7 reasons why your Android phone is charging slowly

22 Sep 2024, 09:57 by Faith Leroux · Android Police

Does your phone take hours to reach full charge? Have you faced a warning that your phone has slow charging after plugging it into a charger? This situation isn't favorable, especially if you only have a few minutes at a wall outlet. Why does it happen, and how can it be fixed? We gathered all the typical reasons your Android phone is charging slowly. Sometimes, all you have to do is restore your daily charging habits to get it working again or purchase a phone with excellent battery life.

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7 Owning a faulty or weak power source and cable

Your phone may not deliver enough power because your battery is too old or damaged. Lithium-ion batteries power most smartphones, comprising the cathode, anode, and a separating electrode layer. The electrochemical reaction is disrupted if materials inside the battery are degraded or damaged. Degradation can happen naturally over time. You can replace the battery (if you know what you're doing) or opt for a new phone.

Damaged charging cables can lead to a slow charge

The battery isn't the only culprit leading a phone's poor charge rate. If an outlet doesn't work, your phone won't charge if it can't draw any current. Plug your phone into another wall outlet or check the outlet using a multimeter. A multimeter measures the voltage. A healthy outlet should read 110V to 120V in North America and 220V to 240V in Europe.

Source: Unsplash

If your outlet is in good condition, the slow charge comes out from the cable. Wear and tear happen over time. If the cable is damaged, replace your phone charger. A damaged cable can be a safety hazard and lead to inefficient transfer of electrical current (loss of electrons), which kills the charging speed or may prevent your phone from charging.

6 Leaving your phone in a hot environment affects charging capabilities

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Phones are sensitive to the environment where they are stored because they are made from metal, glass, and plastic. Glass and plastic materials do not have good thermal conductivity, meaning they likely absorb heat. If you leave your smartphone in the sun, the device's internal temperature rises.

Higher internal temperature interrupts the electrochemical reactions (occurring within the battery) by increasing the ions' kinetic energy (batteries self-charge, thus losing charge). While most people charge their phones at room temperature, your phone might require cooling down before charging. The optimal internal temperature of your device is between 32F and 95F.

Do not place your device in an icebox or freezer to reduce the temperature. This can cause permanent damage to your phone.

5 The phone's battery could be dying

Similar to the reasoning behind the faulty power source, your phone's battery might be too old. Batteries degrade over time and no longer optimally keep a charge. Purchasing a phone with a good battery capacity also plays a role.

Battery capacity dictates how much charge a phone can hold. The better it holds a charge, the less you have to charge it, and the fewer charge cycles it undergoes. As phones age, battery capacity diminishes. Reasons for this include degradation from heat (the charger produces heat) and frequent fast charging practices. Often, it is best to check the battery health of your phone. You can sometimes view the maximum capacity your phone can hold.

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Most battery capacities have a relative measurement, meaning the actual rating labeled by the manufacturer is only partially accurate. You should expect a lower rating in practice. The typical battery capacity of phones can range between 2,500 and 4,000mAh. Higher battery capacities correlate to bigger phones (but bigger doesn't always mean better), which is why the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has a benchmark of 5,060mAh compared to the Google Pixel 9 Pro's 4,700mAh rating.

4 Overusing your Android phone while on charge

Source: Gamesir

Navigating through apps, gaming, and resource-heavy activities can slow your phone's charging process. Demanding apps and games force active use of your phone's CPU, which can cause battery drain. Anytime your screen stays on, it uses the battery. Some apps and games have a higher refresh rate, which eats into the battery.

Constant lighting of the pixels contributes to battery loss. Devices with powerful CPUs (think Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip powering a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra) have optimized processes for demanding games and apps. The same cannot be said for lower-budget devices with less powerful CPUs.

Check your app usage and background apps

You may have left apps on your phone and forgot to close them properly. Unoptimized third-party apps can drain battery life. Running these in the background can take more resources than expected, similar to using your phone while charging. Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections or use airplane mode.

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3 Dirty charging ports and damaged connectors

Accumulated dirt (like lint) and dust on a charging port affect charging. It disrupts the electrical connection between your phone and the charger or outlet. Cleaning the port can restore the connection, but be careful not to damage it. A damaged charging port requires replacing if you want your phone to charge regularly again.

Inspect the USB port for damage. If the USB cable is awkwardly positioned in the port, you may need to replace the insides. If the connection feels loose, that's another sign that the port needs repairing.

2 Using a wireless charger as your primary method for charging

According to Xfinity, a disadvantage of wireless charging is its slowness. It takes 30 to 80% more time to fully charge your device than a cable because wireless charging is less efficient at transferring power. It depends on electromagnetic induction to transfer the power. Some of that energy converts into heat (an overall loss to the system). Also, some wireless charging standards have power output limitations, meaning your phone receives less power, slowing the charge. If you want faster charging speeds, wired charging is your best solution.

1 A manufacturer's defect can lead to hardware failure with phone charging

It's rare, but it can happen that a newer phone was part of a bad product batch. Either the chip fails, or the battery doesn't deliver enough charge. If you tried a factory reset and the problems persist, it's a hardware issue. That's where using your phone's warranty comes in handy. Most devices come with at least a year-long warranty. If you suspect your phone suffers from a defect, contact the manufacturer's customer service to request a replacement or a repair.

Don't use the wrong charger for your phone

The consequences of a USB charger mismatch can be detrimental to your phone. It leads to charging issues and damages your phone. A higher-wattage charger won't damage your phone but won't lead to faster charges. However, using a charger with less wattage results in slower charging times. Also, using the incorrect charger can void the warranty. We also compiled a detailed guide to show which charger works best with your phone.