iPhone 12 Not Charging When Plugged in Fixed
By Robert Jones · 2021-12-02
iPhone 12 has been released recently and features 20W fast charging- you
Right then, you've got an iPhone 12, and it's playing up with the charging? Drives you mad, doesn't it? Especially when you've just forked out for a new bit of kit. I've seen this sort of thing plenty of times over the years, not just with phones but with all sorts of electronics. You expect things to just work, and when they don't, it's a bit of a pain. ### First Things First: The Obvious Bits Before we go down the rabbit hole, let's cover the absolute basics. You'd be surprised how often it's something simple. **1. Try a Different Charger and Cable:** Honestly, this is the first thing I'd do. Cables can go dodgy without warning, and plugs can fail. I've got a box full of old USB cables in my workshop, and probably half of them are past it. Grab a known good cable and a different charging brick. If you've got an iPad charger lying around, those often work a treat and deliver a bit more juice. Just make sure it's an Apple-certified one if you can. **2. Check the Charging Port:** Get a torch – the one on your mate's phone will do if you haven't got a proper one – and have a good look inside the charging port on your iPhone. I've seen all sorts of muck in there: lint from pockets, bits of dust, even a rogue crumb from a biscuit once. Use a wooden toothpick or a very fine, non-metallic tool to gently clear any debris. Be careful though, you don't want to damage the pins. No metal paperclips, please – heard too many horror stories there. **3. Give It a Restart:** The classic IT support line, but it works. Turn the phone off, wait a minute, and then turn it back on. Sometimes a software glitch can stop the phone from recognising the charger. It's a bit like restarting a dodgy amp – sometimes it just needs a kick. ### Delving a Bit Deeper: Software and Settings If the simple stuff hasn't worked, we need to think about the software side of things. Modern phones are tiny computers, and sometimes the software needs a bit of a nudge. **1. Software Update:** Make sure your iPhone 12 is running the latest version of iOS. Apple often pushes out updates that fix bugs, and charging issues can sometimes be one of them. Go to `Settings > General > Software Update` and see if there's anything waiting for you. It's good practice to keep things current anyway. **2. Optimized Battery Charging:** This is a feature Apple brought in to help prolong the life of your battery. What it does is learn your charging habits and charges your phone to 80%, then waits to charge the rest closer to when you usually need it. This can sometimes make it *seem* like it's not charging, especially if you're only plugging it in for a short while. You can find this under `Settings > Battery > Battery Health > Optimized Battery Charging`. Try turning it off temporarily to see if that makes a difference. I've had a few mates get caught out by this, thinking their phone was broken when it was just doing its job intelligently. ### When Things Get a Bit More Serious: Hardware If you've tried all the above and it's still stubbornly refusing to charge, then it might be a hardware problem. This is where it gets a bit more involved, and probably means a trip to a specialist. **1. Battery Health:** Your battery might be on its way out. While the iPhone 12 isn't ancient, batteries do degrade over time. You can check the health of your battery in `Settings > Battery > Battery Health`. If the "Maximum Capacity" is significantly low or you see a "Service" message, it could be that the battery simply can't hold a charge like it used to. I've had to replace batteries in my older devices more times than I can count, it's just part of life with rechargeable tech. **2. Logic Board or Charging Port Damage:** This is the worst-case scenario. If the charging port itself is damaged internally, or there's an issue with the logic board that controls the charging, then you're looking at a repair. This isn't something a casual user can fix, and you'll need to take it to an authorised repair shop or Apple directly. Trying to fix something like this yourself generally ends up making things worse, trust me, I’ve seen enough botched DIY jobs in my time to know when to leave it to the pros. ### A Quick Word on Heat Sometimes, if your phone gets too hot – maybe you've been gaming intensely or it's been sitting in direct sunlight – it might stop charging or charge very slowly to protect the battery. The iPhone 12, like most modern phones, has thermal protection. Let it cool down, and then try charging it again. I've had speakers overheat components during testing before, and it's the same principle really – protect the core bits. ### Wrapping Up Most of the time, an iPhone 12 not charging is down to a doddgy cable, a bit of lint in the port, or a quick software reset. Don't panic straight away. Work through these steps methodically, and you'll usually find the culprit. If not, then it's time to get a professional eye on it. Keep those devices powered up, folks! ## FAQ - Common iPhone 12 Charging Queries ### Q: My iPhone 12 charges with a wireless charger but not when plugged in. What gives? A: This strongly suggests the problem is with the physical charging port itself or the Lightning cable you're using. Since wireless charging bypasses the port entirely, it pretty much isolates the issue to that area. Try cleaning the port out thoroughly first, and if that doesn't work, it's likely a repair job for the Lightning port. ### Q: Can a non-Apple charger damage my iPhone 12? A: While modern iPhones have protection built-in, using very cheap, uncertified third-party chargers can be risky. You might get slow charging, or in rare cases, they could potentially damage the battery over time. I always recommend sticking to MFi (Made for iPhone/iPad) certified accessories or genuine Apple ones. It's just not worth the risk for the sake of saving a few quid. ### Q: My iPhone 12 charges really slowly. Is that a sign of an issue? A: It could be. First, check you're using a 20W (or higher) power adapter for fast charging. If you're using an old 5W brick, it'll be slow. If you're using the right charger and it's still sluggish, try the cable swap and port clean first. Beyond that, it might point to a degrading battery or even a software throttle. Check your battery health in settings. If you're seeing a "service" message there, that's a good indicator.