand phones. Take your own charger with you.

• Plug it in and watch the percentage rise for a few minutes.
• On an iPhone, check Battery Health and run an Apple GSX report for warranty, repair and replacement history.
• On a Galaxy, run the Samsung Members charging tests and a Samsung Info report. For a Pixel, use the Google Pixel Info check.
• Look inside the port for green or white corrosion. It’s a sign of water damage.