HOW TO FIX A PHONE THAT WON'T CHARGE PROPERLY(2)
7. Charge from the right source
Charging from a wall socket will always be
faster than charging via PC or laptop, because computers' USB ports don't
deliver very much power. A wall socket can deliver twice as much power as a USB
port, and fast chargers it can deliver as much as five times the power – which
means much, much faster charging. So if your phone is charging slowly and
you're connected to a laptop: there's your problem.
If your wall charger doesn't appear to be
delivering the goods, check that it's appropriate for your device. A charger
from another phone might not deliver the right amount of juice — for example, a
charger for a Bluetooth headset won't put out as much power as one designed
specifically for smartphones. In the case of recent high-end phones, you might
have a phone that supports fast charging but a charger that doesn't deliver it.
Read the fine-print.
Your desktop or laptop can't charge your
Android as fast as a wall socket.
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8. Update or roll back
Software updates and new Android versions can
wreak havoc with your battery life, especially when upgrading an old device to
current software. Newer devices are often optimized to take advantage of the
latest software, whereas a two-year-old device can struggle when it gets
updated.
If this happens to you and you can't
troubleshoot the problem, consider rolling the device back to an earlier
Android version, though be warned that this carries security risks. The latest
software versions are always recommended to keep your device protected, and
while the risk of keeping your smartphone on an older version is often
negligible, it’s worth noting.
Similarly, sometimes device battery life can
be significantly improved by an update, so if you think you might be way behind
on your Android software version, head to Settings > About phone to check
for an update.
Keep your Android version up to date (or roll
back to a previous version if really necessary).
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9. Switch it off
Using battery-intensive apps/features while
you are charging your device will affect how quickly it gains battery life. If
you are charging while Skyping somebody at 100 percent brightness, the device
will naturally take longer to charge than it would with its screen, Wi-Fi and
4G turned off.
Switch the device to airplane mode, or off
completely, when you are charging if you want to see the fastest energy
injection. Think of it making your device take a power nap.
10. Calibrate your battery
Sometimes the battery level your device
'thinks' it's at is wrong. The effect of this is that your phone may function differently,
including limiting performance before it needs to or taking an hour to chew
through the last two percent of battery.
We’ve already written an extensive guide on
how to calibrate your smartphone battery, so I won’t retype it all here, but
this is a thing to try before completely ditching your defunct power pack.
Battery calibration can be another effective
means of fixing charge problems.
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11. Check your battery pack's voltage and amperage
This tip was pointed out in the comments
below by Patrick and it can help you quickly identify a defective cable.
Download the free Amperage app from the link below and open it. Now, connect
your charger and the interface should go green and the text at the top should
say "measuring". If you don't see this, or nothing happens, it means
there is no current going to your device.
If it identifies a current, the app will now
show the charging statistics for that charger, including the minimum and
maximum load levels (in milliamps), voltage and maximum current. This is also a
great way to find out which of your chargers is performing best.
Try connecting the different charge packs you
own, including portable battery packs, to see which has the highest maximum
charge value, or the highest average (the app makes it fairly easy to get an
idea of this). It's not an exact measurement but it's an indication if nothing
else and the app is completely free.
12. What about water damage?
A number of people in the comments asked
about battery problems caused by water damage. If your phone fails to charge
after falling in water you don't have many options: your best bet is to try and
replace the battery – if that's even possible.
Dropped your phone in water? If the battery
is removable, take it out immediately and pat it dry with a towel.
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If all else fails, double-check that you have
the power point switched on. That is the first thing they will ask you if you
call your manufacturer for help, which might need to be your next step if none
of these solutions has worked for you.
Have you suffered from a smartphone that
won't charge properly? Let us know if you've found a fix that we haven't
mentioned here in the comments.
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