Actually, I just had this exact same issue, and it WAS just compacted dust and pocket lint in the back of the lightning port of my iPhone 5 that was making the connector loose (and I mean so loose that I could barely get it to charge). I used a soft toothpick and dug out more crap than one would think could be hiding in there, and now my lightning cable is totally snug again and charges flawlessly.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Lightning connector port on iPhone 5 feels loose
- Thread starter dave8209
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Actually, I just had this exact same issue, and it WAS just compacted dust and pocket lint in the back of the lightning port of my iPhone 5 that was making the connector loose (and I mean so loose that I could barely get it to charge). I used a soft toothpick and dug out more crap than one would think could be hiding in there, and now my lightning cable is totally snug again and charges flawlessly.
I had this problem as well, and it was also caused by lint.
I really didn't think that this was the problem, but it was. I used a flat wooden toothpick to carefully scrape it out. I'll post a picture of the lint so you'll get an idea of how much was actually in there.
I had a bunch of lint inside my lightning receptacle, as well. Blowing it with compressed air alone didnt do the trick. I used a 2-mm flat-blade screw driver to carefully loosen the lint and then blew it out.
Lint problem
Tried compressed air. Tried rubber and wooden tooth thingies. Tried paperclip. Finally, DESPERATE, I squeezed a drop of alcohol from an alcohol-swab into the hole. Donned my extremely near-point super-glasses, for splitting atoms. Carefully dug out now-wettish crud with paper-clip. I think maybe I'm fixed. Trying to imagine a PLUG for the thing, when it's in my pocket. It would be a circa-$30 thing to snip off the business-end of an actual lightning connector, to use it as a plug. Ouch. What else might work...? Compressable ear-mold hearing-protector ****...? How 'bout a carefully scissored tiny strip of duct-tape...? Oh, there's that Saran Wrap plastic wrap stuff that actually STICKS. Would a magnet be attracted? Would it stick? THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. Make a lint-free pocket liner. Keep it plugged in and call it your new LAND-LINE. How about CORK...?
Tried compressed air. Tried rubber and wooden tooth thingies. Tried paperclip. Finally, DESPERATE, I squeezed a drop of alcohol from an alcohol-swab into the hole. Donned my extremely near-point super-glasses, for splitting atoms. Carefully dug out now-wettish crud with paper-clip. I think maybe I'm fixed. Trying to imagine a PLUG for the thing, when it's in my pocket. It would be a circa-$30 thing to snip off the business-end of an actual lightning connector, to use it as a plug. Ouch. What else might work...? Compressable ear-mold hearing-protector ****...? How 'bout a carefully scissored tiny strip of duct-tape...? Oh, there's that Saran Wrap plastic wrap stuff that actually STICKS. Would a magnet be attracted? Would it stick? THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. Make a lint-free pocket liner. Keep it plugged in and call it your new LAND-LINE. How about CORK...?
Yep this lint comes from nasty pockets!
----------
Good Grief! That was in your charge socket? Looks like someone got a hair cut!
----------
Good Grief! That was in your charge socket? Looks like someone got a hair cut!
I went poking around in my lightning port and managed to scrape all sorts out of it. My phone doesn't switch on now though.
![]()
SOMEONE STICKY THIS THREAD.
Seriously, I was positive it couldn't be lint. The port is pretty deep and there was no visual sign of buildup. Stuck a toothpick in there and out it all came.
100% fixed an issue I was certain was a bad cable. Thankyou thread!
Seriously, I was positive it couldn't be lint. The port is pretty deep and there was no visual sign of buildup. Stuck a toothpick in there and out it all came.
100% fixed an issue I was certain was a bad cable. Thankyou thread!
Actually it does make the connection seem loose. What happens is the dust and fluff gets really tightly compacted in the bottom of the lightning port. As this layer builds up it prevents the lightning plug from going all the way in, so it fails to 'click' into place. In this state the plug wobbles slightly from side to side, and doesn't make a good connection with the charging circuit.
This just happened to me and even by shining a strong light into the port you cannot see the stuff, but it's there. I was convinced there was no dust in it and the port was faulty, but after a little poking around with a straightened paper clip it just started coming and coming, like a magician pulling handkerchiefs out of his sleeve...
could you tell your experience now after all those years? how that connector resisted to the time?
thnx
Just a quick thank you to everyone who recommended fluff removal. This worked very well for my iPhone SE. I used a thin piece of wood to remove the fluff – not an enormous amount, but enough to make the Lightning connector loose. It's working fine now.
