Surely you remember those times when it took only an hour and a half to fully charge a new smartphone. Now it can take all night.
Time passes and after a few hours your phone is charged only 20%. Or maybe it has never supported fast charging technology?
If you want to understand why your smartphone charges longer than usual or slower compared to your friends’ mobile devices, you’ve come to the right place. Next, we will discuss 10 reasons why the smartphone is slowly charging. If possible, we’ll show you how to fix it. Let’s start with the most common problems.
Table of Contents
Weak cable
If the smartphone is slowly charging, you first need to check the USB cable. This is a very reasonable step, considering the degree of wear during everyday use. Many people still use the same charge for several years, without even suspecting that the USB cable can generally break down.
The wires are constantly thrown into bags and backpacks, bent and bent, left in cars (in the heat and cold), and most importantly – connected to the network and various mobile devices, computers every day. It is important to understand that USB cables are not as reliable as the phone’s USB connectors. In addition, in a critical situation, it is better to sacrifice the wire, not the port, because the first is much easier (and cheaper) to replace. For this reason, many manufacturers produce cables in such a way that in case of a problem they bear the burden.
Have you ever used a charging device that drops out of the connector when connected to the phone? Look at the plug and try to see small metal cloves at one end. Make sure they are not bent or damaged, otherwise it may affect the speed of charging the smartphone.
When working with a USB cable, many things may go wrong. If the phone starts to charge more slowly, then the problem is most likely a cable problem. Try using a new one.
Too weak power supply
If a computer will be used as the power source, it will take much longer to fully charge. Even with a USB 3.0 connector, the standard output power is only 900 mA (USB 2.0 has 500 mA). If the USB cable or connector is damaged, the value will be even lower.
The same happens when using wireless or reverse wireless charging . Compared to the power on the wall, they have extremely low output power. We are not trying to discourage you from using new technologies, but it is better to use powerful power sources to charge your smartphone faster.
If you’re charging a mobile device via USB from your computer or charging wirelessly, don’t be surprised that it takes a lot longer than usual. The most effective way is to use the traditional wired adapter supplied with your smartphone. But if in this case the phone is slowly charging, the problem may lie in the wiring (especially for old buildings).
Weak adapter
Yes, it is an adapter to which the USB cable is connected and which is inserted into the socket. It may have been damaged by a sharp increase in power or a physical impact from outside. Let’s not forget that one of his goals is to protect the smartphone if something goes wrong. Therefore, check the charging speed of the device on a different adapter.
Your smartphone is too old
Perhaps the problem of slow charging lies in the phone itself. Especially if you use it for several years. Almost all modern smartphones support fast charging technology, thanks to which they are able to fully charge in about 30-60 minutes (this indicator depends on the battery capacity). Therefore, pay attention to the charging speed of the device compared to newer phones.
If you are sure that the device was charging much faster than now, this is probably the reason. Perhaps one of the components has failed. Therefore, charging takes much longer than before. Some manufacturers indicate the estimated time it takes to fully charge the device. Therefore, try to compare these indicators. If it turns out that the recommended values differ from the real ones, then you should think about buying a new gadget.
Low battery
There are cases when a batch of devices with a defective battery went on sale. Therefore, go to the official website of the manufacturer and check whether your smartphone is on the list of defective ones. Or use the internet search. If the marriage really was, you can exchange low-quality goods from the manufacturer.
Sometimes the problem lies in the battery itself. In addition, like any other device, it has its own expiration date. Unfortunately, most modern devices are equipped with a non-removable battery. Therefore, if something happens to the battery for replacement, you will have to completely disassemble the smartphone, contact a specialized service center or store for replacement.
The problem is in you
It is possible that you are the main reason for slow charging. How addicted are you to social networks? How often do you play on the phone? Do you do it while charging?
It is surprising that most users do not even realize that the screen is the most energy-consuming element of the device. If you watch Youtube while charging at maximum brightness settings, do not be surprised that the smartphone not only does not charge, but also unloads. The more applications you use, the faster your battery will be used. If you want to quickly charge your device, leave it alone for a moment.
Background consuming applications
Although the most energy-consuming element is the display turned on at maximum brightness, some background applications can also consume a lot of battery power. If, in addition to the low charging speed, you notice that the smartphone began to discharge faster, then most likely the problem occurs in resource-intensive programs in the background.
Many Android applications still run in the background, even if you only open them for a moment. At the moment, they can perform specific tasks and consume battery power. Android currently manages system resources more efficiently. But the presence of at least one malicious application (for example, an ad virus or miner) can seriously harm not only the security of personal data, but also smartphone performance and loading speed.
To solve this problem, all you need to do is install an antivirus program, some task manager and check them periodically. So you can control running applications and disable unnecessary ones. As soon as you find and remove anti-virus programs (which consume the most resources), the changes will be noticeable in a few days.
Dusty USB port on smartphone
If you often carry your smartphone in a bag, backpack or pockets, then most likely the device’s USB port is clogged with dust particles. If you charge your smartphone on one of these days, the plug can manipulate dirt residues that now interfere with the normal connection of the device to the power supply.
Carefully check the USB port in bright light and check for dust particles or other debris. If something is inside, carefully remove any debris from the connector. For this purpose, it is best to use thin metal tweezers. However, be careful not to damage any components of the USB port itself. Otherwise, the smartphone will stop charging at all.
If you do not have the right tools at hand, try to remove the trash with a plastic toothpick (by no means wooden, because its particles can clog the connector even more) or with a new toothbrush with a hard bristle.
The USB port is damaged
If you tried to clean the smartphone’s USB port yourself using improvised means, you did it inaccurately (for example, with a wooden toothpick or other inappropriate tool), and during this process one of the elements broke or bent, you need to contact a specialist to fix it. If the USB port fails, the smartphone may not charge at all or do it too slowly (for example, the bar will simply stop). Depending on the features of the device, a complete USB port replacement may be required.
USB port corrosion
Various USB port components, like other metals, are subject to corrosion. On a smartphone, moisture particles can easily get into the connector both on the street, in the rain and inside. Especially if you often take the phone to the bathroom or pool, check your email while doing sports.
Most importantly, if corrosion is not eliminated in time, it can spread to other components inside the device. All this can lead to more serious problems than slow charging.
To get rid of corrosion, it is better to seek help from a specialist. After all, if you decide to dismantle the device yourself, you risk not only the total cancellation of the warranty, but also irreversible damage to the phone.
Complete disassembly of the smartphone should only take place if you know all the nuances of the operation of mobile devices. Indeed, during this process you can completely damage the sensor, display and other important elements. In addition to specialized dismantling tools, white vinegar and alcohol will be required to remove corrosion.
The first thing to do is completely disassemble the smartphone. The complexity of this process goes far beyond the scope of this article, and in addition, working with each model has its own nuances. Therefore, think again whether it is better to contact a specialized service.
Immediately after dismantling the smartphone, moisten a cotton swab in distilled white vinegar and gently wipe all corroded parts with it. But be very careful – do not let vinegar get on other internal components of the smartphone.
After applying vinegar to all parts exposed to corrosion, allow them to dry for 5-8 minutes, and then remove the remaining liquid with a dry paper towel. Repeat this process until you are completely free of corrosion. Then wipe a new cotton swab with alcohol and gently wipe all the parts previously treated with vinegar. Leave them on for about 30 minutes. This is enough to dry completely. Then assemble your smartphone.
Today, we analyzed the main reasons for the slow charging of the smartphone – from the most likely to the extremely rare. Most often the problem lies in a faulty USB cable or in a damaged adapter. Therefore, do not rush to immediately dismantle the smartphone and look for signs of corrosion on it.
If you think that we have forgotten to mention a few important nuances, you want to share your experience with us and tell us how you managed to solve the problem of slow smartphone charging, leave your comments below!
