Phone Charges Only When It’s Off? Here’s the Fix
It’s frustrating when your phone charges only when turned off, but not while it’s powered on. This can feel like a hardware issue, but it’s often something you can fix at home.
Why This Happens
- Background Drain: Apps and services running in the background use power faster than your phone can charge.
- Faulty USB Port: Loose or dirty charging ports can cause intermittent contact when powered on.
- Damaged Cable/Charger: Some cables can’t deliver consistent power under full system load.
- Battery Miscalibration: The battery may falsely report charge level, causing charging bugs.
- Software Bugs: A recent update may have caused a bug in the power management system.
How to Fix It
- Try a Different Cable & Charger: Use original accessories or a high-quality third-party charger.
- Clean the Charging Port: Use a wooden toothpick or soft brush to remove dust and lint from the port.
- Boot into Safe Mode: Temporarily disable all third-party apps and see if the problem persists.
- Calibrate the Battery: Fully drain the battery until the phone shuts off, then charge to 100% without interruptions.
- Update or Roll Back Software: Check for system updates or uninstall recent updates that may have triggered the issue.
Extra Tip: Monitor Battery Temperature
Use apps like AccuBattery or Ampere to check if the phone is overheating during charge attempts. Heat can prevent charging.
Conclusion: While this issue can seem like hardware failure, it’s often a fixable glitch. Try the steps above before heading to a repair shop.