iPhone Wireless Charging Not Working? Try These Fixes

Common causes

• A case, wallet or other object between your iPhone and the charger
• Vibration that shifts your iPhone off the charging spot
• A charging cable connected at the same time, so your iPhone charges through the cable instead
• A wired accessory, such as headphones, that limits charging power
• A power adapter or wireless charger that supplies too little power
• A battery that’s too warm, which can limit charging above 80%

Step-by-Step Solutions

Start with the quick checks at the top and try charging again after each step.

1. 1

   Step 1: Take off the case and clear the charger

   Wireless charging works through the back of your iPhone, so anything in the way can slow it or stop it.

   Don’t place anything between your iPhone and the charger. Magnetic mounts, magnetic cases or other objects in between might reduce charging performance. If your iPhone isn’t charging or is charging slowly and it has a thick case, metal case or battery case, try removing the case.

   Keep the charger itself clear too. Apple says to place the MagSafe Charger face up on a flat surface, clear of any metal objects or other foreign material. If an iPhone Leather Wallet is attached, remove it before placing the MagSafe Charger on the back of your iPhone.

   Good to know

   Don’t leave credit cards, security badges, passports or key fobs between your iPhone and the charger, because their magnetic strips or RFID chips might be damaged. If your case holds them, take them out before charging. On supported models, a MagSafe case or sleeve can stay on: the MagSafe Charger snaps to the back of your iPhone or its MagSafe case or sleeve.

2. 2

   Step 2: Place your iPhone in the right spot

   Your iPhone charges best when it’s centered on the charger.

   On a Qi-certified charger, put the charger on a level surface or where the manufacturer recommends. Place your iPhone face up in the center of the charger, or in the spot the manufacturer recommends.

   On iPhone models that support MagSafe, place the MagSafe Charger on the back of your iPhone or its MagSafe case or sleeve. On other iPhone models, place your iPhone face up on the center of the MagSafe Charger.

   Your iPhone should start charging a few seconds after you place it on the charger, and you should see the Charging icon in the status bar.

   Good to know

   Depending on the charging mat you have, you might hear faint noises while your iPhone charges.

3. 3

   Step 3: Plug in the MagSafe Charger before attaching your iPhone

   The order matters for a MagSafe Charger to deliver its maximum power.

   Connect the MagSafe Charger to power first, then place your iPhone on it. This lets MagSafe check that it’s safe to deliver maximum power.

   If you put your iPhone on the MagSafe Charger before plugging the charger in, remove your iPhone, wait three seconds, then put it back on.

4. 4

   Step 4: Stop vibrations from moving your iPhone

   If charging keeps stopping, your iPhone may be sliding off the charging spot.

   When your iPhone vibrates, for example when it gets a notification, it might shift position. The charging mat can then stop providing power to it.

   If this happens often, turn off vibration, turn on Do Not Disturb, or use a case to keep your iPhone from moving.

5. 5

   Step 5: Unplug the charging cable

   Your iPhone doesn’t charge wirelessly while it’s connected by a cable.

   If your iPhone is connected to a computer or to a USB power adapter, it charges through that connection, not wirelessly. This also applies when it’s on a MagSafe Charger: with power connected through the Lightning or USB-C connector too, your iPhone charges via the connector.

   Unplug the cable if you want your iPhone to charge on the wireless charger.

6. 6

   Step 6: Disconnect wired accessories

   A USB-C or Lightning accessory plugged into your iPhone limits wireless charging.

   To comply with regulatory standards, connecting USB-C or Lightning accessories, such as headphones, while your iPhone charges wirelessly limits the charging power. An accessory with power pass-through, like a USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter, might also reduce the power delivered to your iPhone.

   For faster wireless charging, disconnect wired accessories from your iPhone.

7. 7

   Step 7: Check the Battery screen for charger messages

   Recent versions of iOS can tell you when a different charger could help, or when a connected charger isn’t charging.

   Open Settings and tap Battery. With iOS 26, this screen also shows an estimate of how long your iPhone will take to charge. Look for these messages:

   • Slow Charger: with iOS 18 and later, this appears on the Lock Screen and in Battery settings when a higher-wattage charger could improve charging. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong with your iPhone or charger. Tap the Info button for more information.
   • Incompatible Charger: with iOS 26, this appears when iOS detects a charger that’s connected but isn’t charging.
8. 8

   Step 8: Use a power adapter and charger with enough power

   A low-power adapter, or a wireless charger that provides less than 10W, can make charging slow.

   For a Qi-certified charger, use the power adapter that came with the charger or one the manufacturer recommends. For a MagSafe Charger, Apple recommends a 30W or greater Apple USB-C power adapter or a compatible third-party USB-C adapter. The MagSafe Charger also works with some lower-power adapters, but your iPhone charges more slowly.

   The charger matters too. Many Qi-certified chargers charge iPhone at up to 7.5 watts, and charging can take longer than you expect on a wireless charger that provides less than 10W, like a Qi1-certified charger. For faster wireless charging, use a MagSafe Charger or a Qi2-certified wireless charger.

   Good to know

   The power your iPhone actually gets from a MagSafe Charger varies with the iPhone model, the power adapter’s wattage and conditions. iPhone models without MagSafe can still charge on a MagSafe Charger, but power and charge times are different.

9. 9

   Step 9: Let your iPhone cool down

   Heat can hold charging back to protect the battery.

   Your iPhone and the charger might get slightly warmer while it charges. If the battery gets too warm, software might limit charging above 80 percent, and in extreme temperatures your iPhone might put charging on hold for a while. Charging resumes when the temperature drops.

   Move your iPhone and the charger to a cooler place. To see whether charging was on hold, open Settings and tap Battery. The iPhone Not Charging and iPhone or iPad Overheating guides linked at the end of this page cover heat and charging in more detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

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