While it may have never occurred to you before, it's actually important to clean the charging port on your Android phone. And when you think about it, it's fairly obvious why.
Your phone is with you pretty much 24/7. In and out of bags and pockets, the charging port can easily start to collect dust, dirt and debris. And when this starts to happen, it can start to compromise the connection between the phone and your charging cable.
If you are starting to find your phone struggling to charge, then that's a clear indication that it may be time to clean your charging port. But how exactly do you go about doing that?
Whether you have a USB-A port or a USB-C port, you can clean them in no time with our simple guide.
How To Clean Charging Port On Android Phone
Cleaning your charging port shouldn't be too difficult. But it's important to note a couple of pointers to avoid doing any damage to your charging port.
Firstly, do everything gently. Secondly, don't insert anything metal or sharp, for example, a pin. These can easily damage the contacts that allow your device to charge.
Ideally, something softer such as cotton bud or a toothpick, alongside a can of compressed air, will usually be all you need.
- You may want to start with a torch and shine the light into your charging port to see the state of play. This will help you identify if there are any major blockages for you to target.
- Whether or not you decide to use a torch, your next step is to turn off your device.
- Start by gently blowing into the charging port. This may be enough to dislodge any loose dust.
- If some debris is more firmly stuck in place then you may want to use a can of compressed air. Use the straw to direct air into the port. Use short bursts, and make sure the can stays upright, to avoid any liquid going into the port.
- This may well be enough for you. But if there is still dirt trapped in there, then you may need to use something like a dental pick, or a very fine toothpick. We'd advise you to be very careful at this stage, as putting any object into the port does increase the risk of damage.
- Carefully insert your pick of choice into the port, and use it to tease out any debris. Try to steer clear of the connector in the middle of the port, and make sure you don't press hard. This can compact any dirt, and possibly damage the connector.
- Once you've loosened that debris, use the compressed air once again, to finish the job.
- Test your charger afterwards to make sure everything is working.
As ever, we'd recommend that you check with your phone manufacturer for any specific cleaning advice for your model of handset. And if you're ever unsure, or worried about doing this yourself, you might want to consider taking your phone to a professional to have your device cleaned.
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How To Keep Your Charging Port Clean
The ideal is to avoid your charging port getting dirty in the first place. We don't expect anyone to suddenly start storing their phone in some Tupperware.
More realistic is for you to use something like a charging port plug, that will seal the port when it isn't in use, and prevent dust and debris from getting in.
There are also some phone cases that will have a seal built-in to them, which will do the same job, as well as provide extra protection for the rest of your handset.
For most people, you shouldn't need to clean your charging port more than once every few weeks. A simple puff of air into the port will be enough to keep everything ticking over. And it's a quick, easy job that more than offsets the challenge when your phone stops charging.