If your iPhone 12 isn’t charging or charges slowly, the problem could be anything from a broken charger to a software bug to a phone battery that needs replacing.
To pinpoint why your iPhone 12 isn’t charging or charges slowly and fix it, you’ll need to do some troubleshooting.
Here are six ways to test and check why your iPhone 12 charges slowly or won’t charge at all.
It can be stressful when your iPhone 12 dies, but even more stressful when you plug it in and find that it won’t charge or charges slowly.
When this happens with your iPhone 12, it could be for a few different reasons. There may be an external issue, like a bad power outlet, power adapter or worn charging cable. It may also be an internal problem like a software glitch.
Accordingly, you’ll likely have to try a few different troubleshoot methods until the problem is solved.
See also: How to Tell if Your MagSafe charger is Fake
How to fix your iPhone 12 when it won’t charge or charges slowly
If you find your iPhone 12 suddenly won’t charge or charges slowly, here are six potential fixes you can try yourself. The tips discussed in this article applies to iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 mini, and iPhone 12 Pro Max that won’t charge or charges slowly.
1. Stop charging your iPhone 12 with a computer
Your laptop or desktop computer may not output enough power to charge your iPhone 12, especially if it is an older PC.
When you connect your iPhone 12 to an older computer, you may see the warning “Not Charging.” Don’t fret; the iPhone is probably still charging, but it isn’t getting enough juice to display the lightning bolt that indicates it is charging. However, it charges slowly.
If you must charge using a PC, don’t use the iPhone while it is charging. This can result in the iPhone 12 not charging or losing more power than it is gaining.
The best solution is to plug the iPhone into a power outlet using the cable that came with the iPhone.
2. Use a powerful adapter
You might be wondering why your iPhone 12 takes so long to charge. Apple no longer includes the standard USB charging brick with the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro max. There is only one cable included in the box — a USB-C to Lightning cable. With the old USB-A charger it takes over three hours to charge in full. But the phone does come with Fast Charging support. And Fast Charging allows you to recharge your iPhone 12 battery up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes. And up to about 80% in an hour.
Now, when it comes to fast charging your iPhone 12 you need the proper accessories. You need to get an Apple’s 20W USB-C Fast Charger. Using a USB-C cable and USB-C charger will allow the iPhone 12 to charge at faster speeds. Using USB-C, you can charge the iPhone 12 to 50% in about 30 minutes. The highest wattage the iPhone 12 will use is around 22 watts, so a 20 watt or 30 watt charger will result in the about same charging speed. But basically any USB-C charger will be significantly faster than the old USB-A chargers. Make the investment, it’s totally worth it.
3. Restart your iPhone
Often, the reason why your iPhone 12 isn’t charging when plugged in is that there’s been a simple connection hiccup. To rule out a temporary glitch as the cause, a reboot is necessary.
Restarting your phone will kill all background services and could solve your iPhone 12 charging problem. A restart also refreshes your phone’s core components, in case one of them had crashed while performing a task. To perform a reboot quickly, simply hold the Side button and either of the Volume buttons until you see the power off slider. Drag the slider from left to right to turn off your iPhone.
If your iPhone 12 starts charging normally again after a reboot, then your problem is solved. If you are still experiencing problem, try the next solution.
4. Test the charging cable or adapter
If your iPhone 12 doesn’t charge through the electrical outlet, you may have a problem with the cable or the adapter. You can troubleshoot the cable by connecting your iPhone to a computer. If you see the lightning bolt on the battery meter, you know the cable is working.
If the computer does not react when you plug in the iPhone, it doesn’t recognize the iPhone is connected. Try another cable to see if that fixes the problem. If it does, toss the first cable.
Similarly, try switching power adapters if you have more than one or can borrow one. If the iPhone adapter doesn’t work, but another one does, buy a new Lightning adapter.
5. Clear out iPhone’s charging port
If plugging in a new cable doesn’t work, there may be a problem with the charging port. The most common problem is that dust, lint, or another material has made its way into the port.
Turn the iPhone upside down and shine a flashlight into the port. You should be able to see if any materials are clogging the port. Use canned air or an anti-static brush to clean out the port. If you use small tweezers, turn off the iPhone before attempting to dislodge materials and avoid touching the sides of the port.
You can also take your iPhone to an Apple Store and have someone from there perform the cleaning. They usually do it for free.
6. Contact a pro when all else fails
In rare cases, when replacing the adapter or cable doesn’t do the trick, you may have a hardware issue with your iPhone 12. In this case, you need to contact Apple for support. If you live near an Apple Store, make a genius bar appointment and go to the store rather than calling the main Apple technical support line. Apple Store employees are accommodating and can most likely address the problem while you wait.