Why Is My Phone Only Charging When Switched Off?

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2021-08-24
Abraham Miller

Of course, you don’t want to turn off your phone anytime you charge it. You obviously want to receive alerts, reply to texts, or complete your movie series.  But why you have the problem of phone charging only when switched off? Why do you always have to turn off your phone to recharge it? Well, that could be caused by many reasons, and you’ll get it fixed right after reading this article.

Why is my phone only charging when switched off?

In most cases, your phone that charges only when switched off could result from simple issues like a faulty charging port or temporary system glitches. And in other cases, it could be as critical as a damaged motherboard. Nonetheless, the good news is that you can correct the issue. And that’s why we’re here.

Here are some reasons your phone is only charging when switched off. By sourcing the problems, you could find solutions to them easily.

Faulty charging port

The most common causes of phones not charging until switched off are caused by faulty charging ports.

As you already know, the charging port acts as a ‘connector between your phone and the USB cable. However, it malfunctions once the port is in critical conditions – such as when it’s wet, dirty, dusty, or got rusted after contact with liquid.

Once there’s a defect in the charging port, it reduces the amount of current your phone can take in. And once such happens, your phone only charges when switched off. Even with that, it charges sluggishly in its switched off state.

How do you fix that? You can learn how to clean your phone’s charging port. Or better still, visit the official repair centre to fix it.  

Bad battery

Besides a broken charging port, your phone may not charge when turned on if the battery is no longer good. Like any other type of battery, your phone’s battery may become weak after hundreds of recharge cycles and years of usage.

With that, it repels the current when you plug in your charger, and the electricity goes directly into your phone as you use it rather than charging the battery first. In such a case, it doesn’t matter if you use another charger or charging method; your phone won’t charge until switched off.

If that’s what’s happening on your phone, then you need to replace its battery. Visit the official service provider for your brand to replace the damaged battery. They’ll diagnose your phone and tell if your battery needs replacement or you need to fix another issue to make your phone charge normally.

Related: How to Know If Your Cell Phone Battery Needs To Be Replaced

Could be a result of a faulty mainboard sometimes

If it’s not caused by a bad battery, then it could be a faulty motherboard. The mainboard (or motherboard) acts as a universal connector where all the components on your phone are connected. And once the area that maintains the charging of your phone is affected, it might not charge normally again. Hence, a technician needs to diagnose and fix what’s wrong with the motherboard.

Not sure your motherboard is damaged? Various things could damage your phone’s motherboard, including liquids, overheating, high charging voltage (usually after using an unsuitable charger), overusing your phone, and many more.

However, you can’t tell by yourself if a faulty motherboard causes your phone to only charge when switched off. The reason is the mainboard is complex and it requires a highly experienced technician to diagnose and fix it. So, you should visit the repair centre to fix such an issue.

Faulty cable/charger

After all said, your charger and its USB cable also have a high impact on if your phone will charge or not. If you have a damaged USB cable or your charging brick is incompatible, your phone would likely not charge when turned on. And if it charges when switched off, it’s not going to charge normally.

To fix that, we recommend you try switching to another USB cable. You probably have many of them lying in your drawer. And if not, get one from your friend.

If that still didn’t do the trick, then you may need to use another charging brick as well. Or better still, try to change to another charging source/method.

If switching to another charge feels like you just wasted your time and effort, then your phone could be faulty as per the three faults mentioned earlier. Visit a technician!

Software issues and heavy usage

More often than not, software glitches could cause your phone not to charge when it’s turned on and active. If that’s it,  then the reason your phone only charge when switched off is that the abnormalities in the software keep running and affecting the charging process when your phone is turned on.

To fix that, you need to address the issue. Start by updating your phone to the latest version.

If updating your device does not fix the issue, still, you may need to cut down on heavy usage while charging your phone. If you're playing a high-graphics game, downloading stuff in the background, and doing other heavy tasks, your phone might have a hard time recharging the battery. The charging current goes straight to the phone instead of charging the battery first.

In that case, all you need to do is close all your running apps, then let your phone charge for a while before reusing it. Also, we recommend you restart your phone first to refresh the system, then leave it to charge before you bounce back to using it

Where to fix your phone that’s charging only when switched off

Many times, phones charging problems have nothing to do with software glitches. And sometimes too, your charger might be working in perfect condition. In such cases, you need professional assistance.

Especially for a broken charging port, damaged batteries, and faulty charging port, only an experienced and reliable technician can rectify them. With that, we recommend you only visit the official repair center for your brand when you’re ready to fix the silly problem.

Do you own an Infinix, itel, or TECNO device, you must follow your kind heart to be on this page. Carlcare is the exclusive customer support provider for these brands, and we’re always ready to help you.

At Carlcare, our technicians are trained and authorized by TECNO, Infinix, and itel to repair your phone. So, you can rest assured of getting high-quality repair service and genuine spare parts when you walk into any of our service centers.

If fixing this issue requires battery replacement, Carlcare provides the original one sourced from your brand’s factory. They’re tested to serve you for the long run and you also get a warranty afterward.

What’re are you waiting for? Book an online reservation with us today to repair your phone in the shortest possible time!