Phone not charging? 6 things to check before you take it to a repair shop
Most of the time the culprit is the cable, the charger or lint in the port, not the phone itself. These steps take 10 minutes and cost nothing.
- Most common cause
- cable, charger or lint in the port
- Time
- 10–15 minutes
- Repair shop, if nothing helps
- 120–280 zł to replace the port
Don't use metal objects (pins, needles, paper clips) to clean the port. You could short the contacts or bend them. Don't charge a phone that has been soaked or is swollen.
Step by step
Try a different cable and charger
Cables fail much more often than phones, especially near the plug. Borrow a cable from someone at home and plug it into a different charger. If the phone charges right away, problem solved for 0 zł.
Try another wall socket or a computer
Power strips and extension cords can have loose connections. Try a wall socket or the USB port on a laptop. Charging from a computer is slow, but it confirms that the phone accepts power at all.
Shine a flashlight into the port
There is almost always dust and pocket lint in there. Packed down at the bottom, it stops the plug from going in all the way, so you have to hold it at an angle. This is the most common symptom of a “broken” port.
Gently clean the port with a wooden toothpick
Turn the phone off. Use a wooden or plastic toothpick to gently pick out the dirt, moving along the walls of the port and not toward the contacts in the middle. Finish by blowing into it or using a rubber air blower. A surprising amount of lint often comes out.
Restart the phone and check the settings
Restart the phone. On an iPhone, try turning off “Optimized Battery Charging” (Settings → Battery). On Android, check whether a charge limit of 80% (battery protection) is turned on. In that case the phone stops charging on purpose.
Try wireless charging
If your phone supports it, put it on a wireless charger. If it charges wirelessly but not with a cable, the port is almost certainly the problem, not the battery or the motherboard. That's good news, because it's a cheap repair.
- The port is clearly loose, or you can see bent or burnt contacts.
- The phone gets hot while charging, or you smell burning.
- The phone was soaked. Don't charge it, take it to a repair shop.
- The battery is swollen and the screen or back panel is starting to lift.
How much does a repair shop charge?
| Port cleaning at a repair shop | 30–80 zł |
| Charging port replacement (Android) | 120–250 zł |
| Charging port / flex cable replacement (iPhone) | 150–350 zł |
| Battery replacement, if that's the cause | 150–500 zł |
Typical prices at independent repair shops in Poland, October 2026. Authorised service centres and big cities can be more expensive.
Repair or buy new?
Replacing the port almost always pays off, even in a phone that's a few years old. It's one of the cheaper repairs. It's a different story if the motherboard is involved. In that case, use the calculator to see how much your phone is still worth.
Check how much it costs to repair your model
Pick your model and fault. In 2 minutes we show the repair cost, what the device is worth and an honest verdict.
Open the calculator →FAQ
Can I clean the port with compressed air?
Yes, but carefully and from a distance. A strong blast can push dirt in deeper. It's better to pick out the lint with a wooden toothpick first and then blow it out.
My phone only charges when I hold the cable at an angle. What does that mean?
Most often it's packed dust at the bottom of the port, less often a worn-out port. Start by cleaning it. If that doesn't help, the port needs replacing.
Can a fast charger damage my phone?
A certified charger that follows the right standard (USB-C PD, Quick Charge) is safe. The risky ones are cheap no-name chargers without markings. They may charge slowly, get hot and, in extreme cases, damage the electronics.