The “iPhone showing charging but battery percentage not increasing” issue is one that some iPhone users have experienced more than once, and they will tell you that panic is not the way to go.
This article will highlight the possible causes for this issue and give some of the best fixes to get your iPhone charging as it should.
Why is your iPhone Showing Charging but Battery Percentage Not Increasing?
Your “iPhone showing charging but battery percentage not increasing” issue might be caused by background apps running, a damaged battery, or an incompatible charger.
You might have several apps open on your iPhone that you aren’t using, and some of these apps will keep refreshing or running whether you switch back to them or not.
This could prevent your battery from charging properly even when the phone is plugged in because too many apps are utilizing the battery simultaneously.
1# Damaged or Incompatible Charger Cable or Adapter
Another reason why you might be facing this issue is that your charger cable or adapter is damaged or incompatible. Cheap third-party chargers are known to become faulty faster.
If you are using one of these chargers and are facing the “iPhone showing charging but battery percentage not increasing” issue, the charger could be the cause.
Your Apple-certified charger could also become damaged after years of use, which might cause your battery percent to be stuck even when plugged in.
2# Damaged or Dirty Charging Port
When dealing with the “iPhone showing charging but battery percentage not increasing” issue, you should also consider the charging port of your iPhone.
Your phone’s charging port might’ve become damaged due to frequent plugging and unplugging, improper connection, or water damage.
This might cause your battery to stop charging or discharge while the phone is plugged in.
The charging port might also have some dirt or debris stuck in it, affecting the proper connection to charge the battery.
Read also: Here’s a guide to cleaning a charging port: How to Get Water Out Of Phone Charging Port
3# Power Source
You might experience some difficulties with increasing your battery percentage if the power source used in charging your phone isn’t supplying enough power to the battery.
The power source might be your laptop, wall socket, or wireless charger.
If you are using your iPhone while it is plugged in and notice that the battery percentage isn’t increasing, it might be because the power source isn’t getting enough power supply to charge the battery during usage.
4# Software Issues
Everything on the iPhone is controlled by the software, so when you come across the “Phone showing charging but battery percentage not increasing” issue, you might want to check your iPhone iOS version for any updates.
This issue might occur due to software glitches on your phone, and software glitches can be caused by apps or games downloaded from the app store, an interrupted software update, or a glitch as a result of an update.
5# Failed Battery
A common reason one might consider is the failure of the iPhone battery. An iPhone battery might fail from the frequent use of low-quality third-party charger cables and adapters.
It might also fail due to a defect in the gas gauge line between the logic board and the battery. Water damage is also a common cause of battery failure.
6# Missing Component
If your iPhone has been repaired or opened before, the issue might be a missing component on the logic board – probably the FL 11.
This component is tiny and could get easily knocked off when connecting or disconnecting the battery.
7# Battery Not Calibrated
Another reason you might experience the “iPhone showing charging but battery percentage not increasing” issue is because your iPhone battery is not calibrated or its calibration has become corrupt.
When this happens, battery details, assessments, and computations also become corrupt, which might cause your phone to misread the battery state.
Your phone might be showing the incorrect battery percentage making you think it is not charging.
Read also: Why Is My iPhone Charger Cable or Adapter Not Working?
How do fix iPhone Showing Charging but Battery Percentage Not Increasing
The first fix to try when your iPhone shows charging but the battery percentage is not increasing is to check your charger cable, adapter, and power source.
First, check the charger cable and adapter for damages, if you spot any damages, simply replace them.
Next, if the charger cable or adapter isn’t the problem, you can try connecting your phone to a laptop with the USB end of your charger cable if it was originally connected to a wall socket and if it was originally connected to a laptop, then connect it to a wall socket or extension using the charger adapter.
Read also: iPhone Charging Port Not Working? Causes, Best Fixes
Fix 2: Check the Charging Port
If the above step doesn’t work for you, the next thing to try is to check out your phone’s charging port.
- Use a flashlight to check the port for any dirt, liquid, dust, or debris in it.
- If any is spotted, use a new toothbrush to brush out the dust or dirt in the port gently. You can also use a Q-tip or tweezers to do this. We do not recommend using paper clips or pins as these might cause more issues.
- After this is done, plug your phone in and leave it to charge for about 30 minutes, then check the battery percentage.
Fix 3: Try a Hard Reset
Doing a hard reset on your iPhone is sometimes the only thing you need to do to fix both hardware and software-related issues.
For iPhone 8 and newer:
- Press the volume up button on the side of your phone and let go
- Press the volume down button and let go
- Then press the power button and hold until the screen goes OFF and On again. Let go when the Apple logo comes up.
For iPhone 6, 7, 7 plus, and later:
- Press the power button and volume down simultaneously and hold until the screen goes OFF and ON again.
- Let go when the Apple logo comes up
After doing a hard reset, plug your iPhone in and leave it to charge for about 30 minutes, then check the battery percentage.
Read also: iPhone Charging Port Not Working? Causes, Best Fixes
Fix 4: Stop Background App Refresh
As stated earlier, you might have several apps running or refreshing in the background and draining your battery while plugged in. To fix this;
- Unplug your phone and close all open apps on your iPhone
- Go to ‘Settings’
- Scroll down and select ‘General’
- Select ‘Background App Refresh’ to open it
- Click on ‘Background App Refresh’ again and then select ‘OFF’
- Once this is done, plug your phone back in and leave it to charge for about 30 minutes, then check the battery percentage.
Fix 5: Reset Settings
Doing this would keep all your media and files but reset all your preferred settings like wallpaper, notifications, sound, and keyboard. To do this;
- Make a mental note of all the changes made to your phone’s settings
- Go to ‘Settings’
- Scroll down and select ‘General’
- Then scroll down to ‘Reset’ and click it
- Select Reset All Settings, then let the phone restart
- After this is done, redo your preferred settings, plug your phone back in and leave it to charge for about 30 minutes, then check the battery percentage.
Fix 6: Recalibrate
Another fix you should try if nothing has worked so far is recalibration. After years of use, your battery’s calibration might become corrupt, this can easily be fixed with the following steps:
- Unplug your phone and keep using it until it dies out. This process is also called a deep discharge, and it is recommended for phones and laptops every once in a while
- Sometimes, when a phone dies, it might still have some battery charge left in it, so try to switch it back ON and let it die out again
- Confirm the phone is completely discharged by trying to turn it ON again
- Once it is completely dead, plug it in and let it charge. If the battery percentage starts to increase, leave it to charge until it’s at 100%
- After fully charging the phone, restart to see if the battery drops significantly. If it does, then the battery is probably faulty and needs to be replaced
Read also: Does iPhone XR, SE, 11, 8, 7 Have Wireless Charging?
Fix 7: Replace the Battery
If all the fixes above do not fix your “iPhone showing charging but battery percentage not increasing” issue, then you might want to take your phone to the nearest Apple store and have them check it.
The issue might be a failed battery, which can be fixed with a replacement.
Fix 8: Fix the Phone
When facing issues with charging your iPhone, it might not necessarily be a battery failure, the problem might be from the phone itself or a software glitch that a hard reset can’t fix.
It could also be a hardware issue, like a damaged charging port. We recommend taking the phone to your local Apple store for a proper fix.
This is highly recommended, especially when your phone is still under warranty.
Read also: Samsung Wireless Charger Blinking Yellow, Blue, Red, Green Light Codes – Causes and Fixes
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