Mobile phone charges slowly - you can do that

If your cell phone charges slower than usual, your battery does not have to be directly damaged. We have some tips for you that may help you recharge your smartphone faster.

Mobile phone charges slowly: are the cables and charger OK?

Before taking further steps, you should test whether your charging cable and adapter are OK.

• First test the cable on another USB adapter with the same amperage. If your device now charges normally, the charging adapter is broken.
• For comparison, use your charger with a different cable. If your device is now charging at normal speed, your cable is defective.

Check power output

If you do not have the original charger for your device, your replacement charger may not be providing enough current. In this case, you need to replace your charger to recharge your smartphone battery normally.

• Not all adapters and cables of the same cable type - for example MicroUSB - output the same current.
• Normally, only 500 mA (USB 2.0) or 900 mA (USB 3.0) can be output via a USB port on the computer. Some computers have special fast-charging USB slots. With these you can charge your smartphone battery at optimal speed.
• Check the information on the charging adapter. A smartphone battery usually needs about 1 A, a tablet battery about 2A. If your charger cannot reach these values, your smartphone battery will either not charge at all or only slowly.

Clean USB port

With older smartphones in particular, dirt can have accumulated in the USB port. This will interrupt the charging of the smartphone battery.

• Pick up a small, thin object made of wood or plastic, such as a toothpick.
• Carefully clean the contact points in the USB port of your device.
• This way you can remove dirt that is on the contacts. This could interrupt the charging process again and again and thus delay the charging time.

Optimize user behavior while charging

You too can contribute to the charging speed by using your mobile phone less.

• Because charging can be drastically slowed down if you play, stream or use other energy-consuming applications.
• In this way, the energy gained is directly used again and the battery level of your smartphone increases only slightly.
• Therefore, try to use your smartphone less while charging and to conserve the battery.

Uninstall power-hungry apps

Another cause of slow loading can be apps that keep running in the background, even when you're not using them.

• Above all, you should remove apps that supposedly make your smartphone faster or more secure.
• Applications that help save batteries are also included.
• Under "Battery" in the settings of your smartphone, you can also look for apps that require a lot of power and uninstall them if necessary.

Check power source

The slow charging can also be due to the power connection.

• For example, if you charge your cell phone via the USB port of your computer, a slow charging speed is normal.
• Because even if your cable is a quick-charge cable, the connection can only deliver a comparatively small amount of energy.
• The same applies to power supplies and some wireless chargers with poor performance.

Exchange charging cable

In addition to a weak power source, the cause can also be the charging cable itself.

• If possible, try to use only original charging cables to avoid incompatibilities.
• Try charging with other cables and see if the charging speed changes.
• Charging cables can often break due to slight bends etc. and do not reflect your original performance.

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In another practical tip, we will show you how to charge your cell phone battery correctly.