Smartphones are important and indispensable devices that have become such a focus of our daily lives. We work, communicate, and build relationships through our smartphones. This means that having a fully functional and charged smartphone is of vital importance.
But what happens if your smartphone is broken and won’t charge? Buying a new smartphone is always an option but new phones are expensive and you may not be able to get to a store to get a new phone for a few days.
Thankfully, there are a few methods you can try to charge your phone if the charger port is broken. In this article, we explain how you can charge your phone.
Make Sure The Charger Port Is Truly The Problem
The first thing you should do if you’re not able to charge your phone and you think the charger port is the problem is to ensure that it really is the problem. There are many different reasons why a phone won’t charge and a damaged port is only one of them.
How To Charge A Phone With A Broken Charger Port
If you’re certain that the charger port is the problem with charging your phone, then there are several steps you can take to solve the problem. Some of these steps may not apply to your phone and your circumstances but others will.
Clean The Charger Port
Your first port of call when you have any problems with your charger port is to make sure that it is clean. Most protective cases leave the charger port open so that they can be easily charged but this means that they accumulate dirt and dust.
We often put our phones in our pockets or bags without thinking about the charger port and this can lead to them getting clogged.
Over time, this dirt can solidify and will clog the connectors in the charging port. This means that even if your lead fits neatly into the port, it can’t get the connection to charge.
You can check the charger port by holding the port up to the light or by shining a torch into it. You may be able to see that there is dirt inside or that the connectors look discolored.
The dirt and dust can be removed by using a soft toothbrush to brush them away. Another option is to use a cotton swab to delicately wipe the dirt away.
We do not recommend using toothpicks or any thin pieces of metal, such as paper clips. Toothpicks are easily breakable and you can get splinters in your charging part. Metal may scratch the connectors and could even short-circuit your phone.
Charge Wirelessly
Many phones from big-name companies such as Samsung, Google, and Apple now support wireless charging. If your phone is only a couple of years old (or younger) you may have the option to wirelessly charge your phone.
Also known as magnetic induction charging, this wireless technology allows you to charge your phone without the need for a charging port or any wires. Instead, you simply place your phone on a charger plate that transfers charge to your phone wirelessly.
This method won’t fix your charger port, of course, but it will effectively charge your phone. You may need to remove your phone case or any stands that are stuck to the back of your phone as some of these can block the wireless technology.
Use Batteries
This option only works with phones that can be taken apart. You will need to remove the back of the phone and also the battery.
Be careful if you have an iPhone as these are not made to be taken apart and if you don’t know what you are doing, you may break your phone and any warranty will be voided.
The first step is to remove the battery from your phone. Make sure that you take note of the battery connection points which are three metal terminals.
You will need some regular batteries. It’s best if these are alkaline batteries and they should be AA, AAA, or 9V batteries. They should all be identical and have the same voltage. Don’t mix sizes and voltages for this!
The number of batteries you will need depends on your phone and its battery. Traditional phone batteries are the equivalent of 3.7 DC and regular batteries are around 1.2 to 1.5 volts.
In this case, you will need three batteries. Check the capacity of your phone battery to see if you need three as well or a different number.
Arrange your batteries in line so that the positive end of one battery touches the negative of the next.
Tape the batteries together to ensure that the connections are kept in place and connect a piece of copper wire to the beginning of the row (a positive charge) and the end of the row (a negative charge.) Attach the copper wiring to your phone battery connection points.
Wait! The longer you can leave this battery circuit to charge the better. You won’t be able to fully charge your phone battery but you will be able to get a decent enough charge for your phone to run for several hours.
Charge From The Power Grid
This option should only be used if you are skilled with electrics. It is possible to charge your battery directly from power outlets by stripping a USB cable and attaching the wires it contains to your battery terminals directly.
Do not attempt this unless you know what you are doing, however!
Final Thoughts
In this article, we gave several options for how you can charge your phone if it has a broken charger port. Some of the methods are easy and a couple are more difficult and dangerous. Stay safe and hopefully, you can charge your phone.
From a young age, I have always had a big interest in technology, and this blog is an extension of that interest. Through this blog, I hope to provide others with all of the information they need regarding tech options to consider, and things such as compatibility. Some of the different items I will be discussing include headphones, smartwatches, and how to fix common issues.
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