How To Fix iPhone 13 Not Charging?

The iPhone 13 series is the latest smartphone released by Apple in 2021. While exploring Reddit and Quora, I found many users face issues with iPhone 13 charging.

I was also facing a similar issue with my iPhone 13 Pro Max. I did in-depth research and summarised all my experiences here.

Why is my iPhone 13 Not Charging With Cable?

Apple iPhone 13 series is powered by an Apple 5nm A15 Bionic processor that won’t drain the battery life faster. It’s the most power-efficient processor in flagship to date.

If your iPhone 13/13 Pro/13 Pro Max is not charging, then it could be due to multiple reasons.

The most common reason is a faulty USB C to Lightning cable or an unsupported power adapter. There are many other reasons too, why iPhone 13 is not charging when plugged in.

Let’s find out the possible reasons due to why the iPhone 13 Pro & iPhone 13 Pro Max are not charging when plugged in.

Faulty USB-C to Lightning Cable (common)
Defective or incompatible power adapter.
Dirty/clogged charging port.
Defective power socket.
Outdated device firmware

How To Fix iPhone 13 Not Charging When Plugged In?

You’ve got the five common reasons why your iPhone 13 is not charging when plugged into an old charger.

Let’s do quick troubleshooting and find out an easy solution.

1. Check Lightning Cable

In most cases, the lightning cable is the prime culprit. If your iPhone is not charging even if it’s plugged into a power source, then check your lightning cable first.

First, ensure that you’re using the original iPhone 13 USB-C to Lightning cable for charging your iPhone. If you’re using a different cable than the one that came in the box, make sure it’s MFI-certified.

Secondly, inspect your cable physically and ensure there is no sign of damage, tear, breakage, exposed wire, etc., on the cable.

If you find any of the above-mentioned issues, consider replacing the lightning cable and buying a new one from Amazon or the official Apple store.

2. Check Your Power Adapter

Apple removed the power adapter from the box at the launch of the iPhone 13 series, saying that they aimed to be 100 percent carbon neutral by the end of 2030.

Due to this decision, many customers bought third-party chargers to charge their iPhones.

If you also use a third-party charger to charge your iPhone 13, make sure it’s MFI-certified.

Anker is the most popular charger brand for the iPhone 13 and 12 series. They supply fast chargers for iPhones. You can buy the Anker PIQ 3.0 Fast Charger from Amazon.

However, I still recommend you stick with the Apple Original 20 Watt adapter to charge your iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Using the original charger will fix the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max not non-charging issues.

3. Clean Your Charging Port

If you’ve replaced your charger and cable, but your iPhone 13 is still not charging, then it’s time to clean your charging port with an alcohol-based cleaner. The charging port attracts dirt and debris along with time.

If your iPhone 13 charging port is dirty or clogged with debris, use a toothpick and soft cotton to remove it. Now, dip the fabric in an alcohol-based cleaner and clean the charging port thoroughly with the help of a toothpick.

4. Plug Your Charger Into a Different Power Socket

If you’ve followed the above tips but your iPhone 13 is still not charging, then try changing your power socket. Sometimes, we try everything to fix the charging issue of iPhones, but we don’t think of a defective power socket.

Plug your original Apple charger into a different power socket and check whether the issue has been fixed. If not, please check the next solution.

5. Update Your Device Firmware

Outdated or buggy firmware can also stop the charging functionalities. If your iPhone runs on old iOS, update it to the latest iOS version. Also, restore your iPhone 13 DFU (Device Firmware Update). After restoring your iPhone firmware, do not forget to force restart it.

Note: Do not forget to take a backup of your iPhone data to your Macbook/PC or iCloud. Otherwise, there is always a risk of data loss during firmware upgrades.

If you follow the above mentioned steps correctly, your iPhone 13 will start charging again. If it is still not charging, there could be some hardware issue on your device, and the Apple Service Center is the last hope.

Book an appointment with your nearest Apple care service center and get it fixed by an Apple-certified engineer.

Read Next:

iPhone 13 Not Charging With Old Charger

I upgraded from iPhone XR to iPhone 13 Pro. I found that the iPhone XR charger is a little loose in my iPhone 13 Pro. Due to this, my iPhone 13 is not charging with an old charger.

I inspected my charging cable carefully and found some carbon build-up on the charging pin. I cleaned that with alcohol and a soft cloth, and now I can charge my iPhone 13 Pro with an old charger.

However, I wouldn’t say I like that 5-watt charger provided in my iPhone XR box. So, I mostly charge it at night. You can buy an Apple 20-watt charger from the official website and enjoy a faster-charging experience. Click the buy a new 【Apple MFi Certified 】charger.

Why is my iPhone 13 Not Charging With a Power Bank?

Although iPhones provide great battery life, sometimes a power bank is needed while traveling. Many iPhone 13 Pro users reported that- the iPhone is not charging with a power bank.

This could be due to the following reasons:

Your power bank is not charged fully.
Your USB to lightning cable is defective.
Your power bank is not compatible.

Let’s find out the easy solutions for this-

1. Fully Charge Your Power Bank

First of all, fully charge your power bank before plugging an iPhone into it. Electricity flows from higher potential to lower, and if your power bank is not charged fully, it can not charge your iPhone.

2. Change Your Cable

If your power bank has a USB type C port for power output, plug your original lightning cable into it. If the power bank doesn’t have a USB type C port, change your cable and look for MFI-certified accessories on the Apple website. Click to buy [Apple MFi Certified] iPhone Charger USB.

3. Get a Compatible Power Bank

Apple itself provides a wireless power bank to charge the iPhone 13 wirelessly. Although it’s not included in the box, you can buy it separately. Otherwise, you can buy an MFI-certified power bank to charge your iPhones.

iPhone 13 Not Charging Wirelessly

All the iPhone 8 or newer models support wireless charging. iPhone 13 series supports 7.5 Watt wireless Qi and MagSafe charging. If your iPhone 13 is not charging wirelessly, then follow these troubleshooting steps.

1. Use Apple Certified Wireless Charger

Apple strictly recommends people use the original wireless chargers to charge their iPhones. If you’re using any third-party wireless charger, it could be possible that it doesn’t meet the required power rating for iPhone 13. Get an original wireless charger for iPhones.

2. Remove Your iPhone Case

Wireless charging may not work if your iPhone has a case. If you’re using any polycarbonate or any other case on your iPhone, remove it. Now, put your iPhone 13 on the wireless charger, and it’ll start charging.

If you’re using an original Apple wireless charger without a case but your iPhone 13 is still not charging wirelessly, then visit the nearest Apple care.

iPhone 13/13 Pro Not Charging After Water

iPhone 13 series is IP68 water-resistant. It means that iPhone 13, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max can survive under 6 meters of water for 30 minutes. However, sometimes iPhone sends an alert that liquid is detected in the charging port.

If your iPhone 13 is not charging after water damage, then follow these steps to fix it:

Keep your iPhone charging port downward and gently tap on the back of your iPhone. It’ll remove the excess liquid from the charging port.
Leave your iPhone in a dry area with airflow or near the sunlight (do not directly expose it to sunlight) for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, insert the charging plug and see if it’s charging.
If you still get the warning, leave your iPhone for 24 hours in a dry area.
The next day, insert the charge, and it’ll start charging again.

Warnings

Do not dry your iPhone with any external heat source or compressed air. The external heat and air pressure can push the water droplets inside and damage your iPhone motherboard.
Do not put your iPhone into rice or any other similar place. Small rice particles can be stuck inside the charging port and permanently damage it.
Do not insert any foreign object, such as a cotton swab or paper towel, to clean the lightning connector port.

If your iPhone 13 still doesn’t charge and gives liquid detection warnings in the lightning connector port, bring it to the nearest Apple care center.

Why is my iPhone 13 Not Charging Past 80%?

We all love fast chargers to charge our smartphones quickly. Eventually, it drains the battery lifespan faster.

Apple provides an option to enable the Optimized Charging feature in battery settings. If you’ve enabled the Optimized Battery Charging option, your iPhone will charge slowly after 80%.

There could be other reasons like a warm environment due to which iPhone’s battery won’t charge faster after the 80% level.

Let’s find out the solution-

1. Disable Optimized Charging

Go to iPhone settings > tap on Battery > Battery Health > then disable Optimized Charging.

Apple provided these features to save battery life. If you want to charge your iPhone faster, follow the above steps and disable it.

2. Cool Your iPhone

Heat decreases the battery health of any smartphone. The iPhone processor detects your device’s temperature and stops the charging functionality if your phone is too hot. Due to this, you can not charge iPhones beyond the 80% level.

You should cool down your iPhone to charge it further. You can follow these steps to cool down your iPhone-

Disconnect the charger from the lightning connector.
Remove the case from your iPhone.
Turn OFF your iPhone.
Put it in a cool and dry place for a few minutes.

Note: Do not use an external air supply such as a blower or fan to cool down your iPhone. Leave it for a few minutes, and it’ll cool down itself.

Why is my iPhone 13 Not Charging in the Car?

If your iPhone 13 is not charging with your car charger, the issue could be with your charging port. It’s also possible that the charging cable is damaged or the charging port doesn’t have a power supply.

You can try wireless charging in your car to charge the iPhone. You can take your car to the service center if your iPhone 13 is charging in your home but not charging in the car.

Conclusion

Apple provides a solid build-up to the iPhones; however, the quality of the charging cable is not great. Most of the time, the lightning cable is damaged if not handled carefully. That’s why your iPhone 13 is not charging when plugged in.

I have mentioned all possible reasons why your iPhone 13/13 Pro/13 Pro Max is not charging. I’ve also provided an easy solution to fix this. If nothing works, Apple care center is your last hope.