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Why is my phone charging slowly?
If you find that your phone takes longer to recharge than it used to or just wonder why other people’s devices charge faster than yours, there are several things that might be causing your device to stick to the slow lane.
Here are a quick collection of tips to try if you want to put the spring back into your smartphone’s step – charging-wise.
Check your cables
The first place to start – as it’s often a culprit – is with the cable you use to charge the device. These are often inexpensively made, which means they can fail after a while, especially if you wind them up tightly between charges, as this can damage the conductive wiring withing the cable.
If you can get your hands on another charging cable (just borrow a friend’s), then A/B test yours and theirs to see if there’s any difference. If there is, and yours is slower, then it might be a good idea to replace your cable with a new one. Look for options that support fast charging too (based on the charging standards supported by your phone), as these can help with the next point.
What power rating is your charger?
While they all look pretty much the same, chargers or power adapters (i.e. the bit you plug into the wall) come in a variety of flavors, in terms of both wattage and which power standards they adhere to.
You might find that yours is a bog-standard 9W or 18W power brick, as these usually come with older devices. But if you’re jealous of friends’ devices that charge up in no time, then it could be that they have more powerful chargers.
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You can look at the charger itself to see what power rating is written on it (usually in small print between the prongs) and check to see whether it’s worth upgrading to a faster adapter (i.e. one with a higher wattage). These can range from 18W, right up to crazy 240W options, like the one which debuted with the Realme GT 5 Pro. You can see our current top picks of the best phone chargers.
A faster power adapter is only half of the equation, however. You can’t just plug a phone into a super-fast charger and expect everything to speed up, as the device’s own battery will have a maximum charge rating. Something we’ll explore in the next point.
Does your phone support fast charging?
When it comes to how fast a phone can charge, each device has its own internal limit. This is usually down to the hardware limitations of the battery, meaning that the charging speeds are set by the phone, not the charger or cable.
If you buy a 200W super charger and plug your old Samsung into it, chances are the phone will only draw 18W of power and take the same amount of time to charge as it always has. This is important to know, as it will save you money by ensuring you get the appropriate charger for your device.
For example, the Google Pixel 8a maxes out at 18W, Apple recommends using a 20W charger with its iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 ranges of devices. Samsung’s regular Galaxy S24 can take 25W, while the Xiaomi 14 Ultra roars away with a 90W charger. So, before upgrading your power solution, be sure to check the make and model of your phone to see its maximum charging capacity.
In some cases you may have to turn on the Fast Charging feature too, as with many modern Samsung models. To do this, go to Settings > Device Care (or Device Maintenance) > Battery. Then tap the switch to activate Fast cable charging.
The same is true of Google Pixel devices and other Android phones, where you’ll find the feature in Settings > Battery > Adaptive Charging.
Martyn Casserly / Dominick Tomaszewski
For iPhone users, you’ll want to go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and Charging, then enable Optimised Battery Charging, which allows the device to monitor how it charges and deliver the best results for its current state.
You can also read our guide on how to tell if your phone is fast charging.
Is there fluff in your charging port?
We put our phones in and out of pockets and bags all the time, so it’s not surprising that they pick up dirt and debris along the way. While this isn’t exactly a threat to their safety, it does mean that fluff can gather in the charging port, making the connection either unreliable or completely non-functional.
You can try blowing into the port, but this won’t usually move any fluff that’s been compressed by you trying to plug a charging cable into it. To remove any obstruction you’ll want something like a toothpick or strong, slim plastic to gently dig out the debris. Don’t use a metal implement, as there are sensors, contacts and other sensitive parts inside the port that you could damage, and don’t use too much force, for the same reasons. Just prise out whatever may be causing the blockage and see if that improves charging speeds.
Do you use your phone while it’s charging?
One thing that definitely slows down the recharge time of a phone is if you continue using it while it’s plugged in. It makes sense, as the power that’s being delivered is then almost immediately being used to illuminate the display or run the calculations required for a task to be completed. If you want quicker charger times, put your phone down. In fact, to speed things up even more, it’s best to turn the device off completely.
Are you using wireless charging?
Wireless charging can be very useful, but in most cases it’s the slower way to charge a phone. If you’re struggling to get the battery replenished quickly, try plugging in a cable to see if that speeds things up.
Is your battery faulty?
If none of the above methods improve charge times on your phone, then it could be that the battery itself is either nearing the end of its natural life or has developed a fault. There are ways to check for this, so you can confirm your suspicions before taking it to be repaired or replaced.
How to check battery health on your phone
iPhone
iOS has a helpful feature that shows you the current state of the battery and intimates whether it may need replacing. To find this, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and Charging.
In here you’ll see the current maximum capacity of the battery (in relation to when it was new or 100%). If it drops below 80% then it could be time to get it replaced.
Apple offers this service through its stores, and the cost is usually around $99/£99. If battery life has dropped significantly in a short space of time, and the iPhone is still new and covered by AppleCare, then the repair may be cheaper or even free.
Android phone
Android has its own diagnostic program available although – as with many aspects of the platform due to range of devices and OS versions available – it doesn’t always appear in the same place.
As a general rule, you should try going to Settings > Battery > Battery diagnostics, then tapping the option that deals with charging issues.
Martyn Casserly / Dominick Tomaszewski
The phone should then check to see if there is a detectable problem with the cells (these collectively form what is the phone’s battery). If a problem is found, then you should either contact the manufacturer to see if there’s a repair program available, or look at third-party repairers.
That’s it, several ways to try and improve the charging performance on your iPhone or Android device. If none of the above resolve the problem, then it may be time to upgrade to a newer device, which should also bring the bonus of faster charging, due to the advancements being made in this area every year. We’ve put links to our various charts below, so you can see which devices we currently recommend.
