It’s a common frustration: you plug in your phone, expecting it to power up, but instead, the battery icon remains stubbornly unchanged. If your iPhone or iPod touch isn’t charging as expected, or if you’re seeing a message about accessory support, don’t panic. This guide will walk you through the steps to diagnose and fix the issue, getting you back to a fully charged device.
Basic Checks to Get Your Phone Charging
Before diving into more complex troubleshooting, let’s start with the fundamental steps to ensure your phone is properly connected to a power source.
Verify Your Power Source
Your iPhone or iPod touch can be charged from a few different sources. Ensure you’re using a reliable one:
- Wall Power Outlet: This is often the quickest and most reliable method.
- Connect the USB charging cable to your USB power adapter.
- Plug the adapter firmly into a wall power outlet.
Alt text: iPhone charging with a USB power adapter plugged into a wall outlet, indicated by the lightning bolt icon.
- Computer USB Port: While convenient, computer USB ports can sometimes be less powerful.
- Plug your charging cable into a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port on a computer.
- Make sure the computer is turned on and not in sleep mode. Avoid using USB ports on keyboards, as they may not provide enough power.
Alt text: Charging an iPhone by connecting it to a USB port on a computer, shown with the battery charging symbol.
- Powered Accessories: You can use powered USB hubs, docking stations, or other Apple-certified accessories. Ensure they are properly powered and certified.
If you are attempting to charge wirelessly (for iPhone 8 and later models), first confirm that charging works with a USB cable. If wired charging is successful, then investigate potential issues with your wireless charger. For third-party wireless accessories, always verify they are Apple certified to ensure compatibility and safety.
When your device is successfully charging, you should see a lightning bolt icon within the battery icon in the status bar at the top of your screen. On the Lock Screen, you might also see a large battery icon indicating charging is in progress.
Troubleshooting Steps When Your Phone Isn’t Charging
If your phone still isn’t charging after checking the power source, follow these troubleshooting steps, trying to charge after each step:
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Restart Your iPhone or iPod touch: A simple restart can often resolve minor software glitches that might be interfering with charging. Refer to Apple’s guide on how to restart your iPhone or iPod touch if you’re unsure how.
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Inspect the Charging Cable and USB Adapter for Damage: Examine your charging cable and USB adapter closely for any signs of physical damage. Look for frayed cables, bent prongs on the adapter, or any breakage. Damaged accessories can be hazardous and should not be used.
Image showing inspection of a lightning to USB cable and a USB-C wall adapter for damage. -
Try a Different Wall Outlet: The issue might be with the wall outlet itself. Try plugging your charger into a different outlet to rule out a faulty power source in your home.
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Clean the Charging Port: Lint, dust, or debris can accumulate in the charging port at the bottom of your iPhone or iPod touch, preventing a solid connection. Use a small, non-metallic, and anti-static brush or a can of compressed air to gently clean the port. After cleaning, firmly plug your charging cable back into your device.
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Allow it to Charge for at Least 30 Minutes: Sometimes, if the battery is deeply depleted, it might take a little while for your device to register the charging connection and begin to power up. Leave your device plugged in for at least half an hour to see if it starts charging.
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Force Restart Your Device: If your device remains unresponsive and doesn’t show any signs of charging (no power icon or battery icon on screen), a force restart can sometimes resolve the issue. The method for force restarting varies depending on your iPhone or iPod touch model:
- iPhone 8 or later and iPhone SE (2nd generation and later): Quickly press and release the Volume Up button, then quickly press and release the Volume Down button. Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
- iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and iPod touch (7th generation): Press and hold both the Side (or Top) button and the Volume Down button until the Apple logo appears.
- iPhone 6s or earlier, iPhone SE (1st generation), and iPod touch (6th generation) or earlier: Press and hold both the Side (or Top) button and the Home button until the Apple logo appears.
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Charge for Another Half Hour After Force Restart: After force restarting, let your device charge for another 30 minutes to see if it now accepts a charge.
If, after trying all these steps, your iPhone or iPod touch still won’t power on or charge, it might indicate a more serious hardware problem that requires professional attention.
Understanding Optimized Battery Charging and the 80% Limit
If you notice your iPhone charging to 80% and then pausing, this is likely due to Apple’s Optimized Battery Charging feature. Introduced in iOS 13 and later, this intelligent feature is designed to prolong the lifespan of your battery. It learns your charging habits and may delay charging past 80% until it predicts you’ll need your phone, typically just before you usually unplug.
Optimized Battery Charging is only active in certain situations where your iPhone predicts it will be connected to a charger for an extended period. This is normal behavior and helps to reduce battery aging.
Similarly, your iPhone might temporarily limit charging above 80% if it gets too warm. Heat can also negatively impact battery health. If your iPhone gets warm during charging, try moving it and the charger to a cooler environment. Charging will resume once the temperature decreases.
For iPhone 15 models and later, there’s also a configurable charge limit feature. You can set a custom limit, which might be set to 80% to further maximize battery longevity. If you want to charge beyond this limit, you’ll need to adjust this setting in your iPhone’s Battery settings. You can learn more about charge limits on iPhone 15 models on Apple’s support website.
“Accessory Not Supported” or “Certified” Alerts
If you see an alert message stating that your accessory is not supported or certified, there are several potential reasons:
- Dirty or Damaged Charging Port: As mentioned earlier, debris in the charging port can cause connection issues and trigger this alert.
- Defective, Damaged, or Non-Apple Certified Accessory: The charging cable or adapter you are using might be faulty, damaged, or not officially certified by Apple. Using non-certified accessories can sometimes lead to compatibility problems and these alerts.
- USB Charger Not Designed for Devices: In rare cases, a USB charger might not be designed to provide power to devices like iPhones or iPods.
To troubleshoot these alerts:
- Clean the Charging Port: Ensure the charging port is free of any obstructions.
- Restart Your Device: A restart can sometimes clear temporary software glitches causing the alert.
- Try a Different USB Cable and Charger: Test with a different Apple-certified USB cable and power adapter to rule out a problem with your current accessories.
- Update to the Latest iOS Version: Make sure your iPhone or iPod touch is running the latest version of iOS. Software updates can sometimes resolve compatibility issues.
Still Not Charging? Seek Professional Help
If you’ve gone through all these troubleshooting steps and your phone still isn’t charging, it’s time to consider that there might be a hardware problem. In this case, your next step is to get service from Apple Support or an authorized service provider. They have the expertise to diagnose and repair more complex charging issues.
