iPhone not charging? Clean the charging port before you book a repair

When an iPhone suddenly will not charge, or only charges if the cable is held at a certain angle, the most common cause is not a broken charging port. It is pocket lint.

The charging port is an open pocket that faces down into your pocket all day. Lint packs together at the bottom, and eventually the plug cannot go all the way in. The phone behaves as if the cable is broken.

So start with this before you book anything.

How to clean the charging port without damaging anything

1. Turn the phone off.
2. Use a wooden or plastic toothpick. Do not use a needle, a paper clip or anything else made of metal.
3. Guide it gently along the bottom of the port and scrape outwards. A compacted plug of lint typically comes out in one piece.
4. Repeat a few times until nothing more comes out.
5. Turn the phone on and try the cable again.

Two things to avoid:

• Canned compressed air. It pushes the lint further in, and the propellant can leave moisture behind.
• Metal. The contacts at the bottom are thin and close together. Scratch them and you go from a free clean to a real repair.

Is it the port, the cable or the battery?

Test in this order and you will find the cause without guessing:

• Swap the cable and adapter. Cables break on the inside, usually right by the plug. Try a set you know works.
• Try another power source. USB ports in furniture and cars often deliver too little power.
• Does it charge briefly when you wiggle the cable? That points to the port, or to lint at the bottom.
• Does it charge fine but run flat in no time? Then it is the battery, not the port. Read our guide on when to replace the battery.
• Does it charge wirelessly but not with a cable? Then the port is the culprit.

When the port does need replacing

Sometimes it is the port. Typically if there has been liquid in the phone, if the plug has sat crooked and bent the contacts, or if it is simply worn after years of use.

You see the price for your model in our price calculator, with VAT, travel and the part included.

If you have cleaned the port and tried another cable and it still will not charge, that is the repair you need. We come to you, and you see the price before you book.

And if it turns out it was just lint, we will tell you. We do not charge for a repair that was not needed.