While you may not notice, your phone’s charging port, headphone jack (and just about any opening on your phone) are slowly accumulating dirt and debris over time. It happens from dipping your phone into your pocket to keeping it in your purse/handbag or just casually using the phone in a dusty environment. Well, that usually has no effect till your phone won't charge, gets recognized by your PC, or when your OTG misbehaves. If you're facing any of these issues right now, here’s how to remove debris from the charging port on your phone.
Thankfully, cleaning the phone charging port shouldn't be problematic for most people, as it's what you can do without visiting the service center.
How Do You Get Debris Out of a Charging Port?
Getting those foreign particles out of your phone's charging port by yourself is tricky but not impossible. You only need a few instructions on how to do it well, and that's what we'll discuss below.
If, however, your phone's USB/charging port is still not working after cleaning it, you may need to see a technician.
How to Clean USB-C and Micro USB Charging Ports
Removing dirt and debris from a USB-C or Micro USB port is pretty tricky, as you don’t want to damage the pins inside the port.
To get the job done, we recommend firing a can of compressed air into the port first. If it didn’t do the trick, try using a toothpick or a thin non-metallic object to drive out the debris. However, never clean your charging port with a metallic object to avoid a short circuit.
Here’s how to remove debris from the charging port properly if you have a USB-C or Micro USB port:
- Turn off your phone and fire a couple of compressed air shots into the port. Remember to hold the can of compressed air upright to avoid spraying moisture or water into the port.
- Check the port to see if the debris is all gone. If not, get a tiny non-metallic object (like a broomstick or toothpick) that can fit into the sides of the port and reach its walls with no problem. Gently scrape the charging port with the non-metallic object, going from wall to wall and avoiding the pins inside the port.
- Once you’re done, blast a few more shots of the compressed air into the port to flush out the residue.
- Plug your charger and let the phone charge for a couple of minutes to see if you’ve solved the problem.
In some cases, you can try adding a small amount of alcohol into a cotton swab and use it to clean your phone charging port. Do this cautiously at your own risk, as you may lose your warranty rights if you damage your phone afterward.
If your phone is still not charging by now, check your charging cable as well.
Related: What to Do If My Phone Is Not Charging
How to Clean the iPhone Charging Port
While the iPhone’s lightning cable might not be as versatile as a USB-C cable, cleaning its port is a bit easier. Since there are no pins inside the iPhone's lightning port, the hole is wide enough to house a stick of toothpick, allowing your phone's charging port without worrying that you’ll damage anything.
Here’s how to remove debris from the charging port if you use an iPhone
- Turn off your iPhone and start by spraying a few bursts of compressed air or a bulb syringe into the phone port to see if it gets out the debris. Do this while holding your phone upright to make it easier.
- You may need a torch or bright light to confirm if the charging port is free now, or if you need to fire a few more shots.
- Now try charging your phone to see if it picks up.
- If not, get a toothpick and gently scrape out the thick dirt and debris from the port. Try reaching the wall of the port and its sides for better effect.
- Finally, fire a few more shots of compressed air or use cotton balls to clean the remaining dirt from the port.
Your iPhone should charge with no issues now, and you should be able to use the USB for other things. If your charging port is still non-functional by now, you may need to visit a technician or check your charging cable.
FAQs on How to Remove Debris From Charging Port
How Do I Remove the Debris From My Tecno, Infinix, itel Charging Port?
Removing foreign particles from your TECNO, itel, or Infinix phone's port isn't any different from other smartphones. These phones either use a Micro USB or USB-C port, which needs extra care while cleaning to avoid damage. Nonetheless, follow these steps to clean the port:
- Turn off your phone
- Blast a few shots of compressed air into the charging connector.
- Use a non-metallic object like a toothpick to remove sticky particles.
- Spray the compressed air into the port again to remove remnants.
- Your USB port should charge now.
You can also try cleaning the port with a cotton swab soaked with alcohol. But do it cautiously at your own risk, as you may void your warranty.
How to Clean Tecno, Infinix, itel Charging Port When They Won’t Charge
If your TECNO, Infinix, or itel phone is still not charging, won't connect to your computer, or keep saying "USB OTG Connected” after cleaning the port, you'll need a technician's help.
Bring your phone to Carlcare for further inspection and repair. Carlcare is the official after-sales service provider for these brands, and we usually clean phone charging ports if the phone is still under warranty. You can locate a Carlcare service center near you to clean the port and fix other issues.
How to Clean Charging Port at Home
Cleaning your phone’s charging port at home requires a few things like a toothpick, a can of compressed air, a bulb syringe, or a cotton swab and alcohol.
As mentioned earlier, tidying up your phone's charging port is trickier, especially if you have a USB-C or Micro USB port, as you don't want to break the pins. Meanwhile, it’s not that hard.
All you need is to blast a few shots of compressed air or a bulb syringe into the port to flush out the debris. If that doesn’t work, gently scrape the walls of the port with a toothpick or another non-metallic object to remove sticky particles. And finally, you can try adding a small amount of alcohol to a cotton swab to clean the port.
Meanwhile, do things gently and remember that all these are not risk-free, and you may lose your warranty rights if you damage the charging ports afterward.
Final Thoughts
Cleaning your phone’s charging port is easy if you follow the right steps. You never have to have a charging problem, USB connection problem, or OTG problem because your USB connector is dirty. Just get it cleaned!
However, if your USB port is still not working perfectly after cleaning it at home, go and see the technician.
Do you have any problem with your TECNO, Infinix, or itel smartphone? Book a repair reservation with Carlcare today to get it fixed effortlessly.
