Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Stamas88

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 26, 2015
70
13
As anyone experienced this? I seem to get it on every single lighting cable I ever had
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    767.3 KB · Views: 18,651
  • Like
Reactions: autrefois
Not sure if this is in the correct forum but can anyone be kind enough to help out

Thanks
 
Pic is too out of focus. Anyways, that doesn't seem to be an official Apple cable - does it happen to them too?
 
I noticed something similar on one of my official cable. In my case it looked like corrosion on one of the contacts, and the charging was a bit wonky, so that cable is now retired. Possibly that is what has happened to your cable, but maybe not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: input_expunged
None of my official cables have any marks like that, does it come off if you wipe it?
 
Bought an iPhone 7 about a month ago and I noticed that on each side of lightning connector there's a black/burnt mark on the 4th pin. This was the stock charging cable that came in the box. When charging the one side seems to work fine but when I flip it to the other side it tends to disconnect intermittently. Is there any particular reason why this should happen?and what are my options, should I worry that this damage could extend to the lightning port of the iPhone as well?
01f28c08978963f90bb56925346b2207.jpg
c9dccd9757f1cb405b1dde04dfa4ba96.jpg
 
But surely this can't be normal? Do you think I could get the cable replaced at Apple?

I have aftermarket cables like this too. Don't think it's linked to a particular cable. Not sure though Yeah never seemed normal to me either. I always thought maybe the gold part of contact wore off with time but
 
  • Like
Reactions: borgsauce
Yes. I have also experience it with both my original apple cable and the one I got from Amazon. It is corrosion and does not get wiped off totally. If you just lick it with your toungue and plug it in it will work.
This is most prominent with the 8 point plug as shown. Best I did was to order a 8 contact to micro USB adapter. Its very cheap at 1-2 $ on Amazon. Just keep it plugged in and use the micro USB for charging.
This set of two has arrived and it is working fine with the micro USB cable and the adapter. You may try it and see. A cheap change over.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: AlphaHumanus
It is corrosion, and using that cable is like having sex while having an STD. It will spread and corrode the metal inside your phone, which is a port you cannot replace!

Throw away the cable. Use pure alcohol and a Q-tip to clean the iPhones connector thoroughly (may not be possible to get rid of the corrosion inside the phone at this point). And buy a new cable.
 
Last edited:
I have that too and I'm debating whether to head to an Apple store and seek replacement. Still I'm curious why this happens to some cables or phones and not others.
 
I didn't realize how old is this thread is. But it still seems to be a concern for some. I have a large amount of Apple OEM cables and have yet to see this issue occur.
 
Bought an iPhone 7 about a month ago and I noticed that on each side of lightning connector there's a black/burnt mark on the 4th pin. This was the stock charging cable that came in the box. When charging the one side seems to work fine but when I flip it to the other side it tends to disconnect intermittently. Is there any particular reason why this should happen?and what are my options, should I worry that this damage could extend to the lightning port of the iPhone as well?
01f28c08978963f90bb56925346b2207.jpg
c9dccd9757f1cb405b1dde04dfa4ba96.jpg
I would say the black spots are coming as the plugin contacts have worn out from the surface and the black spots are because of the low voltage sparking on making and breaking contacts. I have bought an adapter from the 8 pin to a micro USB from Amazon for a mere 1.5 $. Now I have purchased the adapter, and have put it onto the phone slot and use the micro USB cable to charge when at home. I remove the adapter only when I go out. Its working fine for the last two days. Shall revert after a fortnight with my experience.
[doublepost=1485694921][/doublepost]The problem continues even today in 2017. Apple does not seem to have done anything till date to assuage the problem. As mentioned above in one of the replies I have bought an adapter from the 8 point to a micro USD slot and have put it on the i phone, and am using a micro usb to charge. It is working fine. This adapter is very cheap at 1.5 $ only. So no big deal if the same fails. Let me see till whine works.
 

Attachments

  • Photo on 29-01-17 at 6.13 pm #2.jpg
    Photo on 29-01-17 at 6.13 pm #2.jpg
    38.7 KB · Views: 1,561
  • Photo on 29-01-17 at 6.13 pm.jpg
    Photo on 29-01-17 at 6.13 pm.jpg
    55.4 KB · Views: 1,449
I would say the black spots are coming as the plugin contacts have worn out from the surface and the black spots are because of the low voltage sparking on making and breaking contacts. I have bought an adapter from the 8 pin to a micro USB from Amazon for a mere 1.5 $. Now I have purchased the adapter, and have put it onto the phone slot and use the micro USB cable to charge when at home. I remove the adapter only when I go out. Its working fine for the last two days. Shall revert after a fortnight with my experience.
[doublepost=1485694921][/doublepost]The problem continues even today in 2017. Apple does not seem to have done anything till date to assuage the problem. As mentioned above in one of the replies I have bought an adapter from the 8 point to a micro USD slot and have put it on the i phone, and am using a micro usb to charge. It is working fine. This adapter is very cheap at 1.5 $ only. So no big deal if the same fails. Let me see till whine works.

I've had the iPhone 7 for less than a month now, I think I can rule out wear n tear in this case. If this was a year old phone or more I'd probably assume the same. I've just checked my colleagues iPhone 6 and 6s stock cables and non of them seem to have this issue. I'm just worried that this issue is a symptom of something else within the phone.
 
This corrosion occurred on my iPhone 5 cable & it only worked one way because of it. The corrosion had spread across multiple pins, but I didn't notice where it originated.

Just checked my iPhone 6s cable yesterday & it has a tiny black dot on its forth pin from the left on one side & a slightly larger/lighter mark/smear on the fourth pin from the left on the opposite side. Gave both sides a wipe with my finger....checked them today & the black dot is now smaller & the smear is barely distinguishable.

??
 
Last edited:
I've had the iPhone 7 for less than a month now, I think I can rule out wear n tear in this case. If this was a year old phone or more I'd probably assume the same. I've just checked my colleagues iPhone 6 and 6s stock cables and non of them seem to have this issue. I'm just worried that this issue is a symptom of something else within the phone.
Do not worry. The problem is not with the phone slot but with the wire. Try another one and you shall find that it is working. My phone is 4 years old and the problem started recently. I have changed to another wire and it is working fine. Sometimes if the plugin of the 8 contact wire is put wrongly or has been moved around while in the slot the contacts of the wire get affected and then they do not make good contact. But you SHOULD show it to the nearest apple service centre. Do not postpone.
 
Hate to resurrect an old thread, but came across this while searching Google. I had to have my new 10.5" iPad Pro replaced due to the Lightning Port no longer working and just noticed that the cable I was primarily using to charge it had black marks on the 4th and 5th pins (the two center ones) on both sides. This was a brand new cable—not to the iPad itself, but from an Apple TV 4 that I recently opened (got it free with DirecTV Now service in December and just now set up a second TV downstairs). I had been using it to charge devices while sitting on the couch since May, so it hasn't received a ton of use. I was about to plug it back in to get the UDID on my replacement iPad Pro so I could set up iOS 11 again and noticed the marks. I went to wipe them and wiped away from blackened, thin residue that was around the marks. A senior iOS guy who has been handling my case is doing a followup call with me tomorrow, so I'll let him know what I found.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.