What to do when your Android phone won’t charge?

You may not think much about the process of charging your phone; just plug in the cable and unplug when the battery is full until one day your phone won’t charge and you have to scratch your head thinking “why won’t my phone charge?”.

Here are some fixes to try if your Android phone won’t charge.

1. Restart your phone

Before you start searching for “why isn’t my phone charging” on Google, try turning your phone off and on again. Usually, the reason why your phone won’t charge when plugged in is a connection problem. To rule out the cause of a temporary glitch, a reboot should always be the first thing you do.

Restarting your phone will turn off all background services and may solve your mobile charging problem. Rebooting also refreshes the phone’s core components in case one of them fails while performing the task. To do a quick reboot, just hold down the power button and press the Restart option.

If your phone started charging normally again after the reboot then your problem is solved.

2. Try putting your phone in Safe Mode

If your phone doesn’t charge after the reboot, the next step is to try starting your phone in safe mode. Essentially, safe mode is an environment that limits your phone to only the software that was originally shipped with it. This means that any third-party apps you’ve downloaded won’t run in safe mode.

If you can charge your phone in safe mode then you know for sure that the culprit is a third party service. Once you’ve confirmed that this is the problem, review any apps you’ve downloaded recently. One of them could be the cause of your charging problem.

Try uninstalling recent apps and any that you don’t trust or haven’t used in a while. Then restart your phone normally and see if it charges.

To enter safe mode on most new Android devices, press and hold the power button. In the resulting prompt, touch and hold the Power Off button. After accepting the prompt, your phone will soon reboot in safe mode. To exit safe mode, simply restart your phone.

Since not all Android skins work the same way, the process may be different on your phone. If the steps outlined here don’t work, try visiting the support site for your device or Google the button combination for safe mode.

3. Switch to another Cable/Socket/Adapter

If you’re still scratching your head and wondering “why won’t my phone charge?”, it’s time to take a look at your cable. Your charging cable may be loose, the adapter may be malfunctioning, or even the outlet it plugs into may not be able to properly transmit current.

To rule out a faulty cable, try charging your phone via another cable, adapter or power source. The easiest way to check if the cable is the cause of your problem is to connect your phone to the computer via USB.

If your phone can charge via PC, you can narrow the troubleshooting down to adapters and sockets. In case a replacement cable did the trick, invest in a new one.

4. Make sure it’s not a software bug

If your phone is not charging despite being notified, or your phone is charging but there is no charging icon, this could be a software bug. Install an app called Ampere that will let you know if any power is coming to your phone.

Ampere is a simple app that allows you to see how much current your phone is discharging or charging at any time. Ampere also comes with some other features that you may find useful. It tells you how good your phone’s battery is, available voltage and current temperature.

Once the Ampere app is installed, connect your phone to a power source, then fire up the app and see if your phone is charging. If your phone is charging but not showing the charging icon then this is a common software error, you can wait for an OS update or try a factory reset to fix it.

If your Samsung phone doesn’t charge but says yes, this could also be a software bug. Try updating your operating system or do a factory reset.

If you don’t want to install the Ampere app, another way to check for this is to turn off the phone and then plug in the charging cable. If your phone is receiving power, its screen will flash with the charging icon.

5. Clean the charging port

If the Ampere app doesn’t pick up your phone, the culprit could be debris in your charging port. Dust particles can quickly build up in the charging head and interfere with your phone’s connection to a power source.

Check your phone’s charging port and if you notice a build-up of dirt or other grime, clean it. You can do this easily by gently scrubbing the area with a dry cotton swab.

To get a better look at what’s going on inside your gate, use a flashlight to inspect the entire area. If you notice any foreign debris stuck inside, you can clean it more thoroughly using a SIM eject tool or toothpick. After cleaning your port, try to charge the phone again.

6. Can your phone get wet?

Water and electricity don’t mix and even waterproof phones need special care to stay watertight. If your phone got wet and you’re wondering why it won’t charge, chances are that water is the culprit.

You should not charge your phone at all if there is a possibility of water damage. First, you must make sure that the internal components of your phone are completely dry.

7. Go to the Service Center

If all else fails and you are still looking for the reason why your Android or Samsung phone is not charging, you can always go to a service center and ask a professional why your phone is not charging. They can find bugs you missed or diagnose hardware problems.