iPhone not charging? Work through these fixes in order

These are the fixes for an iPhone not charging, in order, so start at the top and stop the moment it charges again. Every step follows official guidance from Apple Support, from the most common fix to the rarest.

First, rule out the obvious

Plug straight into a wall outlet, reseat the cable at both ends, and give it 30 minutes before you worry. Apple’s first step is to check for firm connections and let the device charge for half an hour. A laptop USB port or a cheap multi-port hub often can’t supply enough power, so go straight to the wall. Try a second outlet in case the first one’s dead. Then watch the status bar closely, because sometimes it’s charging slowly and you couldn’t tell.

Clean the charging port

Lint packed into the port is the single most common reason an iPhone stops charging. Pockets and bags work fluff deep into the port, and once it compacts, the cable can’t make proper contact. Apple advises removing any debris, then plugging the cable firmly back in. The safe way: power the phone off first, then lift the lint out gently with a dry soft brush or a wooden or plastic toothpick. Never use a metal pin, compressed air or any liquid. You’ll be surprised how much comes out.

Try a different cable

Swap to a cable you know is good, because a frayed, kinked or cheap uncertified cable is one of the most frequent causes and the easiest to overlook. Cables fail from the inside, usually near the connector where they bend most, so the damage is often invisible. Apple’s advice is to check the cable for damage and stop using damaged accessories. If a known-good cable brings your iPhone back, your old one’s done.

If yours turns out to be the culprit, our roundup of the best USB-C cables covers ones built to last. Want to know why a cheap cable throttles charging? We break it down in USB-C cables explained.

Use a proper charger

A tiny 5W plug, a laptop port or a powered hub may be too weak, so use a proper USB-C wall charger. A charger and an iPhone negotiate how much power to move between them, and a real USB-C Power Delivery charger gives the phone a clean, adequate supply. If you’ve been topping up from a laptop or an ancient plug, a decent wall charger often fixes it outright. A good GaN charger is small, runs cool, and has the headroom to charge at full speed.

Restart, force restart, and update iOS

A software hang can stop charging dead, so restart, then force restart, then update iOS. A normal restart clears most glitches. If that does nothing, force restart: on iPhone 8 and later, Apple’s sequence is press and quickly release Volume Up, press and quickly release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. Once it’s back, make sure you’re on the latest version of iOS, since Apple ships charging fixes in updates.

Is it pausing at 80% on purpose?

If your iPhone charges to 80% and then stops, that’s almost certainly Optimized Battery Charging or Charge Limit doing its job, not a fault. Apple built this in to reduce battery wear by cutting the time your phone sits full. It learns your routine over at least 14 days, then holds at 80% and finishes shortly before you normally unplug. You’ll see a note on the Lock Screen telling you when it’ll be full. Need 100% now? Touch and hold that notification and tap Charge Now.

Check your battery health

Open Settings, then Battery, then Battery Health & Charging, and look at the Maximum Capacity figure. If it has dropped below about 80%, it may be time to replace the battery. That percentage is the battery’s health against when it was new, not your current charge level. Apple designs iPhone 14 and earlier to hold about 80% of their capacity after 500 charge cycles, and iPhone 15 models after 1000 cycles. Once you fall much below 80% you will notice shorter runtime, slower or uneven charging, and sometimes a Service message, so if the phone is a few years old a battery replacement is the likely fix.

MagSafe or wireless charging not working?

Line the charger up centrally, plug the pad into power before you place the phone, and take off any thick or metal case. With MagSafe, magnets pull the charger into the right spot automatically. Remove a leather wallet if you use one. A thick case, a metal case, a PopSocket or a card holder sitting between the phone and the pad will block or slow charging. And if your phone isn’t a MagSafe model, it’ll still charge on a Qi pad, but more slowly.

Let it cool down

An iPhone that’s too hot will pause charging to protect the battery, so move it somewhere cool and try again. A hot car, direct sun, or heavy gaming while charging can all heat it enough to limit charging. Apple designs the iPhone to work best at normal temperatures and to pull back in extreme heat. Let it cool to room temperature and it should pick up where it left off.

When to get it serviced

If you’ve worked through everything above and it still won’t charge, the port or the battery may have failed, and that’s a job for Apple. A physically damaged port or a dead battery needs proper service. Contact Apple or an authorised provider, and back up your data first if the phone still powers on.

Sources: Apple Support, if your iPhone won’t charge; Apple Support, Charge Limit and Optimized Battery Charging; Apple Support, iPhone battery and performance; Apple Support, how to use your MagSafe Charger; Apple Support, liquid-detection alert.