The problem may gradually worsen or appear suddenly: Your iPhone isn’t charging anymore and you don’t know why? Don’t worry: No matter what the problem is, repair is possible in most cases – even if you have a hardware or board failure. Even if the iPhone is an older model and you only need a data recovery, a repair is the cheaper and quicker option.
Here we explore the most common causes:
1) Your charging port is damaged
After repeated plugging in and unplugging, there may be a loose contact at the charging port. The result: Your iPhone no longer charges (correctly). In such an event, the charging port must be replaced. Before replacing the charger socket, however, you should check whether it is clogged, as dust or pocket and navel lint often accumulate here. First try to clean the charging socket carefully with a tooth pick or a drop of isopropanol and a toothbrush.
2) Your iPhone charging cable is damaged
It may sound obvious, but a damaged charging cable is one of the main suspects when your iPhone stops charging. Use a new charging cable or – if you have a second iPhone – try charging your second device with the same charging cable.
3) The battery is defective
After each charging cycle, the battery performance decreases a little. The consequences: The battery discharges faster than usual, the iPhone no longer charges properly and often takes longer to charge and switches off sporadically (especially in cold weather).
The iPhone can also slow down, as Apple itself has controversially admitted. If the problem didn’t happen suddenly, an old battery might be the reason. As of iOS 11.3, Apple displays information about the battery status in General Settings.
If your battery needs to be replaced, the iPhone is usually still charging, but charging is slower than usual.
4) iPhone charging chips (Tristar or Hydra) are damaged
The charging ICs can be damaged by voltage fluctuations due to the use of a non-compliant charging cables. It is best to stick to original Apple charging cables.
Cheap charging cables from third party suppliers, which you can buy at the gas station, for example, should only be used temporarily in an emergency – but not permanently. The charging electronics can also be damaged by prolonged use. Take care not to charge your iPhone too often in the car.
Should you be affected: First try charging your iPhone with the other side of your Lightning cable. Your iPhone can normally be charged from both sides of the charging cable connector. However, if the charging cable is damaged or the USB charging logic IC called “Tristar” or “Hydra” (from iPhone 8) no longer works properly, this step can sometimes help.
If this solves the problem, try a new cable to isolate the problem. If the charging electronics are very damaged, the iPhone will usually not turn on and cannot be charged at all. However, if you install a new battery, the iPhone usually turns on again and can be used again until the battery is empty, but cannot be recharged.
Other symptoms of a damaged Tristar chip: The phone discharges very quickly, but does not show the charging symbol, the phone charges only with certain cables or charges only with one side of a charging cable.
The repair process
First remove the board from the case and fix it in a special logic board holder. Relevant metal sheets or stickers are removed and the area around the Tristar chip is covered to protect board components from the heat.
At a temperature of approx. 350℃, the loading logic chip is heated and desoldered for approx. 20-30 seconds. The pads below the chip are cleaned and a new Tristar (iPhone 5s, 6, 6+, 6s, 6s+, 7, 7+) or Hydra chip (iPhone 8, 8+, Xs, Xs, Xs Max) is soldered in. The whole process takes about 30 minutes.
5) Battery data issue (battery stays at 1% charged)
If you own an iPhone 5s, SE or iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, the more likely it is that your iPhone will be affected. Most of the time, the problem starts after the iPhone has been opened and a repair attempt has been made.
Classic symptoms are: The battery does not charge and remains at 1% and the iPhone keeps restarting. How does this happen? Quite simple: Next to the battery connector of the above models, there are small components and filters that are indispensable for communicating battery data from the battery to the circuit board. If these tiny parts are damaged by a tool, e.g. when the battery connector is disconnected from the circuit board, the battery cannot provide the correct information.
That’s why the iPhone doesn’t charge properly – often despite the charging symbol – because the iPhone doesn’t know whether the battery is already being charged or not, and as a protective measure it prevents the charging process.
If you are familiar with this problem, you should consult a circuit board specialist. It’s easy to fix.
6) Software error
The iPhone software can sometimes prevent the charging process. This is because you don’t connect your iPhone directly to the battery when you connect it to a power source. The software ultimately decides whether to charge the battery or not. If your iPhone doesn’t charge, the software may be the cause.
This problem was particularly noticeable during the introduction of iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max and was resolved by a software update. Although software is not the most common cause of this problem, you should rule it out by updating your iPhone to the latest software.
Conclusion
Your iPhone is no longer charging and you have already tried everything? Now the most likely reason is a circuit board failure. There are many reasons why an iPhone won’t charge. If your iPhone stops charging and you’re desperate, send us a repair request. Phonegeist can repair your device quickly and reliably, whether you have a faulty charging jack, a problematic battery, or board damage.