Why Isn’t My Apple Watch Charging? Answered And Solved!
Your Apple Watch can easily make it an entire day without charging, but it does need to be put on charge each and every night to make it through the following day. If your Apple Watch isn’t holding charge all day, or you notice that it isn’t charging to full every night, you might have a charging issue. There are quite a few problems that can stop your Apple Watch from charging, so it’s important to look at every issue.
Table of Contents
- Apple Watch not charging?
- Why Does My Apple Watch Not Charge?
- Determine if Your Watch is Charging at All
- Fixing an Apple Watch That Refuses to Charge
- My Apple Watch is Still Not Charging
- What is Included with AppleCare+?
Apple Watch not charging?
If your Apple Watch isn’t charging, it could simply be a wiring problem, and a new charging cable could fix the issue. On the other hand, there could be a problem with your watch’s battery, requiring replacement.
Continue reading to learn how to troubleshoot your Apple Watch and pinpoint exactly what the issue is.
Why Does My Apple Watch Not Charge?
Simply put, there are only two categories of problems that can cause your Apple Watch to stop charging. It’s either a hardware or a software problem. Hardware includes your watch’s battery and other components, but it also includes wireless charging stations and charging cables.
The first thing you should check on is your charging devices. Whether you use the included charging cable or a third-party charging station, you need to try a different method of charging.
Hopefully, this is the issue, and all you need to do is purchase a new charger.
Charging cables aren’t made to last forever, and the smallest damage can stop them from working at all. If this is the first time your watch has stopped charging, it’s likely due to a faulty cable.
Determine if Your Watch is Charging at All
It can be easy to miss the alert that tells you whether your watch is making a solid connection or not. Plug the watch up to the charger and watch for a green lightning bolt to briefly appear on the screen
If you don’t see this icon at all, it means your watch isn’t making a good connection. This is likely caused by a faulty charger, but it can also mean your watch’s battery isn’t working at all.
Fixing an Apple Watch That Refuses to Charge
After you have determined that your chargers are working, you want to try a different outlet in the house. Perhaps the outlet in your home isn’t providing enough power to charge the device.
The next thing to do is try placing your watch on the charger differently. For example, if you always place it on the charger right side up, try plugging it in upside down.
The problem that is causing the connection issue might only present itself when the watch is placed in a certain position. The watch might be slightly bent, or something inside could even be causing interference.
The next step is cleaning the charging cable’s magnetic area and the back of the watch. The thinnest layer of dirt might be preventing a clean connection from being made between your charger and watch back.
Using a slightly damp cloth, wipe the back of the watch and the charger. Allow time to dry before connection the watch back to the charger.
For heavy buildup of dirt, using an alcohol pad should be more than enough to clean it off.
Like all problems, restarting the device might actually be the only thing to fix it. Software can sometimes bug out, and a restart is the easiest way to fix it. Restarting the watch will reset all running software to default and might even fix a charging issue.
My Apple Watch is Still Not Charging
If you’ve tried replacing cords, switching outlets, and cleaning off your charging port, there isn’t much else you can do at home.
It might be time to consider taking it to an expert to look at or contacting Apple Support. You might require a completely new battery to be installed.
The best option is to take it to an authorized Apple repair center. Using a non-authorized repair center will void your warranty, and make it impossible for you to take advantage of AppleCare+ in the future.
Thankfully, this is easy and fast if you have AppleCare+. This plan is Apple’s extended warranty, and it covers malfunctioning batteries in watches. Battery replacement is completely free for those with AppleCare+.
All you have to do is fill out a claim with Apple over the phone or online, send the watch in for repair, and wait for it to come back.
Don’t worry if you don’t have AppleCare+. The replacement fee for a battery directly from Apple is only $79.
What is Included with AppleCare+?
All new Apple products come with a limited one-year warranty, but AppleCare+ extends the length of the warranty, adds additional discounts, and brings users first-priority support. AppleCare+ can be attached to headphones, watches, tablets, TVs, and iPhones.
Each device is a different price, but for what is offered with the extended warranty, it’s a great deal no matter the type of device.
You don’t even need to buy AppleCare+ at the time of purchase. Apple has a convenient tool that allows them to digitally check up on your device, determine if it is still in good enough condition for AppleCare+, and set you up with the warranty.
You don’t even have to go a day without your device with AppleCare+.
Apple’s Express Replacement Service means they will ship you a replacement device before you even have to mail your broken one in.
AppleCare+ for the watch is only $2.49 per month or $49 for two years, making it impossible to pass up.
As for what is covered for watches, users will get 24/7 access to priority support, 2 instances of accidental damage protection per rolling 12 months, and free battery service.
AppleCare+ also means you can have a technician come to your location and diagnose and repair your device, adding another level of convenience to the warranty.