Quick answer
If your iPhone is not charging or charges slowly, clean the charging port with a wooden toothpick, then try a different cable, adapter and wall socket. Restart the iPhone and leave it idle while it charges. If that fails, check Settings › Battery › Battery Health and any beta software. A worn battery or damaged port needs a repair.
First, find out where the problem is
Plug the iPhone in and look at the battery icon in the status bar. That tells you which half of the problem you are dealing with.
| What you see | What it means | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| No charging bolt at all | No power is reaching the iPhone | Port, cable, adapter, socket |
| Bolt appears and disappears | The connection keeps dropping | Port cleaning, cable, case |
| Bolt shows, percentage barely rises | Power arrives but too little, or is being used up | Adapter wattage, background use, battery health |
| Stops at 80 percent | Charging is being paused on purpose | Optimized Battery Charging |
Check the basics
These take two minutes and rule out the simple causes before you spend money.
- Push the cable fully into the port. It should seat firmly.
- Try a different wall socket. A dead socket or tripped fuse looks exactly like a broken charger.
- If you are charging from a computer, make sure it is awake and not in sleep mode.
- Take the case off and try again. Thick cases can stop the connector going all the way in, and a MagSafe case can sit badly on a wireless charger.
How to clean the iPhone charging port
A port blocked with lint is one of the most common reasons an iPhone stops charging. Pocket debris builds up in the Lightning or USB-C port and gets packed down every time you plug in, until the cable can no longer make contact.
- Turn the iPhone off.
- Take a wooden or plastic toothpick. Do not use anything metal, which can damage the pins.
- Gently scrape along the inside of the port, paying attention to the bottom.
- Pull the debris out rather than pushing it further in.
- Finish with a short burst of compressed air.
Work slowly. The pins inside are delicate, and the lint is often compacted so tightly that the port looks clean until you start. A port that has gone from loose and unreliable back to a firm click is a good sign that the blockage is gone.
Try a different cable
Cables fail more often than anything else in the charging chain, usually near the connectors where they bend most. Look for:
- fraying or splits near either connector
- exposed wire anywhere along the cable
- sharp kinks
- a connector that wobbles or does not fit snugly
A cable can look perfect and still be broken inside, so the real test is a cable you know works. Borrow one from someone else's iPhone. Very cheap cables often do not work reliably; for a Lightning cable, look for the MFi (Made for iPhone) certification.
Try a different power adapter
The adapter can fail too, or simply be too weak. Test with another one, such as an iPad adapter or a family member's charger.
- Old 5W cube adapters charge a modern iPhone very slowly.
- Higher-wattage adapters, such as iPad chargers, are noticeably quicker.
- A USB-C adapter of 20W or more is what you need for fast charging.
Stop using an adapter straight away if it has bent prongs, a loose port, a burning smell or gets very hot.
Restart the iPhone
A software glitch can stop the iPhone recognising the charger. Turn it off and on again, then plug it back in. If the screen is frozen or the iPhone will not respond, use a force restart: press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. Our guide to force restarting an iPhone covers every model that runs iOS 27.
If the iPhone got wet
Liquid in the port can stop charging or make it intermittent. If your iPhone shows a liquid detection alert when you plug it in, or it stopped charging after getting wet, unplug it.
- Do not charge it while wet.
- Let it dry completely in a warm, dry place before trying again.
- Do not use rice, which leaves starch and debris in the port.
- Do not use a hair dryer, because heat can damage components.
Water resistance is not waterproofing, and even a water-resistant iPhone can have charging trouble after liquid gets into the port.
Why your iPhone stops at 80 percent
If charging pauses at 80 percent, that is usually Optimized Battery Charging doing its job. It learns your routine and holds the battery at 80 percent overnight, then finishes the charge shortly before you normally unplug. You can turn it off temporarily in the charging options under Settings › Battery to check whether it is the cause; the exact label differs between iPhone models and iOS versions. Turn it back on afterwards, because it helps the battery last longer.
Check battery health
A worn battery can charge slowly, drop suddenly or fail to hold a charge.
- Open
Settings › Battery › Battery Health. On some iOS versions this is labelled Battery Health & Charging. - Read the Maximum Capacity figure.
Apple treats a battery below 80 percent as degraded. If yours is under that and the iPhone is a couple of years old, a battery replacement is the most likely fix. Our guide to checking battery health explains what the other messages on that screen mean.
If it charges, but the percentage barely moves
The iPhone may be using power almost as fast as the charger supplies it. Games, navigation, a bright screen and background downloads all draw heavily.
- Close the apps you are using.
- Lower the screen brightness.
- Leave the iPhone alone on the charger for a while and watch the percentage.
If it charges normally when idle, the adapter is not strong enough for how you use the phone while it is plugged in. A higher-wattage adapter solves that.
Use wireless charging as a test
Every iPhone that runs iOS 27 supports wireless charging, which makes it a useful diagnostic.
- Wireless charging works: the fault is in the port or cable.
- Wireless charging fails too: the battery, the charging circuitry or software is more likely.
Update iOS, or deal with the beta
Apple fixes charging-related bugs in software updates. Open Settings › General › Software Update and install anything available. The current public release is iOS 27.0.1.
If you are running the iOS 27 beta, charging and battery bugs are a known risk of unfinished software. Check our list of known iOS 27 bugs and update to the newest beta, which is iOS 27.2 beta 4 (24B5110a). If the problem persists you have two ways out:
- Wait for the public release. Turn off
Settings › General › Software Update › Beta Updates. You keep your current build and move to the next public release with a higher version number. Our guide to leaving the iOS 27 beta without losing data explains the details. - Go back now. Restore iOS 26.6.1 RC, which Apple is currently signing, from a Mac or PC, then restore your pre-beta backup. Follow our guide to downgrading from the iOS 27 beta to iOS 26.
Configuration profiles are no longer used for betas, so there is no beta profile to delete under VPN & Device Management.
Reset all settings
If nothing else has worked, a corrupted setting is a remote possibility. Go to Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset All Settings. This keeps your data but resets Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper, notification settings and other preferences.
When it is a hardware problem
If the port is clean, several known-good cables and adapters fail and the software is up to date, the hardware is the likely cause.
- Damaged charging port. Signs include the cable falling out easily or charging only at a certain angle. Port repairs are delicate, so use Apple or an authorized repair provider.
- Worn battery. Maximum Capacity below 80 percent on an older iPhone points to a battery replacement, which also fixes most battery drain.
- Heat while charging. If the iPhone gets very hot on the charger, stop and contact Apple Support.
If the iPhone is still under warranty or AppleCare, contact Apple before paying for any third-party repair.
How to avoid charging problems
- Use good-quality cables and adapters.
- Check and clean the port every so often.
- Keep the iPhone out of extreme heat and cold.
- Leave Optimized Battery Charging on if you charge overnight.
What to do next
If charging is fixed but the battery still drains faster than it should, especially on a beta, our tips to improve battery life on iOS 27 beta are the next step.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my iPhone plugged in but not charging?
The most common causes are lint packed into the charging port, a damaged cable, a weak or faulty power adapter, or a dead wall socket. Less often it is a software glitch, liquid in the port or a worn battery. Check whether the charging bolt appears next to the battery icon: if it does not, no power is arriving, so start with the port, cable and adapter.
How do I clean my iPhone charging port safely?
Turn the iPhone off. Use a wooden or plastic toothpick, never metal, and gently scrape along the inside of the port, especially the bottom, to lift out compacted lint. Finish with a short burst of compressed air. Go slowly, because the pins inside are delicate. Pocket lint often packs down so tightly that the port looks empty until you start clearing it.
Why is my iPhone charging so slowly?
Slow charging usually comes from an old low-power adapter, a worn cable, heavy use while charging or Optimized Battery Charging holding the level at 80 percent. Use an adapter of 20W or more for fast charging, leave the phone idle while it charges and check whether optimized charging is active. A battery with low Maximum Capacity can also charge and drain unevenly.
Can the iOS 27 beta cause charging problems?
It can. Beta software is unfinished, and charging or battery bugs appear in some builds. Update to the latest beta first, since a newer build may fix it. If the problem continues, turn off Settings › General › Software Update › Beta Updates to move to the next public release, or restore iOS 26.6.1 RC from a Mac or PC if you want to leave the beta straight away.
Should I charge a wet iPhone?
No. If the iPhone got wet or shows a liquid detection alert when you plug it in, unplug it and let it dry fully in a dry place before charging again. Do not put it in rice, which leaves debris in the port, and do not use a hair dryer, because heat can damage components. Water resistance does not mean the port stays dry.
When should I replace my iPhone battery?
Check Settings › Battery › Battery Health. Apple treats a Maximum Capacity below 80 percent as degraded, and a battery at that level often holds less charge and can charge unevenly. If your iPhone is a couple of years old, capacity is under 80 percent and the other fixes have not helped, a battery replacement from Apple or an authorized provider is the likely answer.