My device is charging slowly, not switching on or keeps restarting
If your device is charging slowly, not switching on, or restarting, it may be because of a faulty cable, connection, or incorrect settings. Often these can be fixed quickly. You can easily troubleshoot many of these issues yourself at home, by following our guide below.
If your device is not charging it is most likely a cable or charger connection issue, rather than a hardware problem with your device.
Read our What to do if your device is not charging guide to help you through the most common issues that may be causing a problem.
There are a number of reasons why your device might be charging slowly and most can be fixed without any extra support. First, check that you are using the correct cable and plug and that you're connected to a power socket rather than a laptop or PC.
Although most phone chargers and charging cables look similar, there can be a huge difference between their quality and charging speed. It is always recommended to use the charger that came in the box or an official Samsung replacement as these have been specially made for your device.
A faulty or damaged USB cable is often the cause of the problem. USB cables are prone to damage through everyday wear and tear, damage that is not always visible. Try using different USB cables.
If you're using an official charger, check to ensure that there isn't any damage to the cable or plug. If you notice any damage, stop using the charger immediately. While checking your charger, look at the charging port on your device to ensure that it is free from any debris.
Adaptive Fast Charging is a built-in feature which allows the battery to charge much faster. To use it, you will need to connect your compatible device to a charger that supports fast charging. Fast charging cables and plugs are provided in the box for supported devices.
Please note: Adaptive Fast Charging is only available on certain devices. The feature launched on the S8 and has been included in most devices since. For more information about your device and its specifications visit Samsung Support.
To activate the feature on recent devices:
1. Go to "Settings", then tap "Device Care" or "Device Maintenance".
2. Tap "Battery".
3. Tap the switch to activate "Fast cable charging".
Your device will not charge if it detects water or moisture in the USB port. This is a preventative measure to protect the device from damage and corrosion. If your device has detected water in the charging port, it will sometimes display a waterdrop icon on the screen above the charging port. If you see the waterdrop icon, make sure that your device is turned off while it dries.
Most moisture will evaporate by itself within a few hours, but you can also try blowing on the port or exposing it to cool, dry air. If the waterdrop icon has still not disappeared but you are sure the charging port is dry, try turning your device off and on again.
If the icon remains after this, please contact Samsung Support.
Wireless PowerShare lets you charge your device using another Qi enabled device, without the need for a charger. For further assistance, find out how to use Wireless PowerShare.
Apps are what consume most of the battery life on your device. If you have a lot of apps open at once they will often be functioning in the background and consuming your battery. Make sure that any unnecessary apps are closed when you are charging your phone.
App and software updates are often released to fix any bugs and issues that may be occurring. To ensure that your device is working at the highest possible standard, you should try and ensure that all updates are done as soon as possible.
On your device you can install apps from the Play Store, Galaxy Store and from downloads on the internet. While the Play Store and Galaxy Store are regulated and checked for malicious activity, apps you've downloaded from the internet are not and can be a security risk to your device. Make sure that you trust the app and the source you are downloading it from before installing it on your device.
If you've noticed that your device is charging slowly and you've recently installed a third-party app, it could be the cause of your issues. Try removing the app from your device to see if your phone returns to normal.
1. Tap and hold the app you wish to delete.
2. Tap Uninstall. If this option doesn't appear, drag the app to the top of the screen where it says uninstall.
If your device isn't turning on but has done in the past, it could be an issue with the software and may require a restart or longer charge.
If the battery has been fully discharged it may take a little longer than usual to charge initially. Leave your device on charge for 30 - 45 minutes depending on how long the battery has been empty.
A soft reset is a way of restarting your device by closing all your applications before rebooting. This will not delete any of your data, but any unsaved work will be lost.
Before performing a soft reset, please make sure that your device has a sufficient amount of battery. If you force your device to reboot when it only has a small amount of charge remaining it may have issues turning back on.
1. Hold down the Volume down and Power buttons simultaneously for seven seconds.
2. Your device should restart and display the Samsung logo.
Clearing your cache partition resets a part of your device's storage. Unlike a factory reset, which should be used as a last resort, clearing the cache partition does not delete your data from the device.
1. Turn off your device if it isn't turned off already.
2. Press and hold the Volume up, Bixby and Power buttons. If your device has one, press and hold the Home button rather than the Bixby button.
3. When the Samsung or Android logo appears, release all buttons.
4. Use the Volume down button to select "Wipe cache partition".
5. Press the Power button to wipe the cache.
6. Once complete, your device will restart automatically. If "Reboot system now" is displayed on-screen, press the Power button to restart.
Your device can switch itself off unexpectedly to protect itself from damage, for example in extreme temperatures when it is getting too hot or cold. If your device is switching itself off frequently you should see if there is any correlation between when it happens.
If you can, try and ensure that you only download apps from secure and reliable sources such as Galaxy apps and the Play Store. Apps downloaded from third party sources can be a security risk to your device and cause unwanted issues.
If you are having trouble with a specific app, you can start your device in Safe Mode to see if the app is causing the problem. In Safe Mode only the basic system software is active. If your device works in Safe Mode, there's a good chance that it's something that's been installed which is causing the problems.
Your device needs a small amount of storage space remaining in order to perform its basic functions efficiently. This amount will vary depending on your device and its maximum storage. If you don't have enough space remaining, your device may run slowly or restart itself.
If your device detects that it is getting too hot, it will switch itself off automatically. This is an intended feature that prevents damage to your device.
Your phone can get too hot if many power-intensive apps are running at the same time or you have insufficient storage. Make sure that your device software is kept up to date and that any unnecessary apps are closed.
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