This is why your phone is charging for too long and how to fix the problem completely

If your phone seems to be taking more and more time to charge, it may not be an "imagination" problem, but it really is.

There are many reasons why your iPhone or Android phone needs more time than usual to charge. But luckily, the most common reasons are also the easiest to fix.

Charge with a physical charger, not a wireless charger

A wireless charging dock is convenient, but it's significantly slower than plugging your phone straight in with a traditional cable.

Reason? Wireless chargers are usually limited to much lower power levels (e.g., 7.5 W for iPhones). That means they can take up to twice as long to use the charger with a USB cable, with a capacity of 12 W or more.

If you are in a hurry, plug it into a regular charger.

Your cable may be faulty

The weakest link in your phone's charging system is the cable.

Even if it's obviously not frayed, twisted, or broken, the USB cable might have been broken inside. And this affects their ability to operate.

If you suspect your phone is charging slower than before, one of the easiest ways to fix the problem is to replace the cable.

Plug your phone into an outlet, not a computer

To charge as quickly as possible, you should connect your phone to a power adapter (charger), then plug it into a wall outlet.

Because the USB ports on computers usually provide low power of about 2.5 W. In contrast, the charger usually has a capacity of not less than 12 W. That means your phone can charge almost 5 times faster when plugged into a direct power source.

You are using a poor power adapter (charger)

Not all chargers are the same.

In recent years, the technology to manufacture third-party chargers has become significantly more powerful. Some chargers can provide power up to 24 W instead of the usual 12 W. Therefore, upgrading to a newer charger can significantly reduce charging time.

But even just using the charger that came with your phone is good enough, instead of reusing an old phone charger. The bottom line is to throw away the old charger, do not regret it cheap. Use the charger that came with your new phone or upgrade to a more powerful charger on the market.

Do not use the phone while it is charging

Your phone will charge faster if you turn it off completely. If your phone is powered on, some of the power from the charger is transferred to run basic features or any background tasks.

If you do not want to turn off the phone, also leave the phone alone with the screen off. For best results, turn it off and let it charge in peace.

There is a problem with your charging port

Less likely, but sometimes it happens, when the connection port on your phone is stuck with debris or even broken.

Check the port to see if there is dirt or something else stuck to it. If necessary, you can clean your phone connection port with some simple tools like toothpicks or compressed air tanks.