It could be really confusing to see the charging sign on your phone when connected to your charger only for your battery percentage to remain at the same level for hours or in fact drop steadily. If you’re a heavy user then you must have encountered this on one or two occasions (see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-fix-an-android-phone-that-automatically-goes-off-or-shuts-down-frequently/ ) but that isn’t to say that light users are exempted from this puzzling phenomenon.
Lets look at it from a less-techy perspective for a moment. If you connect your charger (which is supposed to increase battery levels) but the battery levels are dropping instead, then it must either mean that the phone isn’t being charged at all or the battery is being consumed faster than its being charged. Now that we’ve established this, lets proceed.
Why is my Android phone discharging despite being connected to a power source?
Common causes of this issue are:
- Faulty power source: If you’re charging using a PC (via USB cord) or from a faulty power source then this is possible
- Faulty USB port: A loose, cracked or broken phone USB port could be a cause
- Faulty charger: If the charger is faulty or not powerful enough then you can expect something like this
- Buggy ROM: If you flashed a custom ROM / Firmware upgrade with power efficiency bugs then you have another possible culprit
- Heavy usage during charging: If you’re running processor / battery intensive processes during charging then you have another possible cause
- Faulty battery: Some batteries have problems retaining charge after extensive use
How do I fix an Android phone that doesn’t charge (or discharges) when connected to power?
Some fixes you should consider include:
- Ensure the USB jack and USB port are making firm contact
- Try a different charger (a 2 amps charger is a good place to start)
- Avoid heavy usage during charging
- Consider changing the USB port if it looks loose, cracked or damaged in any way
- Try a different power source
- Flash the stock ROM back to the phone (see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-unbrick-fix-a-bricked-android-device/ and also https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-upgrade-an-android-smartphone-or-tablet-operating-system-os/ )
- Consider using an external (like desktop) charger to be sure the battery is OK
What can I do to prevent future occurrence?
- Avoid over-charging your device
- Avoid charging your device using a PC
- Employ good battery management practices (see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-make-an-android-phones-battery-last-longer/ )
- Do not rotate the USB jack during charging or force it into the USB port
Hovatek….just a button away!
My tecno pouvoir 2 air just stopped charging, even when I connect it to it’s charger, it doesn’t respond.
Does it charge while powered off?
my itel p31 discharges when charging even with original charger.At times it will charge normally with the same charger. It has an inbuilt battery. What should I do?
Does it always charge normally when powered off?
My tecno cx air can not charge when in its on. It only charges when switched off, please help
If an original charger doesn’t resolve the issue then change your charging port
Good morning.
Please I could use your help.
My Tecno CX-Air’s battery ran flat and on charging, couldn’t come up again.
I’ve never rooted the phone.
Plus I noticed its irregular discharge when charging.
Try holding the power button for some seconds while connected to a charger