You plug the cable into your iPad but it doesn’t charge. Or it’s charging abnormally slow. Have you ever encountered a charging problem with your iPad? Today, we’ll look at the possible solutions to fix an iPad that’s not charging. 

Why is Your iPad Not Charging?

iPad still adopts the traditional wired charging, and charging problems may be caused by these several factors: the iPad charger, the cable, the charging port, and the iPad itself. Hence, the following discussion revolves around those factors. 

But if your iPad was recently exposed to water or dropped really hard, that could be the culprit why your iPad is not charging. And you may skip the usual troubleshooting and seek professional assistance. 

Force Restart Your iPad

The easiest method sometimes proves to be effective. The first thing you should try is a force restart if your iPad is not charging because there may be a software hiccup. 

For iPads without the home button, quickly press and release the volume button nearest to the top button, do the same thing for the volume button farthest from the top button, then press and hold the top button until the Apple logo appears. If your iPad has a home button, press and hold the home button and the power button at the same time until the Apple logo flashes out.

If your iPad still doesn’t charge, the crux of the problem may lie in hardware issues or a deeper software issue. So let’s inspect all the possible hardware first. 

Check the iPad Charging Cable

Every iPad model comes with a charging cable. Check whether the cable you’re using has any sign of fraying or noticeable damage. 

Try charging your iPad with a different cable if possible. All the newer-model iPads feature a USB-C port and you would need a USB-C cable which is commonly seen nowadays. If your iPad has a Lightning port, you may use the Lightning cable shipped with the iPhone or any third-party MFi-certified Lightning cable.

Clean Out Your iPad’s Charging Port

Give the charging port a clean, as some debris might be stuck there or dirt accumulates over time. 

Use a specialized tool, such as an anti-static brush, to clean the port. But if you don’t have one, you may try other ways too. Use a toothpick or something similar, stick it into the port and move it around in a circular pattern to loosen the debris. Some iPad users also suggest using a can of compressed air to clean out the charging port. Blast the port a few times to see if dust or debris falls out. Whatever tool you use, turning off your iPad before cleaning is recommended. 

Use iPad Wireless Chargers

Cables are prone to fray or break if you frequently bend or move them around a particular part of the wire, especially the end. And any port will accumulate dust as time goes by. These are the downsides of traditional wired charging. What if you can wirelessly charge your iPad?

Think about it. Just put your iPad down on a charging pad or snap it to an iPad stand, and your iPad just charges. You don’t have frequently plug and unplug the cable, which saves your time and prolongs the lifespan of the charging cable. 

You may know that Apple hasn’t brought wireless charging or MagSafe charging yet. But PITAKA has managed to add wireless charging capability to iPads by creating a specially-made magnetic iPad case with built-in cables and charging modules, a MagSafe-like iPad charger, and a magnetic charging iPad stand. 

The MagSafe-like charger shipped with the case magnetically attaches to your iPad and charges it right away. Or you can snap your iPad to the magnetic charging stand to wirelessly charge it while you work. In addition, the magnetic stand allows you to rotate your iPad between landscape and portrait orientations with a single hand and adjust the vertical angle of the screen, making it an ideal tool for turning your iPad into a laptop or a second screen. 

Examine Your iPad Charger

If you’re using the traditional iPad chargers, first, make sure they are powerful enough to boot up your iPad. Depending on the model, iPad comes with a 10W, 12W, 18W, or 20W power adapter. That said, third-party power adapters are fine too. If you charge an iPad Pro, you need a power adapter no (or a little) less than 20W. If you use a 5W power adapter, which usually is for mobile phones, it will take forever to reach 100%.

Inspect the power adapter and see if any noticeable damage exists. Or try the more effective way – charging your iPad with another power adapter. You don’t have a spare, qualified power adapter? Chill. Charge your iPad through the USB-C port on a computer. If that works, then the problem is not the cable and charging port. In addition, you can also try charging another device with the iPad charger. If your iPad is the only device that doesn’t charge, time to focus on the device itself. 

Factory Reset or Contact Apple Support

If your iPad is still not charging after you’ve ruled out the possibility of damaged hardware or a minor software crash. One last trick you may try before visiting the Genius Bar is resetting your iPad to factory defaults. This trick is a bit challenging compared to the ones mentioned above, and it will erase all data on your iPad. That’s why we leave it for the last. If you’re not confident in restoring your iPad to factory defaults by yourself, or you conjecture that a deep software problem is not the reason why your iPad is not charging, do not hesitate to take it to the Apple Store for repair. 

Bottom Line

There are many reasons why an iPad is not charging. Just follow the instruction to do the basic troubleshooting, and you may be able to fix your iPad. If not, you have to get it repaired. Hope this article is helpful.