If your iPhone or iPod touch won't charge

If your battery won't charge or charges slowly, or if an alert message appears, learn what to do.

Plug into power

To charge your device, follow these steps:

  1. Connect your device to the USB cable that comes with it.
  2. Plug into one of these three power sources:

Wall power outlet

Plug your USB charging cable into a USB power adapter, then plug the adapter into the wall.

Computer

Plug your charging cable into a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port on a computer that's on and not in sleep mode. Don’t use the USB ports on your keyboard.

Power accessory

Plug your cable into a powered USB hub, docking station, or other Apple-certified accessory.

If you're trying to charge wirelessly with an iPhone 8 or later, first make sure that you can charge with the USB cable that came with your device. If that works, then get help with wireless charging. For a third-party accessory, check that it's Apple certified.

When your device charges, a lightning bolt appears inside the battery icon in the status bar , or a large battery icon on your Lock Screen .

If your device charges slowly or won’t charge

Follow these steps and try again after each:

  1. Check your charging cable and USB adapter for signs of damage, like breakage or bent prongs. Don't use damaged accessories.
    Lightning to USB and a USB-C wall adapter
  2. Use a wall power outlet and check for firm connections between your charging cable, USB wall adapter, and wall outlet or AC power cable, or try a different outlet. 
  3. Remove any debris from the charging port on the bottom of your device, then firmly plug your charging cable into your device. If the charging port is damaged, your device probably needs service.

    Image of the charging port.
  4. Let your device charge for a half hour.
  5. If your device is still unresponsive, force restart your device: 
    • iPhone 8 or later and iPhone SE (2nd generation): Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
    • iPhone 7, 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.
  6. Let your device charge for another half hour.
  7. If your device still won't power on or charge, take your device, charging cable, and charging adapter to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for evaluation. You can also contact Apple Support.

If your device stopped charging at 80 percent

iOS 13 and later use Optimized Battery Charging to slow the rate of battery aging by reducing the time that your iPhone spends fully charged. Your iPhone uses on-device machine learning to understand your daily charging routine so that it can wait until you need to use your iPhone to finish charging past 80 percent.* Optimized Battery Charging is active only when your iPhone predicts that it will be connected to a charger for a long period of time.

Your iPhone might get slightly warmer while it charges. To extend the lifespan of your battery, if the battery gets too warm, software might limit charging above 80 percent. Your iPhone will charge again when the temperature drops. Try moving your iPhone and charger to a cooler location.

With iPhone 15 models, you might have turned on 80% Limit, which stops your iPhone from charging past about 80 percent. If you want your iPhone to charge past 80 percent, you can either turn on Optimized Battery Charging or turn off charging optimizations. 

Learn more about 80% Limit with iPhone 15 models

If an alert says that your accessory isn't supported or certified

These alerts can appear for a few reasons:

  • Your iOS device might have a dirty or damaged charging port
  • Your charging accessory is defective, damaged, or isn't Apple-certified
  • Your USB charger isn't designed to charge devices

Follow these steps:

  1. Remove any debris from the charging port on the bottom of your device.
  2. Restart your iPhone or iPod touch.
  3. Try a different USB cable or charger.
  4. Make sure that you have the latest version of iOS.
  5. Contact Apple Support to set up service.

Learn more

 

* Information regarding your charging routine is stored only on your iPhone. The information isn't included in backups and isn't shared with Apple.

Published Date: