Why is my iPhone charging so slowly?
If your iPhone is charging slowly, the problem almost always comes down to a shortcoming in the power delivery chain and rarely from a user action or software settings. But let’s look at all of them to help you rule out the source of your iPhone charging slowly.
Cause of slow charging iPhone
- Your Charger or Cable Is Damaged
If your charger is melted or your cable is broken, those are apparent failures you probably won’t overlook. So if you’re having charging issues, before you invest too much energy troubleshooting the problem, grab another charger and lightning cable to rule out that variable.
- Your charging Port is choked
It might sound ridiculous, but a lightning port clogged up with lint and debris is an unbelievably frustrating source of charging problems. It’s so frustrating because, in most cases, you can plug the cable in, and the phone will begin charging (and even charge for a period of time). But then, the compressed material in the lightning port will slowly push the lighting cable out just enough to stop the charging process.
- You’re Using a Low Amperage Charger
If your iPhone stays charging the entire time, ruling out an issue with the cable or an obstructed lightning port, the most common culprit is you’re using a low-amperage phone charger. Old and inexpensive phone chargers are often 5W of power at 1A. But newer iPhones support USB Power Delivery and can charge much faster the iPhone 13 Pro Max even supports up to 30W.
- You’re Wirelessly Charging Your iPhone
Wireless charging has been an iPhone feature since the introduction of the iPhone 8 in 2017. So if you’re a long-time iPhone user that likes wireless charging, you’re already familiar with the unavoidable fact that wireless charging is slower than plugging your phone in. But if you just recently started using wireless charging after spending years plugging your phone in to charge, you might be surprised that it takes a bit longer to reach 100% charge. Unfortunately, that’s just the tradeoff that comes with wireless charging, so if you’re in a hurry to get a full charge, you need to switch to a traditional charger, preferably a fast charger, and plug your phone in.
- You’re Charging Your Phone with Your Computer
You can plug a lightning cable into your computer and charge your iPhone, no question about it. It’s not a very speedy experience, though, because USB ports on computers are designed for data and not for fast charging a phone. They can supply power (which is why RGB keyboards can light up and your webcam turns on), but the majority of computer USB ports only supply 0.5A, which makes them even worse than old phone chargers.
- You’re Using Your Phone While It Charges
Anytime you use your phone for anything, you’re using power. Even if the phone is plugged in, you’re still using power, and every bit of energy it takes to play the video you’re watching or the game you’re playing is the power that isn’t going into the battery.
How to make your iPhone charge faster
Now that we’ve talked about reasons your iPhone is charging slower than expected, let’s highlight some ways you can get it charged as quickly as possible for those times that you really need a full battery top off before heading out.
- Use a Fast Charger
- Temporarily Turn Off the Phone
- Use Low Power Mode, Airplane Mode, or Both
- Turn the Brightness Down
