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While I don’t personally use an iPhone or iPad, my partner does. I would say that throughout the year, she has had multiple instances where she struggles to charge one of her devices via cable.

With wireless charging on the iPhone, this isn’t as much of a problem as it used to be, but it is still a problem she experiences a frustrating amount of times.

The obvious cause is the cable itself. The official Lightning cable is not the best quality, and the cable is prone to breaking, especially at the joint of the Lightning connector.

In my partners’ case, she has a tendency to stand up the tablet on her lap while it is on charge, causing an unnecessary amount of stress at that point, and it inevitably breaks.

However, it may not always be the cable that is faulty.

Check the Lightning for dust and dirt

Lightning ports (and USB-C on Android) are perfect little holes to collect dust and dirt.

In theory, I’d say USB-C should be worse for this as the pins inside the receptacle are a tab that slots inside the USB cable. With the Lightning port, the connections encircle the Lightning connector, which shouldn’t be as easy to clog up. However, I seem to experience charging issues more on Apple devices.

Therefore, if you have charging problems using the Lightning cable on either the iPhone or iPad you should try and inspect inside the port to see if there is a build up of dirt or dust.

How to Clean Your iPhone and iPad Charging Port

I have to admit, I rarely take too much care when cleaning charging ports. I tend to find a pin or a sim-card tool and scrape out any dirt.

However, when advising people, I should advise some caution as you don’t want to damage any of the sensitive electrical pins inside the port.

To clean the port you should:

  1. Turn off your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Shut Down.
  2. Grab a small toothpick, pin, or sim card too.
  3. Carefully insert the tip into the port and jiggle it to loosen dirt or debris.
  4. Give the port another burst of compressed air to help remove anything you’ve loosened. Sometimes you can get away with blowing into it.
  5. Reinsert the Lightning connector into the port and turn the phone back on.

Recommended Replacement Durable Lightning Cables

If you still have problems with charging, it may be the cable after all. Ideally, you should try and borrow or find a spare and see if that works before buying a new one.

If you find that you need a new cable, then it is worth investing in a durable cable. Nylon cables are less likely to split along the cable than the plastic-coated cables.

I have always been a fan of Anker, they have excellent quality at a reasonable price. Looking on Amazon, the Syncwire range of cables is possibly the best-reviewed options. Anker appears to be a bit cheaper if you want a couple of cables.

Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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