How to Fix an iPhone Lighting Port That Doesn't Work Anymore

Quick Fixes

Clean your charging port. Your charging port likely isn't broken at all, and is instead blocked with dirt and lint. Try cleaning the port out first. Check out our in-depth guide on how to clean a Lightning port, or follow these basic steps: Use a flashlight to look inside the port to check for debris. Spray quick puffs of air into the port with compressed air or an electronics dust blower. Use a toothpick to remove any debris lodged inside the port. Avoid using metal, which can damage your phone.

Try a different charging cable, charging block, and/or outlet. Before you bring your iPhone in for repairs, make sure the issue doesn't lie with the charging cable, charging block, or the outlet your charger is plugged into.

Restart your iPhone. Sometimes, random glitches or bugs can cause your phone to stop working properly. Restarting your phone can fix these issues, and may be the solution to your phone not charging.

Update your phone. There are also bugs and glitches that can only be fixed by an iOS update. If you haven't updated your iPhone in a while, update it to ensure that's not the reason it stopped charging.

Wait for a completely dead phone to charge. If your iPhone is completely dead, it will take a few minutes for it to turn back on after you plug it into a charger. Wait 5 to 10 minutes before trying to turn your phone on again.

Perform a factory reset. If nothing else works, you can try factory resetting your iPhone. This will remove all the data on your device, so create a backup before you begin. Open the Settings app. Navigate to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone. Select Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your iPhone passcode or Apple Account password, if prompted. Click Continue to confirm and begin the factory reset process. If you have an eSIM, select the option to keep it. If you erase the eSIM, you'll need to contact your carrier to reactivate your cellular plan.

Cost of Professional Repair Services

Apple will likely charge for a full unit replacement. If you have a newer iPhone model, this could be pretty expensive. However, if your iPhone is still under warranty and the charging port just randomly stopped working, you may be able to get your device fixed or replaced for free. However, you likely won't be able to get this fix covered by the warranty if the charging port stopped working because of accidental damage.

Independent repair shops may charge between $79 and $159, but the price varies. The cost varies depending on your iPhone model and the pricing model of the repair shop. For example, uBreakiFix states that an iPhone X charging port repair costs around $99, but that price may fluctuate depending on your device's condition and the shop location.

At-Home Replacement Tips

Consider your options. Before you commit to replacing the charging port of your iPhone at home, consider the following: Finances: While replacing the charging port at home might save you money, you will still need to purchase specialized tools and parts to complete the job. You also may end up needing to replace your iPhone if the repair doesn't work. Time: While a professional can do this fix in under an hour, it may take you two hours or more to finish it yourself. Warranty: If you attempt to repair your own iPhone, it will void any active warranty you have. Experience: This isn't the most difficult fix, but experience repairing phones is recommended. Note: The steps in this section are more general, as each iPhone is slightly different on the inside. We recommend following along with a video tutorial for the exact iPhone model you have if you want to complete this repair at home.

Obtain the necessary materials. To replace the Lightning connector on your iPhone, you'll need a few tools before you begin: Screwdrivers: You'll need a few specialty screwdriver bits to complete this repair. The iFixit Minnow Driver Kit is a good option, as it comes with all the screwdriver bit sizes you'll need. Heat source: A hairdryer or heat gun will work, but you can also purchase a heat mat specifically for phone repair if you prefer. Spudger: If you don't have a spudger, a guitar pick works as well. Another good option is the iOpener kit from iFixit, which comes with a heat source, spudger, a variety of opening tools, and a precision tweezer. Magnetic tray: A magnetic tray or dish is helpful when removing screws, so you don't misplace any of them. Isopropyl alcohol: Isopropyl alcohol will help loosen the adhesive holding your Lighting port in place. New Lighting port: Make sure you buy an official Apple OEM port. Off-brand ports can cause issues with your device.

Remove the screws at the bottom of the case. These are called the pentalobe screws. Place the screws on your magnetic tray once they are removed.

Remove the SIM tray. If your phone doesn't have a SIM tray, you can skip this step and move to the next one.

Heat the surface of your iPhone. If your heat source allows you to set a temperature, set it between 80 and 100 degrees Celsius, or 176 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lift the front screen of your phone. Use your spudger or guitar pick to pry open the seal between the screen and the frame. Once the screen has been pried free of the frame, you can open the device similar to a book. If you have an iPhone 14, you will need to remove the backplate of your phone instead of the front screen.

Remove the screen. This varies for each iPhone model; look at the ribbons connecting the screen to the main body of the phone, and follow them to find where to detach them.

Remove the interior components that sit on top of the Lighting port. This usually includes the logic board, SIM card reader, taptic engine, and bottom speaker. It's best to work from the bottom towards the top. You will need a screwdriver to remove the screws, and a spudger to disconnect the ribbon cables of each component. There will likely be metal shields screwed over some of these components. Remove these shields and set them aside, noting which shield goes where. You may not need to fully remove the logic board. Use your plastic spudger to hold the board up so you can reach underneath it to unplug the charging port.

Remove the screws that hold the Lightning port in place. Set them aside in your magnetic tray for safekeeping.

Unplug the Lighting port from underneath the logic board. Use a spudger to lift the ribbon cable up and unplug it.

Place a few drops of isopropyl alcohol around the charging port. This will help loosen the adhesive keeping the port in place.

Remove the charging port. You may need to remove the microphones at the bottom of the chassis if they're getting in the way of removing the port. Make sure to remove any adhesive stuck inside the chassis as well.

Place the new charging port in the chassis. Remove any backing on the adhesive and put a few drops of isopropyl alcohol on the adhesive to give you a few seconds to get the port into place.

Plug in your new port and replace all the parts in reverse of the order you removed them. Move from the top of the chassis to the bottom. Ensure you replace all the metal shields as well as the components.

Install new screen adhesive and replace the screen. Plug the screen back into the chassis, then remove the backing from the adhesive before closing the phone.

Reinstall the pentalobe screws and SIM tray. Once your phone is sealed back up, plug it into a Lighting cable to ensure the new charging port works properly.