Wireless charging not working on iPhone? 11 Fixes

Is wireless charging not working on your iPhone? Fear not. You’re not alone. Many iPhone users have also reported a similar issue via the Apple Support Forum. This might be due to many reasons but rarely requires high technicality to fix.

Keep reading as I show you all the possible solutions to fix wireless charging not working on your iPhone.

Does your iPhone support wireless charging?
Ensure your iPhone is at the center of the wireless charger
Reboot/force-restart your iPhone
Wipe the back of your iPhone and charging pad
Charging pad might be incompatible or defective
Try another power adapter/charging cable
Incompatible iPhone case
Try a non-MagSafe charger for iPhone 11 or earlier
Update your iOS version
Put iPhone in DFU mode
Contact Apple Support and charging pad’s manufacturer

1. Does your iPhone support wireless charging?

While wireless charging is a mantra in the iPhone user community, not all models support it. According to Apple, you’ll need an iPhone 8 or later to enjoy wireless charging. In essence, iPhone 7 or earlier models won’t charge on a wireless charging pad.

Therefore, check your iPhone model to see if it supports wireless charging before moving further with the other fixes. It might be time to upgrade to a supported model after all.

2. Ensure your iPhone is at the center of the wireless charger

Sometimes, your iPhone’s position on the charging pad might prevent it from charging. Besides, it uses electromagnetic sensors. Whether you’re using MagSafe or Qi wireless charger, one way to ensure you’re placing your iPhone at the right place is to follow the user manual.

Nonetheless, for the most part, most makers recommend placing your iPhone with its face up at the center of the charging pad for best results.

3. Reboot/force-restart your iPhone

Anything from memory issues to other underlying software errors might prevent your iPhone from charging wirelessly. To resolve this, try rebooting your iPhone to refresh its random access memory (RAM).

However, if after rebooting, the problem persists or your iPhone still feels frozen, another solution is to go beyond and force-reboot your iPhone.

Note: Force-restarting your iPhone doesn’t wipe your data off the iPhone.

4. Wipe the back of your iPhone and charging pad

Dirt or dust on the back of your iPhone or the surface of the wireless charging pad might reduce charging sensitivity. Worst, these surfaces may be wet. So wiping it with a soft fleece might return life to the sensors on your phone and the wireless charger.

I’ve done this a couple of times and got my iPhone charging as it should. So, don’t overlook this easy-peasy fix.

5. Charging pad might be incompatible or defective

It’s not uncommon for the wireless charger to fail to charge the iPhone due to defects or incompatibility of models. So even if your iPhone model supports wireless charging, the charging pad might not be a compatible one. Or worse, it might be defective.

To see if it’s not a compatibility issue, try charging another device that supports wireless charging on your charging pad. If it works with the test device, you might be dealing with a compatibility issue after all.

But if it doesn’t charge the test device, the wireless charging pad might be defective. So try swapping it for another. Whatever the outcome, it’s best to get another compatible one for your iPhone.

6. Try another power adapter/charging cable

Besides an incompatible or defective wireless charging pad, the power adapter might use some changing to be sure it’s not the culprit. One way to test your power adapter and power cable is to pair them with another device to see if it charges; this might be a phone or an AirPod.

If the cable or power adapter doesn’t work after pairing with another device, they might be faulty. Try other cables or adapters to see if they work.

7. Incompatible iPhone case

iPhone wireless charging uses electromagnetic induction to transfer current between the charging pad and sensors on your iPhone. So, using an incompatible case doesn’t work. Also, Some iPhone cases have extra details that may insulate the connection and prevent charging.

Besides, according to Apple, using magnetic cases or placing objects like RFID chips or other insulating materials between your iPhone and the charging pad impedes smooth charging. These aren’t uncommon with some iPhone cases.

First, ensure to remove any material on your iPhone case obstructing the connection between your iPhone and the wireless charging pad. If there are none, or you did so already, and it still doesn’t charge your iPhone, remove the case and try charging your phone again.

If you must use a case, get a wireless charging-compatible case.

8. Try a non-MagSafe charger for iPhone 11 or earlier

While the MagSafe charger is perfect for iPhone 12 and 13 models, I’ve seen and heard about some situations where it charges other iPhone models slowly or doesn’t work at all.

So, if you’re using iPhones other than the iPhone 12 and 13 series, I wouldn’t recommend using a MagSafe charger for it. For iPhone 11 or earlier models, a Qi charger works better.

9. Update your iOS version

It’s rare, but your iOS versions might cause wireless charging to be irregular or fail to work on your iPhone. For instance, this was a common issue among users when Apple released iOS 13. Thankfully, recent iOS updates have fixed this bug.

Moreover, even while recent iOS updates have fixed the bug, you still can’t tell if your current iOS version has some traces that prevents wireless charging. So updating your iOS version to a recent one might fix the issue.

10. Put iPhone in DFU mode

Device Firmware Update (DFU) is a powerful way to custom-restore your iPhone. Indeed, this is an extreme measure and is always the ultimate fix for wireless charging not working on an iPhone. Plus, it’s more effective than the conventional factory reset.

Have it in mind that, like a factory reset, putting your iPhone in DFU mode erases your data as well. So, backup your iPhone before entering into DFU mode.

Note: While factory reset automatically restores your iPhone to its original state, DFU mode lets you choose the firmware you like to install on your device. For example, it comes in handy when you want to revert to a specific iOS version and restore your device simultaneously.

11. Contact Apple Support and charging pad’s manufacturer

If all else fails, one of the best ways to detect the problem and fix it is to contact Apple Support. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long before they reply to customers. Providing detailed information about the issue usually helps Apple Support proffer or recommend a fix for any problem relating to your Apple device.

Want to learn how best to contact Apple Support? Here’s a step-by-step guide. Additionally, you could also approach the charging pad’s manufacturer to clear out the problem.

Wrapping up!

Wireless charging on iPhone comes with many advantages. For instance, it relieves your charging port of strains from plugging a USB. It also lets you charge your phone anytime at any wireless charging center, even if you’re not with a charger.

But if wireless charging doesn’t work on your iPhone, it means you can’t enjoy such benefits. Plus, it seems like a waste of money after investing in a wireless charger. However, one or a combination of these fixes should work for you.

Let me know if you could fix the issue with the above solutions in the comment section below.

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