How to Fix Wireless Charging When It Stops Working
2026-10-14 · Marion Phone Repair
When you place your phone on a wireless charger and nothing happens — no charging indicator, no sound, no vibration — or it starts charging and stops repeatedly, the problem is usually something between the phone and the charger rather than a hardware failure. Phone cases, alignment, charger quality, and software settings all affect wireless charging. Here is how to troubleshoot it.
Remove the phone case
This is the single most common cause of wireless charging failure. Wireless charging uses electromagnetic induction between a coil in the charger and a coil in the phone. Anything between them that is too thick, metallic, or magnetic disrupts the connection:
Thick cases: Cases thicker than about 3mm can prevent the charging coils from coupling. Rugged cases, battery cases, and wallet cases with card slots are frequent culprits
Metal plates: If you have a magnetic car mount plate stuck to the back of your case or phone, remove it. Metal plates block wireless charging almost completely
Metal or foil elements: Cases with metal kickstands, built-in metal rings (non-MagSafe), or metallic decorative elements can interfere. Even credit cards or hotel key cards left in a wallet case can block charging
MagSafe cases (iPhone): Apple MagSafe cases are designed to work with wireless charging. Third-party MagSafe-compatible cases usually work too, but very thick ones may still cause issues
Remove the case entirely and place the phone directly on the charger to test. If it charges without the case, the case is the problem.
Check alignment
The phone's charging coil must line up with the charger's coil. On a flat pad charger, the coil is usually in the center. On the phone, the coil is typically in the center-upper area of the back:
Place the phone centered on the pad. Slide it around slowly until you see the charging indicator appear, then leave it in that position
If you have a stand-style charger, make sure the phone sits fully against the charging surface. Some stands have specific sweet spots
Phones with the charging coil offset from center (some Samsung models, some larger phones) may need to be positioned slightly off-center on the pad to align properly
Clean the back of the phone and charger surface
Dirt, dust, or debris on either surface creates a gap that can prevent charging:
Wipe the back of the phone with a soft, dry cloth
Wipe the charger surface clean. Check for any stuck debris or residue
If the charger has a rubber or silicone pad, make sure it is not peeling up or warped, which could create an uneven surface
Try a different power source
Wireless chargers are sensitive to the power they receive. An underpowered charger will not charge the phone or will charge extremely slowly:
Check the power adapter: Most wireless chargers require a USB power adapter that outputs at least 5V/2A. For fast wireless charging (7.5W on iPhone, 15W on Samsung), you need a higher-output adapter — typically a Quick Charge 2.0/3.0 or USB-PD adapter rated 9V/2A or higher
Avoid charging from a computer USB port: Computer USB ports typically output only 5V/0.5A, which is not enough for most wireless chargers to function
Try a different outlet and cable: A failing USB cable or power strip can limit the power reaching the charger. Swap the cable and plug directly into a wall outlet
Check phone settings
iPhone
There is no setting to disable wireless charging on most iPhones (prior to iOS 18). If wireless charging is not working, it is not a settings issue. On iOS 18 and later, check Settings, Battery, Charging, Wireless Charging and make sure it is enabled
Optimized Battery Charging can slow or pause charging when the battery reaches 80%. This is normal behavior, not a malfunction. You can turn it off in Settings, Battery, Battery Health and Charging if you prefer the phone to charge to 100% immediately
Android
Samsung: Go to Settings, Battery and device care, Battery, More battery settings. Make sure Wireless charging is enabled. Also check Fast wireless charging and Super fast wireless charging toggles
Google Pixel: Go to Settings, Battery, Adaptive charging. Adaptive charging slows charging overnight to preserve battery health. This can make it appear that the wireless charger is not working at full speed
Other Android: Check battery settings for any wireless charging toggle or power saving mode that disables wireless charging
Restart the phone
A software glitch can prevent the phone from recognizing the wireless charging connection. Restart the phone and try again. This is a simple fix that resolves intermittent wireless charging failures more often than expected.
Test with a different charger
If the phone does not charge on one wireless charger but works on another, the first charger is the problem:
Try charging a different phone on the same charger to confirm whether it is the charger or the phone
Wireless chargers do wear out. The internal coil or circuitry can fail, especially in cheaper chargers. If the charger's LED indicator does not light up when plugged in (even without a phone on it), the charger itself may be dead
Check for Qi compatibility
Most wireless chargers use the Qi standard. If your phone does not support Qi wireless charging, it will not work on a Qi charger:
iPhones: iPhone 8 and later support Qi wireless charging. iPhone 12 and later also support MagSafe (which is Qi-based with additional magnets for alignment)
Samsung Galaxy: Most Galaxy S and Note series from the Galaxy S6 onward support Qi wireless charging
Google Pixel: Pixel 3 and later support wireless charging (not all Pixel A-series models do)
Budget phones: Many budget and mid-range Android phones do not include wireless charging. Check your phone's specifications if you are unsure
Hardware failure
If the phone does not charge on any wireless charger, charges inconsistently even with proper alignment and no case, or if the back of the phone was recently cracked or repaired:
The wireless charging coil inside the phone may be damaged. This coil is a thin flat antenna bonded to the inside of the back panel. Drops, back glass cracks, or improper back panel replacements can damage or disconnect it
On some phones, the wireless charging coil is part of the NFC antenna. If both wireless charging and NFC stopped working at the same time, the shared antenna assembly is likely damaged
Water damage can corrode the charging coil contacts even if the phone otherwise appears to function normally
Wireless charging repair in Marion
If your phone's wireless charging has stopped working and troubleshooting has not fixed it, Marion Phone Repair diagnoses and repairs wireless charging issues including coil replacement, NFC antenna repair, and back panel replacement on both iPhone and Android.