What to Do When Your Galaxy S7 Won't Charge
So you're panicking because your Galaxy S7 won't charge. That's a natural reaction.
We are all very attached to our phones. When they cease to work, it can be annoying, inconvenient, and actually pretty disruptive when it comes to personal lives and business.
Good news: we have some tips on how to rectify the issue if your S7 is not charging. However, we can't guarantee that the issue isn't more complex. There is a possibility it could need a professional fix. But before you panic too much, give some of these tactics a try on your Galaxy S7.
The Obvious Question...
It might be the question everyone asks first, but fixing a fault in something electronic really can be done with this one step. Have you turned your phone off and then on again?
We rarely switch off our phones these days. They're on 24/7, even if we put it on sleep mode at bedtime, it's rare we totally reboot these devices we are so dependent on. But a reboot might be the answer to your charging issues.
So, take your Galaxy S7 and power it down. It might be that a bug, error, or a system crash is affecting the ability to charge. This is a quick and simple way to reboot the device and get it back to working condition again.
If the phone is being unresponsive, you might need to perform a forced reboot. If this is the case, press down and hold both the Volume Down and the Power keys and count to 10. If the system did crash, it will simply reboot and you'll be able to charge it normally again.
Inspect the Charging Device and Connector
One possibility is that there may be an issue with the charger rather than the Galaxy S7 itself. Be sure to inspect the charger, the wire, and the USB lead.
It might be affected by grit or dirt, which could stop the charger's receptors from working. The charging pins can also get bent, and taking a pair of tweezers to the issue will fix it nicely. You don't want to force bent pins into the phone or the plug, or you will damage those too.
Is the cable intact and secure? A heavily used cable could wear down and split. This is dangerous and stops the electricity from running through the cable to charge the S7 from the power source. Purchasing a new USB connector, which are inexpensive, would be the best resolution here. Charging cables should not be attempted to be fixed unprofessionally (and there's not really any point in wasting your time doing so either).
Another method of testing whether the phone or the charger is faulty is to borrow someone else's S7 charger and use it to test your own phone. If it works, this indicates your charger needs replacing. If it doesn't, your S7 has a further problem.
It's also a good idea to try charging the phone wirelessly. Try using a wireless charger that is Qi compatible. Again, if this works, there's likely an issue with the lead charger or the port that your charger plugs into on your phone.
Wiggle it About
Some phones, with age, might start to lose sensitivity in their pins, meaning you can still charge it but you have to hold it or place it at a particular angle.
While it may be an inconvenience, it might cause you less expense if you simply work out how to position your phone when it's charging to make sure it works properly.
Say, for example, you are due an upgrade in two months, but you discover that your phone will charge fine propped up rather than lying flat. If you can live with this until it’s time to get an upgrade, do so.
Similarly, a phone might be plugged into its charger but keeps connecting and disconnecting on its own sporadically, slowing down the process of charging it up. Again, this is likely a pin sensitivity issue.
Slow Charging
Phones generally charge quickly when they are left on the charger for a while. Many of us charge our phones overnight as we sleep, but it might be that your phone needs a top up during the day too.
It can be incredibly irritating if your S7 is charging slowly. If it's experiencing this, try charging it but with the screen on lock, so that it's still on, but blank. This could resolve the issue and speed up the charging process for you.
A common reason for a slowly-charging device is how much you've got running on the phone at one time. For example, if you have many of your apps open at once, this can affect performance.
Close all the apps and try charging to see if it speeds up. Having multiple apps open is especially draining when the apps use a lot of power, such as streaming apps like Netflix or YouTube.
It could also be a simple issue of your fast charging feature not being enabled. The Galaxy S7 allows you to switch off this feature, so make sure you haven't done so by accident.
Heat is an issue too when it comes to charging. If your phone has been on for a long time and is hot, turn it off. This could resolve slow charging issues.
Your Galaxy S7 Won't Charge Still?
Have you tried these troubleshooting methods? Is your phone still not charging properly? The next step is to take it to a professional repair technician.
The trained technicians at iFixOmaha can repair many electronic devices including Samsung, Apple, and LG smartphones. Many smartphone repairs take 30 minutes or less and come with a lifetime warranty on all parts and labor.
Use our online check-in service to have your Galaxy S7 repaired by the specially trained experts at iFixOmaha, and your device will be back with you with a convenient and quick turnaround.