iPhone charging port not working: Reasons and fixes

Issues with iPhone charging usually come down to a damaged cable or charger. In some cases, the charging port itself can be the culprit. Thankfully, charging port issues are often simple ones and easy to fix and it’s only in cases of severe damage to the phone itself that the port will need replacing.

A clogged port

The most common issue is debris in the port. Since an iPhone charging port – whether USB-C or Lightning – is quite narrow, debris doesn’t easily get in. However, when it does debris can get lodged quite tightly inside. This debris usually takes the form of lint, though other particles like dust and gunk can make their way in as well.

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To clear lint and other debris, you can first try blowing into the port. If that doesn’t work, use a plastic pin or toothpick to gently pry the offending gunk out. Be very careful when doing so as even a second of carelessness can cause the delicate pins inside the port to bend.

Liquid in the port

iPhones have a built-in safety feature that prevents charging when liquid is detected in the charging port. If this is the case, you’ll see a notification on your phone that liquid has been detected in the port and that you must clear it out before you’ll be allowed to charge your iPhone. To remove liquid, you can again blow into the port or simply clear out the liquid carefully with the corner of a lint-free cloth.

Software issues

In some cases, a software glitch might be preventing your phone from charging. You can simply restart the phone to resolve this.

In extremely rare cases the port itself might be damaged, often from a botched cleaning or the use of a damaged USB cable for charging. In this case you don’t have an option but to take the device to a service centre for getting the port replaced. You could also avoid using the port altogether and switch to MagSafe charging.