With the iPhone, Apple created our perfect companion: informative, silent (as needed), always with us. We must, in turn, care for it. Thus, how to clean an iPhone charging port is valuable information for anyone who has one (which, as it turns out, is a lot of us).
We may rarely think of the lint, gunk, and other grime that accumulates in our iPhone charging ports, but just as you (hopefully) wouldn’t clean our your navel lint buildup with a toothpick, you certainly wouldn’t stick a tiny wooden spear into your electronic BFF’s charger port. So what is the best—and safest—way to clean your iPhone charging port?
We’ve spoken to an iPhone repair expert and plumbed the official Apple iPhone care guidelines (the ones Apple Support uses) to map out the cleaning process in order to keep your iPhone charging port clean and prevent charging issues from keeping your most important of gadgets from going dark when you need it most.
How do I know if I need to clean my iPhone charging port?
If your iPhone can’t keep a charge, your charging connections may be blocked by debris, says Joe Silverman, CEO of New York Computer Help in Manhattan.
“It is very common for iPhone users visiting our repair centers due to their iPhones not being able to take a charge any more,” he says. “Their batteries no longer go up, and different Apple chargers have been attempted. Seventy-five percent of the time, there is pocket lint jammed up in the iPhone’s charging port area.”
How to clean iPhone charging port
In a nutshell, here are the official Apple cleaning guidelines for iPhones:
- Don’t wait. If you notice visible debris in your iPhone charging port (or anything else on your iPhone that might damage it), unplug and turn off your iPhone.
- Wipe it off with a soft, lint-free, slightly damp cloth—the kind of cloth used for lenses is ideal.
3. It’s not recommended (or warned against) in the official Apple iPhone cleaning guidelines, but Silverman suggests a basic hack that repairmen typically use to get gunk out of cellphone charging ports: “The old-fashioned tech industry secret is to use a toothbrush,” Silverman says. “This is soft and pliable enough to reach into the charging port area to clean and remove the debris. Moving the toothbrush back and forth will remove the lint and debris, allowing the iPhone to charge up again.”
Of course, you shouldn’t be using the wet, toothpaste-clogged toothbrush you just used to shine up your choppers; you definitely want to make sure the toothbrush you use is dry and clean.
What not to do when cleaning iPhone charging port
Warning: Do not get any moisture in the charging port! Additionally, Apple advises against using compressed air in your iPhone charging port, as it can damage the electronics inside your phone. You should never try to force a connector into your charging port; doing so could cause serious damage to both the connector and the iPhone.
Check the charging port for obstructions before you plug anything into it. Avoid cleaning products on your iPhone (or inside its charging port).
Absolutely do not stick a toothpick (or a screwdriver, or a paper clip, or any other hard object) into your iPhone charging port. “You can’t just [use] a flathead screwdriver or small device,” Silverman says. “It may actually damage the charging port, or cause a short to the phone.”
What if I have an Android or other phone that isn’t an iPhone? How do I clean an iPhone charging port if the phone is an older model and doesn’t have a USB-C connection?
“This process may be performed across the board for all phones, including Android phones and older iPhones with lightning port connections,” Silverman says of the steps outlined above. You can clean pretty much all cellphone charging ports the same way, whether or not they use USB-C or Lightning cables, regardless of whether they feature an Apple logo—though you should always check the manufacturer’s specific guidelines for your product before you start doing anything to it.
What if my iPhone still isn’t charging after cleaning the iPhone charging port?
If your iPhone still is having issues after your gentle cleaning, it may be time to make an appointment to go to the Apple store and seek the help of Apple Support. “If that doesn’t work, you may be looking at a battery issue, most likely, or on occasion, something deeper on the logic board,” Silverman says.
Frequently asked questions
You can use the same method outlined above to clean the charging ports of older generations of cell phones. You should be able to use the same cleaning guidelines for other Apple products with charging ports, such as iPads, AirPods, and so on.
If your iPhone charging port has water in it, unplug your device and follow the cleaning guidelines, making sure not to get any more moisture into the charging port. Let any moisture in the iPhone charging port dry before trying to use it or plugging anything into it. If your iPhone still exhibits some issues, contact Apple Support or make an appointment for care at an Apple store.