So, your iPad isn’t charging and you’re wondering why is my iPad not charging? Probably, you didn’t know that there are dozens of ways this can happen.
If you’re reading this, chances are your iPad has lost its ability to charge. While it’s a pretty common problem, it’s not one most users are prepared to handle. First and foremost, don’t panic!
We have created this blog post to let you know why the iPad won’t charge and solutions to fix the issue.
Why is my iPad not charging?
When an iPad won’t charge, there can be one of many reasons. Typically, the following four components take part in the iPad’s charging mechanism problem:
- iPadOS.
- iPad charger.
- Lightning cable.
- iPad’s charging port.
One of the above components may be faulty. Also, there can be an external factor involved in the iPad not charging, such as a faulty power outlet.
Restart your iPad
Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button on the iPad’s front until a red slider appears on the screen. Slide the red slider to turn off your iPad. Wait 10 seconds. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button again until you see the Apple logo on the screen. Check if your iPad charges normally.
Note that this only works when the battery is drained completely, so plug in your device before trying this method. Also, note that this is an “emergency” method to fix minor charging issues caused by software glitches or running apps in background mode after you have already terminated them manually from multitasking view.
Inspect your iPad charging adapter
If your iPad isn’t fully charging, inspect the charger first to ensure it’s not visibly damaged. Look for frayed wires and other signs of wear. If it looks fine, try a different charging cable or outlet.
You can use a spare charger to see if that makes a difference. If one adapter works, supposedly, the other adapter is faulty. That’s why you should use the Syncwire 30W Fast Charging iPad Charger.
Try to charge your iPad using another power outlet just to confirm whether it’s a problem with the power outlet or not. If it still doesn’t charge even after you’ve replaced the cable and used another power outlet, then look for other causes and contact Apple Support.
Inspect your lightning cable
The first thing to check when an iPad isn’t charging is the Lightning cable itself. Broken charging or lightning cable is one of Apple product owners’ most common issues.
A damaged or faulty cable may not charge an iPad or charge intermittently.
It can break without much warning, and when it does, it often looks fine externally. Sometimes a broken cable still works for a little while after it breaks because the metal connectors inside are still intact.
But if the outer plastic shell cracks in any way, the inner wires are naked; either cover the exposed area with insulation tape or replace the cable. Try not to take a chance with a broken or naked lightning cable because forcing a charge through a bad cable can result in slow or no charging at all.
Test another lightning cable to ensure you don’t have a bad one. Try a different USB power adapter, if available, with the same cable to ensure it’s not the adapter causing the problem. In addition to slow charging, poor-quality lightning cable breaks easily and stops working after a short period. Use a Sycwire Lightning Cable to charge your iPad faster.
Are you charging it via computer?
Apple’s iPad draws more power than mobile phones. If you’re trying to charge your iPad via computer and it’s not charging, you should consider charging it another way.
Most computers’ USB ports can’t handle the large amount of power needed to charge an iPad. Even if you’re running on a laptop, chances are its ports aren’t supplying enough juice to fill up your iPad’s battery.
Clean out your iPad’s charging port
Wondering why my iPad is not charging? If your iPad still isn’t charging after you’ve made sure everything is connected properly, you may need to clean out its charging port. Dust, dirt, and other debris in this port can prevent it from making a proper connection with a charger, which interrupts the charging process.
How do I clean out an iPad charging port?
Step 1:
Unplug the iPad from its power source and turn it off.
Step 2:
Use a toothbrush or soft toothpick to poke around inside the charging port carefully. You may need to use a flashlight to get a good look at the gunk in there. The loosened debris should fall out when you move the toothpick or pin around.
Step 3:
Pluck out any remaining pieces of debris that were too small for you to see with your naked eye.
Step 4:
Plug your iPad into its charger, then plug the charger into an outlet. You’ll see some energy activity onscreen as your iPad refills its battery. If your iPad won’t charge, move to the next step.
Step 5:
Use a blow dryer on its cool setting and blow air into the Lightning port for about 30 seconds. This will push out any debris that may be stuck in there.
Make sure that you don’t use any metallic pin to clean out the charging port. Pointed objects can potentially damage the charging port, provided you’re not a professional.
If this does not work, you may have a faulty charging port. If you are still within your one-year warranty period with Apple, contact them for a replacement device.
Check if the charging port is damaged
If you have tried everything mentioned above and the iPad is still not charging, there’s a good chance the charging port is damaged.
The charging port is fragile and easily broken by small drops. If you’re not careful with your iPad, the port can be broken by aggressively inserting the lightning cable inside it.
Check for signs of damage: Look for anything that looks different in the charging port. If you see a small crack or dent, the problem might be physical damage. Moisture is another cause of damaged ports. A small amount of moisture can fry all kinds of electronic components.
If you suspect a damaged port, you should take your iPad to the Apple Store for professional help.
Try a different power outlet
You may be able to fix the iPad not charging issue by ensuring that it’s plugged into a functioning electrical outlet. If you’re using a portable charger or plugging directly into the wall outlet instead of into a surge protector or extension cord, try flipping the switch on your power strip as well as both breakers for the outlet to ensure there’s not a tripped circuit breaker in your home. Still not working? You might want to replace it.
Dust in a power outlet can also prevent an iPad from charging properly, mainly if it’s been used for other high-powered appliances like vacuums or hair dryers. Remove any dust on or around the charging port with a can of compressed air and see if that resolves the issue. If dust is present but cleaning doesn’t help, try using another wall outlet or plugging into a different power strip to rule out any problems with that circuit.
Update iPadOS
Wondering why my iPad is not charging? One of the reasons is that you’re using an older iPadOS. We all have a habit of dealing with issues occurring in devices with the same approach.
The first thing we do to try fixing any issue in your device is to update the operating system. If your iPad won’t charge despite all solutions, make sure it’s updated to its latest iPadOS. It’s a potentially helpful way to fix the iPad not charging issue.
Get professional help
Have you tried every solution? Did no one of them work, and you’re still wondering why my iPad is not charging? If so, then you’ll need to have it repaired by an Apple Store or an authorized Apple repair shop.
