iPhone 6s won't charge...but claims it's charging if I force the connector in hard?

[Wolfpup]

I couldn't get my 6s to charge at all, and actually ordered a temporary replacement (which I'm trying to figure out if I can activate without it getting locked to AT&T prepaid...)

Anyway, I just tried once again to charge my 6s, and discovered if I use a ton of force to push the lightning connector in-like hold it in with a TON of force, then it says it's charging. Even went from 10% to 11%.

But it disconnects as soon as I let go.

I've wiped off my lightning cables (and they charge my 6s Smart Battery Case just fine). I used a toothpick to sort of dig in the lightning connector as some people claim it can fill up with lint...but that didn't help at all.

Is it somehow possible to get my 6s working again?

(I HATE that lightning connector, and I wish there was a way to pair an iOS device with iTunes wirelessly, so that on an 8/X it would be possible to NEVER use the lightning connector yet still charge and sync!)

 

[OS X Dude]

Official iPhone tech here.

Is there any debris in the port? Use an ESD-safe brush and give it a good going over. Also you can use compressed air and, if you’re very very careful, the SIM removal tool that came with your iPhone. If you do the latter, keep the tool as close to the top of the port as possible - if you damage the pins it’s a whole unit replacement.

 

[iapplelove]

Official iPhone tech here.

Is there any debris in the port? Use an ESD-safe brush and give it a good going over. Also you can use compressed air and, if you’re very very careful, the SIM removal tool that came with your iPhone. If you do the latter, keep the tool as close to the top of the port as possible - if you damage the pins it’s a whole unit replacement.

I haven’t got a sim tool with my iPhone in years. And I’ve always been confused because I know some who say they haven’t got one either and others who say they have lol

 

[Cergman]

I haven’t got a sim tool with my iPhone in years. And I’ve always been confused because I know some who say they haven’t got one either and others who say they have lol

Only SIM-Free models come with sim removal tools.

 

[bruinsrme]

Tooth pick, plastic flosser, small tie wrap,
Just ideas.

 

[Wolfpup]

Only SIM-Free models come with sim removal tools.

THAT explains why I get them! (And Hmm, my SE isn't marked as being from a carrier even though it's supposed AT&T Prepaid)

Anyway...I've heard that before, about junk getting in the lightning connector, and using a toothpick to try to clean it. I tried, and nothing came out-I can't see anything in it either. Still takes a TON of force for it to at least claim it's charging.

 

[Wolfpup]

So if trying to clean the port doesn't work, any other ideas? I have have to hope I can power it on enough to do a wipe, if nothing else :-/

 

[Givmeabrek]

How many cables have you tried?

 

[avanpelt]

I was having the same problem with my iPhone 6 last year. Tried a tooth pick and I got some lint out of the Lightning port but the problem persisted. Took the phone to my local Apple Store and they got a large piece of lint out that I had been unable to see. Problem was immediately solved.

 

[Wolfpup]

How many cables have you tried?

2, one from apple, one from amazon. Both charge my Apple Smart Battery case just fine...oh, and that's a third thing actually, my Apple Smart Battery case, which is the equivalent of a cable/power source.

I was having the same problem with my iPhone 6 last year. Tried a tooth pick and I got some lint out of the Lightning port but the problem persisted. Took the phone to my local Apple Store and they got a large piece of lint out that I had been unable to see. Problem was immediately solved.

UGH. I don't have an Apple Store. I really don't see ANYTHING in there, like I think I can see all the way down?

 

[spoon72]

Use those camera len air blower and tooth pick , my bro his iPhone also has dirt inside the charging port on the phone also need to push hard to charge his phone until I dig out the dirt.

 

[Wolfpup]

Do you guys know of a good/safe brand? Can't find any 1st party Amazon. Bestbuy has this "enddust". Officemax has falcon or something, which looks like the packaging we use at work.

Turns out that stuff's terrible for the environment, but then new phones can't be great either!

 

[jason.coles]

Working in IT we see this quite regularly with our staff, the fluff gets compacted at the bottom of the lightning port and you can tell as when you plug the lightning cable in it does not go flush into the port and there is a gap. Power off your iPhone first then use a torch from another iPhone and scrape the bottom of the port, being careful not to damage the sides. It can be rather tricky to get the fluff out sometimes. Hope that helps.

 

[Ries]

Turn it off and use a wood or plastic tooth pick and clean the bottom of the connector, there is debris buildup that prevents the connector from fully inserting.

 

[OS X Dude]

I haven’t got a sim tool with my iPhone in years. And I’ve always been confused because I know some who say they haven’t got one either and others who say they have lol

Odd, they always have them here in the UK regardless of whether you bought it on contract or outright. If not, an unfurled paperclip would work great and probably be a bit more manoeuvrable.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

Tooth pick, plastic flosser, small tie wrap,
Just ideas.

THIS!

mostly, you will find lots of micro-fibres of cotton in the slot.
with a wooden tooth pick, you can be shure not to do harm to your iPhone or iPad - it takes just some seconds to get out all these fibres - and after that procedure it will have perfectly contact again with your loading cable.

 

[iapplelove]

Odd, they always have them here in the UK regardless of whether you bought it on contract or outright. If not, an unfurled paperclip would work great and probably be a bit more manoeuvrable.

I haven’t needed one in years, but another member gave the correct reason.

I always buy AT&T version iPhones which won’t come with a sim tool. However sim free phones do come with the tool because technically it’s needed.

I haven’t needed to pull my SIM card out ever.

 

[bruinsrme]

Do you guys know of a good/safe brand? Can't find any 1st party Amazon. Bestbuy has this "enddust". Officemax has falcon or something, which looks like the packaging we use at work.

Turns out that stuff's terrible for the environment, but then new phones can't be great either!

Terrible for the environment?
Any idea how wonderful the extraction and transformation of raw materials to make our gadgets is for the environment?

Anyway, look at the port and see if there is any debris in there.
If nothingelse use a toothbrush to clean the area.
You can blow into the port a few time it’s not going to cause any damage.

 

[Wolfpup]

Terrible for the environment?
Any idea how wonderful the extraction and transformation of raw materials to make our gadgets is for the environment?

Anyway, look at the port and see if there is any debris in there.
If nothingelse use a toothbrush to clean the area.
You can blow into the port a few time it’s not going to cause any damage.

I really can't see anything in there, but before opening the new phone I'm going to try spraying in there with compressed air at work tomorrow. Can't get any worse, anyway!

 

[bruinsrme]

I really can't see anything in there, but before opening the new phone I'm going to try spraying in there with compressed air at work tomorrow. Can't get any worse, anyway!

Odd. Not sure if it’s related.
I was experiencing the 8plus not indicatingbit was charging.
Did a hard reboot and it seem to have cleared itself

 

[NoBoMac]

Working in IT we see this quite regularly with our staff, the fluff gets compacted at the bottom of the lightning port and you can tell as when you plug the lightning cable in it does not go flush into the port and there is a gap. Power off your iPhone first then use a torch from another iPhone and scrape the bottom of the port, being careful not to damage the sides. It can be rather tricky to get the fluff out sometimes. Hope that helps.

This.

Took my old 6 in thinking a bad port, Genius took out their sim removal tool and pulled out a huge lint wad that was compacted into the base by lots of forcing in the connector. Since then, I make sure to regularly use canned air to dust the port.

To be fair, the old 30-pin port would also get lint in it, but was easier to see and had a somewhat natural extractor in the male end of the connector (would see lint from phone yanked out and sitting in the male end).

 

[Wolfpup]

One thing I forgot to mention-until last week when this started, the 6s was permanently attached to a Smart Battery Case, so really it should have had no opportunity to get anything in it-and I can't see anything.

I gave the compressed air a shot though. Stuck the straw right up to it and blew.

And...nothing. It won't even power up now briefly, so it MIGHT be worse (not that it matters) or it might have coincidentally run out of power at the same time I tried it.

Annoying that it works perfectly except for that port.

I really want them to change it, or at least include a way to pair it with iTunes wirelessly, so that on like an 8 or above you can avoid ever using that lightning connector, technically.

 

[jason.coles]

One thing I forgot to mention-until last week when this started, the 6s was permanently attached to a Smart Battery Case, so really it should have had no opportunity to get anything in it-and I can't see anything.

I gave the compressed air a shot though. Stuck the straw right up to it and blew.

And...nothing. It won't even power up now briefly, so it MIGHT be worse (not that it matters) or it might have coincidentally run out of power at the same time I tried it.

Annoying that it works perfectly except for that port.

I really want them to change it, or at least include a way to pair it with iTunes wirelessly, so that on like an 8 or above you can avoid ever using that lightning connector, technically.

When you look at the bottom of the lightning port with a torch is it white or black ? it should be white. If it is black then the fluff is just compacted really tightly. I normally use a very thin needle to scrap at it a bit to break it up.

 

[Wolfpup]

When you look at the bottom of the lightning port with a torch is it white or black ? it should be white. If it is black then the fluff is just compacted really tightly. I normally use a very thin needle to scrap at it a bit to break it up.

It's white-or white/silverish. Yeah, I really don't see anything down there at all. You'd think if anything it would be my smart battery case whose lightning connector was crudded-up, not the phone. In fact part of why I bought the case was thinking it would protect the phone's connector, as I've had such miserable experiences with the Lightning connector. I actually can see a LITTLE bit of stuff in the case's connector, though it's mostly white.

 

[Wolfpup]

Since I"m at the point of "this is hopeless anyway", I've just tried cleaning the lightning connector (in the phone and the cable) with 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes.

Not sure if it did any good, but the behavior has changed slightly.

I'm not 100% sure what the indicators mean. Before, I would get a battery icon, flashing red, with a picture of a lightning connector. Pressing up hard would get the lightning connector picture to disappear and the phone to boot (I think it quickly runs out of power, crashes, and dumps back to the battery screen)

After the alcohol I can get it to display that battery screen WITHOUT the lightning connector icon...neither showed like a charging symbol.

I take it the picture of the lightning cable means it thinks it's NOT connected to one, so now it thinks it is...but it seems to sit there for a while, then try to boot, presumably run out of power and crash.

I'll just leave it plugged in, I guess...see what happens.