You probably remember the times when the phone didn't take all night to charge. Fast forward to those golden days: Your Android smartphone's battery gauge went from a pixel-thick red bar to a thick green bar in a quarter of an hour. Now, on the other hand, a smartphone takes forever to replenish its strength, and you are constantly interrupted from one recharging session to the next..
Anyway, it's time to finally put the smartphone under the microscope and meticulously figure out why it charges slowly. Chances are good that the phone suffers from one of the ten listed ailments, and we will now show you how to put the patient on his feet (if at all possible). The reasons are arranged in decreasing order of probability - let's move on to the most common.
Defective cable
If the battery is charging at turtle speed, check the USB cable first . This idea seems obvious when you know how much the wire wears out during everyday use. Many people, year after year, use the same cable and adapter that came with their phone. They do not even suspect that the wire is very easy to bring to a bad state..
USB cables are dropped, bent, stepped on, left in the car in hot and cold weather, and inserted and pulled out of devices day in and day out. An important point: cables are designed to be less durable than USB ports. Because at a critical moment, you would prefer the cable to break, not the connector, because the cable is much easier and cheaper to change.
Have you ever had a cable loosely seated in a connector? Does it just take and drop out of it for no reason? Look inside the front end of the connector. You will see some tiny plug contacts made of rather soft metal. You need to make sure that they are not bent or damaged, or the phone will not work well..
In short, a lot can go wrong with a USB cable, and manufacturers take this into account - as a rule, the wire breaks down before it harms the smartphone in any way. Buy a new one and the problem is solved.
In about 90% of cases, it is the faulty cable that is to blame for the slow charging.
Weak source of energy
When using a computer to recharge your mobile phone, be prepared for the fact that it will take a very long time to charge. Even USB 3.0 has an output current of only 0.9 A (USB 2.0 has 0.5 A) . And this is under ideal conditions! Any damage to a cable or port can significantly restrict an already weak power flow.
Likewise with wireless charging (and reverse wireless charging, if you've heard of one) - recharging the battery will be slower compared to a regular outlet. In a nutshell, the outlet is out of competition in terms of speed.
This is the solution to the problem. Millions of people use ineffective methods because they think “charging is also charging in Africa”, but right now the fastest way to recharge a battery is to use a power outlet . Did you do as we said, but the battery still charges slowly? The problem may be related to home wiring (especially if the building is old).
There is something wrong with the power adapter
It is possible that the root of the trouble is in a small rectangular thing that you plug into an outlet. Maybe a power surge damaged the adapter a little, or you somehow accidentally hit it while passing by. The adapter is designed with the thought that if something happens, it will take the brunt of it (because of the same power surge), and not a mobile phone. Adapters are generally not the most durable devices. Grab a new one from the store and you'll be back to charging at full speed.
No Quick Charge support
Replacing your favorite pipe is a sore subject. However, let's face it: modern smartphones are equipped with processors that support faster charging, and some with support for accelerated (Quick Charge). If your friends' new models charge faster, your problem may be in your old phone.
However, even if you had a reliable smartphone that, as you know, charged faster (not only in comparison with your friends), the reality is unforgiving - all things lose their presentation and quality over time. The case gets loose, the processor and other hardware degrades, and so on. In general, consider buying a new phone.
Old battery
There have been a number of cases where manufacturers have recalled entire batches of batteries. Google it if your model came out with a faulty battery - and then find out if you can get a replacement. In addition to this, the battery, like a phone in general, tends to age and lose its previous efficiency.
Unfortunately, in most modern phones it is impossible to replace the battery in person (previously the situation was exactly the opposite). And this means, if the battery blocks began to "die", you will have to either "open" the case yourself, or give the smartphone to a service center or directly to the manufacturer to replace the battery.
Games while charging
Take a look in the mirror because it's time for some kind of introspection. How addicted are you to Facebook? Lost in Candy Crush Saga? Do you play on your phone out of habit while it is charging?
Surprisingly, many smartphone owners are not aware that most of the energy is consumed by the screen. Watching high definition YouTube videos while charging will negatively affect battery life. If this is combined with one of the above problems, then you may find yourself in a situation where you deplete the phone's power supply faster than it can charge. Do you want your mobile phone to "recover" faster? Give it a “rest” while charging.
Background apps drain battery
While the screen is the number one power consumer, invisible background apps can cling to your battery . They waste energy relentlessly, so the phone is powered more slowly. As a result, not only sluggish recharging, but also fast discharge.
Often, Android apps run on their own and run in the background - just open them once. Although this problem is not as serious as it used to be (Android OS is getting better in terms of efficient use of resources), having a couple of naughty programs is a nasty blow to performance.
The simplest solution to the problem is to put in a good task manager and get in the habit of checking which applications are running at the moment. As soon as you find a naughty program, try to uninstall it and find out in the coming days if the phone's charging speed and its discharge time have increased.
The USB port is clogged with dust
All day long, your mobile phone dangles in your pocket or purse in the company of all kinds of dust and lint. Of course, some of the "garbage" ends up inside the USB connector. Didn't notice this and plugged the cable into the port? Congratulations, you just tamped down the dirt - over time, due to the layer of dust, the joint will become less dense and therefore less reliable.
Using a bright light source and lens, look inside the USB port for anything that shouldn't be there. Found it? Take a thin, pointed object and try to gently remove it. Remember how you played doctor as a child? The situation is similar. Be very careful not to damage the connector components, otherwise the doctor game will end up with a bigger problem than the one you currently have.
We recommend using a plastic toothpick if you can get your hands on one. Alternatively, you can use a dry toothbrush for excellent brushing. This is an extremely effective and safe way to get rid of any blockage.
USB port is damaged
Hell! This is what we hoped would not happen. If you've tried the above methods and the phone still doesn't charge properly, then you must have broken or bent the contact inside the USB port. It's time to think about taking the pipe to professionals for repair. If there is a guarantee from the store, then, most likely, the problem will be fixed cheaply or for free.
Corrosion has reached the USB port
Yes, the USB connector can get rusty due to sweat and other moisture. Corrosion is a particularly serious problem as it creates a film over the connectors that prevents proper charging. And even more, if you do not get rid of the rust, it can continue to corrode the "organs" of the device, multiplying the problem.
Once again: at this stage, you should think carefully about a professional repair. Failure to do so could result in loss of warranty and substantial damage. However, if you decide to risk the "health" of a smartphone and you are at the same time familiar with the process of disassembling and assembling mobile devices, then you should know that sometimes it is really possible to cope with corrosion, armed with only table vinegar and rubbing alcohol.
Disassemble the device to reveal the complete area affected by corrosion. The subtleties of this process are beyond the scope of our article and vary from model to model, so let's say it again: unless you have done this before and the phrase "disassemble the device" does not make your stomach twitch instinctively, then entrust your smartphone to a professional.
For those reading on, most of the corrosion can be removed with a cotton swab dipped in vinegar. Rub away any rust you see with gentle touches. Be careful not to get vinegar on corroded areas. We probably shouldn't repeat the obvious: vinegar has nothing to do inside the phone. For electronics, it is destructive.
After covering the rust with vinegar, wait five to eight minutes, then remove the vinegar with the tip of a paper towel. Do this until there is no trace of rust. Next, lubricate the area you worked on with rubbing alcohol (you will need a cotton swab again) and leave to air dry for half an hour. Collect your phone - problem solved!
If you are experiencing slow battery charging, we hope you have found a solution in our article. Are we missing something? Or do you think some of the problems can be dealt with more effectively? Email us!