My iPhone 5 is getting harder and harder to charge...

[Faize]

I've been having charging trouble since last November, but it's been getting worse and worse over time - at first unplugging and replugging the cable would fix things, but now it's gotten to the point where it takes around 5-10 minutes of plugging, unplugging, and wiggling in order for the Lightning cable to make a connection. And of course battery degradation means that I need to charge a lot more often than I did when the phone was new...

I have the same problem on 2 different PCs (using 2 separate Lightning cables, of course), so I'm pretty sure it's not the cable that's the problem.

My contract expires in April, so I just need the phone to hang on until then. Any tips?

 

[Gav2k]

I've been having charging trouble since last November, but it's been getting worse and worse over time - at first unplugging and replugging the cable would fix things, but now it's gotten to the point where it takes around 5-10 minutes of plugging, unplugging, and wiggling in order for the Lightning cable to make a connection. And of course battery degradation means that I need to charge a lot more often than I did when the phone was new...

I have the same problem on 2 different PCs (using 2 separate Lightning cables, of course), so I'm pretty sure it's not the cable that's the problem.

My contract expires in April, so I just need the phone to hang on until then. Any tips?

When was the last time you cleaned out your charging port? If you haven't then that's your problem.

To clean it use compressed air to blow it out. If it's not budging use a small needle to dislodge any debris then use the compressed air after.

 

[Faize]

When was the last time you cleaned out your charging port? If you haven't then that's your problem.

To clean it use compressed air to blow it out. If it's not budging use a small needle to dislodge any debris then use the compressed air after.

Thanks for the advice.

I cleaned it out and it helped a bit, but I think there's something glued to the walls of the port. Here's the situation:

1. Wipe the Lightning connector with a damp cloth
2. Plug in iPhone for charging
3. Unplug iPhone after charging
4. Result: The Lightning connector comes out with tiny strands of lint and feels slightly sticky

 

[Gav2k]

Buy a can of contact cleaner. Power the phone off. Open it up which is simply taking the two screws out the bottom. Disconnect the battery and then use the contact cleaner to clean the port. Leave in a warm place to let the cc evaporate then put everything back together. I have done this with just a powered down iPhone with no issues but it was mine to damage.