One of the most frustrating things about owning a phone is waking up to discover it didn’t charge at all.
In some cases, you might even notice your iPhone battery draining while charging.
When you find a phone losing charge while plugged in, it’s time to take a closer look at what might be causing the issue.
This problem can make it impossible to use your phone normally and may lead to your phone being unusable.
Before things get to that point, sit down and try these easy solutions.
Is It the Charger?
If my phone is losing battery while charging, is the problem my charger or my phone?
Before we get into the potential issues with your iPhone, you would want to make sure you are using the right charger for your device.
With the right wall adapter and cable, you can expect the power to flow properly and charge your device correctly.
On the other hand, if you are using an off-brand or weak charger, it is possible your phone isn’t receiving enough power to charge.
iPhones need to receive the right voltage for the power to be stored in your phone.
Some wall chargers won’t be appropriate for charging your device for this reason. And checking this first can save you a lot of trouble.
The easiest way to be sure you have the right charger is to use only Apple chargers.
In line with this, you also want to check your outlet’s voltage to be extra sure.
If both are functioning properly, move on with the other possible causes (and fixes) for your charging issues.
iPhone Battery Draining While Charging: Causes
Finding out your iPhone battery draining while charging is only half the battle.
To address this issue directly, you would want to determine the exact cause.
While a phone losing charge while charging may seem like an issue with the charger or the battery, the problem is often unrelated to either of those things.
The charger could be at fault, sure, but it is just one of many possibilities behind this battery charging problem.
Let’s walk through a few of those issues so that you can get a better idea of what might be going on with your phone.
1. Ask Where the Charge Is Going
If my phone is losing battery while charging, what could be the reason?
Some may think it is because the battery is not being charged quickly enough or at all. In most cases, though, either one of those is the reason.
What is usually happening in this situation is that apps and software are overusing the battery.
In turn, the battery drain becomes so strong that the battery isn’t really charging up.
The charger’s incoming power and the power being used are nearly equal, so the battery seems to be draining instead of charging.
2. iOS Update Issues
After a full system update, you might find your phone losing charge while plugged in.
Sometimes, such an issue is related to the new software not having the same settings and, thus, draining more battery power.
In other cases, the issues are just temporary as the new system takes a few days to index what is needed.
Regardless, issues with how the software installs can lead to battery problems, including draining faster than charging.
3. Rogue Apps
Apps not running properly or opening themselves in the background can lead to battery loss.
These apps may be running too often because of conflicting settings, or they can be apps that are not coded to fit the system software.
Either way, the background actions of the apps can lead to battery drain.
4. Unupdated Apps
Sometimes, apps that need to be updated will begin to update, and then something will cause them to pause.
As a result, the apps regularly open in the background as they try to update.
For as long as the apps are left half-updated, they can cause a power drain.
5. Battery Misreads
Another potential problem is that your iPhone is no longer properly recognizing how much power is in the battery.
This can happen to lithium-ion batteries over time because of how they charge and discharge.
Have you ever noticed your phone seems to go from 100% to 50% in one hour and then takes a few hours to drain more?
The reason behind this might be that the calibration of your battery is not correct.
Your phone cannot accurately see how much battery is being used, so it cannot improve the performance.
Altogether, these factors can lead to battery drain while the phone is charging.
Why Is My Battery Draining While Charging?
Why is my phone losing battery while charging?
When it comes to your specific device, you’ll want to try to understand exactly which issue might be behind your problems.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to open up your Battery Usage page in your phone’s settings.
Once this page loads in, you will be able to get a complete view of what is using up your battery.
Look through this page carefully. Does anything seem strange?
For example, seeing an app that only uses 4% of the screen power but 40% of the background power could be a problem app.
Scroll through the Battery Health page’s information that the iPhone gathers to get a better picture of what’s going on.
With this, you should be able to find some potential causes.
Phone Losing Charge While Charging: Solutions
You already know the likely causes, so it’s time to try out the possible fixes.
No matter which causes are behind your phone issue, these solutions can fix many software-related problems.
1. Do a Soft Reset.
One of the best possible solutions is to soft reset your phone.
A soft reset is when you reset the software and hardware on your phone without actually deleting your data.
Essentially, this is a forced restart.
You have to keep in mind, though, that each iPhone has a slightly different forced restart.
Most current models require you to press down on the Side and Up Volume buttons until the phone shuts off.
You can often resolve minor issues caused by glitching apps or a software bug this way.
If this soft reset does not work, go ahead and try another solution instead.
2. Check Your Apps
As mentioned, your apps may be causing excess background power usage.
One way to improve this is to make sure all of your apps are completely up to date.
Apps that are not updated to match the current OS patch can cause battery problems, so it’s important to check this frequently.
Visit the App Store and then update all of your apps.
Once updated, give your phone a quick restart to be sure everything is installed.
Doing this simple trick may help prevent your battery from draining as quickly.
It might also be that there are just too many apps running in the background for the battery to have a chance to charge up.
In this case, check that you close all apps when charging.
Sometimes, this simple fix is all you need to lighten the load the battery has to support.
3. Make Sure Your OS Is Updated
Just as apps not fully updated can cause your phone to lose battery charge, your operating system can as well.
Most iPhones are set to update automatically or push you to update, but you may still miss one.
It’s easy to check if your phone is up to date or not. Simply tap on Settings, General, and then Software Update.
If any firmware updates need to be applied, they will be visible here.
Save what you need to, and install the update as soon as possible.
Once the update is completely installed, and your phone has run for a few days, the battery drain may improve.
The update needs to run for a few days because your phone relies on indexes to use less battery power.
These indexes may need to be rebuilt after a firmware update, so you should give the phone a few days to get things reordered.
4. Calibrate Your Phone Battery
In cases where your phone is not properly reading the battery, calibrating your iPhone battery can be helpful.
You can do this in just a few simple steps, but you may need a day or two to complete the process:
Step 1: Allow the phone to drain completely through normal use.
Step 2: Turn it off. Leave it off and unplugged for at least two hours.
Step 3: Plug the phone in. When it turns on, turn it off so it can charge in “off’ mode.
Step 4: Allow the phone to charge completely. Let it charge for two more hours after reaching 100%.
Step 5: Turn on, soft reset, and use it as usual.
Following these steps allow the battery to be fully discharged and fully charged up again.
After this, your iPhone will get a more accurate reading of how much charge is in the battery.
Since iPhones use a battery management system to control how things charge and discharge, this can often fix battery issues.
How Do I Stop My Battery From Draining While Charging?
The best thing to do is work through each of the above steps and see if anything makes a difference.
Additionally, you’ll want to ensure you are using a reliable outlet, wall adapter, and power cable.
By carefully paying attention to your apps and your device, you can get your battery to stop draining so fast.
Until you manage to get things working, different types of power banks can help you keep your phone as charged as possible.
Conclusion
Why is my phone losing battery while charging, and what can I do until I fix it?
Many people face these issues when their phone suddenly starts acting up.
It can take some time to find the right solution, but those outlined today should help you find one that works for you.
Until you have your battery back at full power, keeping one of these great power banks on hand is a great way to have extra power.
Eventually, your phone will be ready to charge, and you can keep the power bank as a backup for emergencies.
