Common causes of why your phone could be charging slowly, and how to fix it

In an increasingly interconnected digital world, it’s important that we stay connected with our friends and families, as well as colleagues at all times. And the means we use for this connection most often is our smartphone. In many ways, they’ve become practically become an extension of our lives, and having access to them on demand is important. One way manufacturers ensure this happens is by outfitting phones with larger batteries and fast-charging capabilities, to ensure they never run out of juice at crucial moments, leaving you stranded.  

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Sometimes, however, things can go wrong and the phone stops charging at the expected rate. While not the end of the world, it can be incredibly frustrating seeing your phone go from charging fully in minutes to taking several hours to get there all the same. There can be many explanations for such issues, some benign and some alarming. Here are some of the most common ones you need to watch out for. 

1. Heat

Phones and their batteries can get hot, and when they do, they slow down. An overheated phone will run slower, and an overheated battery will charge slower. When charging, it’s important to check that the charger, cable, the phone, and even the ends of the charging cable are not getting too hot. Fast-charging phones can get warm when charging rapidly, but what you need to look out for is an unfamiliar or uncomfortable degree of warmth. 

If it feels like the phone is getting uncomfortably hot, stop charging it immediately and consider taking the phone to the nearest service centre. An overheated battery is a serious fire hazard and can cause significant damage to you and your property. 

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You could also check for an errant background app drawing too much power and causing the phone to overheat when on idle or when it’s charging. 

2. Wireless charging is much slower

While convenient, wireless charging tends to be much slower than wired charging. Most wireless chargers top out at 15W while some wired charging standards can hit 60+ Watts. Even the slowest wired charging speeds tend to be in the 20W range. 

Additionally, wireless charging is less efficient than wired charging and tends to generate more heat, further reducing the charging speed. If you’ve recently switched to a wireless charger and are experiencing slow charging rates, this might be your issue. 

3. Use the right cable

USB-C might seem like a convenient, universal standard, but when it comes to charging, it’s anything but. All USB-C cables have the same connectors, but the choice of wiring, insulation, and electronics determines just how much power the USB cable can actually handle. 

Your average USB-C cable is rated at about 20W, and if you’re going well beyond that, you will need to use only the cable that your phone’s manufacturer provided on an equivalent. You could use a third-party cable in a pinch, but if you want fast charging, you’ll need a cable capable of handling the same wattage that your manufacturer’s cable was using. 

4. Using the right charger

As with using the right cable, it’s also important to use the right charger. A phone may be rated for, say 45W charging, but unless that 45W is delivered per universal guidelines – such as the USB Power Delivery standard – you will need to use a charger that your manufacturer provided. Technologies like SuperVOOC and the like use a non-standard set of voltages and amps to deliver power. 

5. Physical damage

If charging speed starts acting up immediately after your phone suffered a fall or some kind of shock, and especially if you see any kind of swelling of the phone body, stop charging your phone immediately and consider getting it to a repair or recycling facility ASAP.  

A swelling phone is an indicator of a damaged battery, which is essentially a ticking time bomb as far as safety is concerned. Discarding the battery is the only way out of the situation. 

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Wear tear is also a factor as the number of charge cycles can affect a phone battery. This can cause not only its maximum capacity to drop, but also to overheat and reduce charging speed. If the battery is significantly worn down, a replacement is essential. 

Most charging issues generally fall into the above categories and the fix is usually a simple one. More often than not, simply taking proper care of your phone and using the manufacturer-provided charger and charging cable is enough to keep your phone charging rapidly.