Charging issue
So I'm in a mixed marriage - I'm Android and they're iPhone. Yet we're both experiencing the same issue. A few months ago my Pixel 9 Pro XL suddenly got super finicky about corded charging. It either simply wouldn't charge when I plugged it in or it'd pop up a 'liquid detected' warning message, even though there was no liquid whatsoever. After a few weeks the problem semi-resolved itself. The liquid detected warning message quit popping up and my Pixel phone got better about corded charging, although it still did nothing when I plugged it into some chargers it had previously worked with.
So now several months later not only is my spouse's iPhone 17 Pro Max doing the exact same thing but their iPad A16 is too. There is no rhyme or reason to it. Neither device wants to charge with any charger or cord. Interestingly, on the occasion I do manage to get a device charging it is usually with a cheap third party charger, like from a convenience store. I have several 3-in-1 chargers with different connection types. I seem to have slightly better luck occasionally with the Apple devices using the lightning cable with a USB-C adapter weirdly enough.
I've ordered charging blocks and cables off Amazon and they either won't work at all or they work for a while and then stop after a few weeks. I am more tech savvy than the average person but not expert by any stretch. However, I am ensuring that I'm ordering PD charging blocks and compatible cables ranging from 20w to 65w.
We can wirelessly charge the iPhone, so it's not dire but the iPad has become a constant struggle. The power will get down into the teens and I'll mess with it for two days before it just suddenly starts charging using a block and cord I've already tried before. Sometimes the override button will work when it says liquid detected and sometimes it won't.
This week I ordered charging blocks and cables that are PD and capable of reaching up to 65w. The product description specifically says that it will work for an iPhone 17. However, they arrived yesterday and they do not work for my spouse's iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPad A16 or my Pixel 9 Pro XL. Both of the Apple devices pop up the liquid detected warning and my Pixel simply does nothing. However, the new chargers work great with an old iPhone 13 we have for our business (using a C to lightning adapter) and it works fine on our daughter's Samsung Z Flip 5. (In fact it fully charged her phone from 1% to 100% in a little over an hour!)
I have tried using the Apple cords that came with the devices but since they no longer provide charging blocks I don't think that any of mine are 'official' Apple brands and, even if they were, they'd be years old now, going back to whenever they used to include the charging blocks with the devices.
I have googled this issue and cannot find any useful information. There has to be some commonality between the new Apple devices and my Pixel 9 Pro XL that's causing them not to work with the chargers.
This is the latest charging set-up I ordered if the specs happen to tell you anything...
Clean the ports
Hi, I have done repairs on both Android and iOS devices. From the sound of what you described, chances are the USB-C cable that was originally used had a tiny bit of corrosion in it.
That can cause a lot of the issues you mentioned in your post. If you have a way to physically look at the ports on your devices, check to see if there is any discoloration or obvious corrosion visible. Will usually be either white or green depending on what was affected.
Be sure to check the ports on the cables and charging blocks too.
If you find corrosion or discoloration you can clean the ports with an ESD safe brush and (at least 90%) Isopropyl alcohol. Do be careful though as too much can cause issues with the seals that keep dust and moisture out of the phones.
If you don’t feel comfortable trying, most good local shops will offer to do this. Stay away from any kiosk in shopping malls. Those are usually fast, but corners are cut.
(Added a quick edit on what level of Isopropyl alcohol you should be using)
Good luck!
Thanks. I will try that after work today.🤞
You’re welcome. If you try to clean it yourself do allow the ports ample time to dry before testing them out. Isopropyl alcohol will evaporate very quickly, but it is recommended to help it along with something like an ESD safe electric duster. If you don’t have that on hand, I would give it at least 10-30 minutes to air dry.
I cleaned the charging ports of both the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Pixel 9 Pro XL using 91% isopropyl alcohol and a variety of small 'sticks' and brushes. Initially both phones worked with a cheap 3-in-1 charging cable and block but not the brand new 65w charger that I just got yesterday. I repeated the cleaning process and now they are both working. However, my P9PXL will only work with the charging cable inserted one way. If I unplug and flip it then it quits working. I cleaned my phone's port one more time and the end of the new charging cable just in case some gunk worked its way up in there. However, the charger continues to only work when I insert it into my phone in one direction but not the other. Any ideas about why that would be?
Btw, after tinkering with plugging the iPad A16 in multiple times I finally got it to start charging so I am not going to mess with cleaning its port until after it reaches 100% charge just in case I cannot get it to accept power again.
Thx!
Does the P9PXL have that issue with different USB-C cables or just that one cable? If it’s multiple, there’s something going on with the port on the phone; could be lingering corrosion or some debris on (likely) the upper set of pins. Those are always harder to see.
Also, if it looks like the cable (this is for any device) doesn’t sit flush like it’s supposed to or is further out than usual, there’s some impacted debris in the port. If it feels like the end of the cable when plugged into the phone or tablet can “rock” back and forth, that’s another good indicator of that.
There’s always the slim chance that there’s damage on either the port or the cable, but I don’t think it’s as likely if (for the P9PXL) it can charge one way (and for the iPhone and iPad) the cable allows the device to start charging whichever way it’s been plugged in.
(Very quick edit: I’m glad to hear things seem to be working. You’re welcome!)
Another follow-up.
Initially I managed to get my spouse's iPhone 17 Pro Max to charge using the new 65w charging block and cable (which is capable of handling up to 100w) and my Pixel 9 Pro XL to work when I plugged it in with the cord in one specific direction. However, I checked both devices again an hour later and my P9PXL wouldn't work with the new 65w charger at all again and the iPhone 17 Pro Max would only work with the cord plugged in one specific direction but not the reverse. This was all done at work.
We're home now and I tried plugging my P9PXL into various chargers/cables around the house. It works sporadically. Sometimes it'll work, sometimes it won't, sometimes the cable will work in one direction but not the other. This truly makes no sense whatsoever.
I managed to get the iPad A16 fully charged using a cheap 3-in-1 cable, so I cleaned its charging port afterwards. It then worked with the new 65w charger. That was at work. I haven't checked it again but I suspect now that we're home it will become sporadic like the phones.
Is it the same at other locations? Is it the same at all outlets?
It actually sounds to me like the power at your house is the problem. Cheap-ass chargers aren’t as picky about the quality of the power they are getting so sometimes they work when the nicer ones don’t. Which is actually not good, as they might allow the devices to charge in a way that could damage them.
We're self-employed and all the devices do the same exact thing at both home and business locations, using a different set of charging blocks and cords. I considered the home's electrical being the culprit too because we live in a 100+ yr old home. But, alas, it's doing the same thing at work, which is a fairly modern commercial building.