What to Do if Your iPod Won't Charge
If your iPod has suddenly stopped charging, and you don't know what to do. Don't panic. Just relax, we've got you covered. This Techspirited article lists down some easy-to-follow steps for fixing charging-related issues with your iPod or any other iDevice.
Anand Karwa
Did You Know?
Aged batteries lose their ability to hold charge, and hence, the gadget will not charge no matter what you do.
If you have been using an Apple iPod (or an iPhone, or an iPad) for quite a few years, then you might have come across a situation when your iDevice stopped charging suddenly, even when there apparently seemed to be nothing wrong with it. If this happens, don't fret, just follow our list of steps when your iPod won't charge.
These steps might sound obvious to some, but are some of the most vital to begin troubleshooting, especially when your iPod is not accepting electrons from the power source. So, let's begin.
Plug the iPod into a high power source.
If you have just bought an iPod then, you might not know that low-powered USB ports, such as those found on keyboards and USB hubs, will not charge your iPod.
Connect it to the main ports directly.
Unplug your iPod from the USB hub/FireWire drive, and connect it to the main USB/FireWire port of the computer directly. Also, check if there are too many devices in the FireWire chain. Sometimes, a computer doesn't detect a device when there are too many devices connected to it.
Does the FireWire port on your Windows PC provide enough power for charging?
Some FireWire ports on a Windows computer are not made for charging purposes. Use a different high power port instead.
Is the charging dock clean?
Dust and lint can get trapped into the charging dock of the iPod, and interfere with the charging process. Try to clean the dock by removing dust/lint, or any foreign object that shouldn't be there. You can use compressed air for removing the dust and lint.
Check if your iPod has frozen.
Check your iPod to make sure that it's working fine. If it is not responding to your inputs, then you might have to reset it. Resetting won't delete your data. It just restarts your iPod. Resetting is one of the most effective ways to solve almost all non-hardware-related issues with Apple devices.
Ensure that your computer is not in sleep mode.
This point doesn't apply to the latest generation of laptops. If you are on a desktop computer, or have an old laptop, then please ensure that your computer doesn't go into sleep mode when you are charging your iPod. In sleep mode, the power to all the external peripheral devices via the USB port is cut-off, so, your iPod won't charge in such a situation.
Check your cable and the charging port.
Use someone else's cable to charge your iPod. If this cable charges your iPod when used with your computer, or your power adapter, then you should change your cable. Always, buy a genuine cable from either Apple, or some other online store. Do not use cheap USD 2 cables that you can get from street vendors.
If this doesn't work, then you should check whether the port that you're using for charging is functioning properly. Try a different USB/FireWire port on your computer, and check if it charges your iPod. If it does, you know that you have a faulty power port. Get it repaired, or stop using it.
Do you have a faulty power adapter?
Use someone else's power adapter along with your USB cable for charging your iPod. If this combination is able to charge your iPod, then you have a faulty power adapter. Get it replaced, or buy a new one.
Did you check for loose connections?
Make sure that the connections, starting from the charging dock of your iPod to the main power source, are all snug. All it takes is a loose connection to break the electric path for the current to flow through.
You might have a faulty charging dock.
If you followed all of the above steps carefully, and still weren't able to get your iPod to charge, then you might have something wrong with the charging dock. To check for a faulty charging dock, use your power adapter and cable to charge someone else's iPod. If you are able to charge it, then you have either a faulty dock or a bad battery.
If you have tried all of the above steps, and are still unable to charge your iPod, then it is advised that you visit your nearest Apple Service center/Genius Bar.
Did you jailbreak your iPod?
Jailbreaking voids the warranty of iDevices. However, you can easily erase the proof of jailbreaking by using the following trick.
Put the iPod in DFU mode, and then restore it via iTunes to have a clean and untouched iPod. Now, visit the Apple Support center and don't tell them anything about jailbreaking.
Aged batteries lose their ability to hold charge, and hence, the gadget will not charge no matter what you do.
If you have been using an Apple iPod (or an iPhone, or an iPad) for quite a few years, then you might have come across a situation when your iDevice stopped charging suddenly, even when there apparently seemed to be nothing wrong with it. If this happens, don't fret, just follow our list of steps when your iPod won't charge.
These steps might sound obvious to some, but are some of the most vital to begin troubleshooting, especially when your iPod is not accepting electrons from the power source. So, let's begin.
Plug the iPod into a high power source.
If you have just bought an iPod then, you might not know that low-powered USB ports, such as those found on keyboards and USB hubs, will not charge your iPod.
Connect it to the main ports directly.
Unplug your iPod from the USB hub/FireWire drive, and connect it to the main USB/FireWire port of the computer directly. Also, check if there are too many devices in the FireWire chain. Sometimes, a computer doesn't detect a device when there are too many devices connected to it.
Does the FireWire port on your Windows PC provide enough power for charging?
Some FireWire ports on a Windows computer are not made for charging purposes. Use a different high power port instead.
Is the charging dock clean?
Dust and lint can get trapped into the charging dock of the iPod, and interfere with the charging process. Try to clean the dock by removing dust/lint, or any foreign object that shouldn't be there. You can use compressed air for removing the dust and lint.
Check if your iPod has frozen.
Check your iPod to make sure that it's working fine. If it is not responding to your inputs, then you might have to reset it. Resetting won't delete your data. It just restarts your iPod. Resetting is one of the most effective ways to solve almost all non-hardware-related issues with Apple devices.
Ensure that your computer is not in sleep mode.
This point doesn't apply to the latest generation of laptops. If you are on a desktop computer, or have an old laptop, then please ensure that your computer doesn't go into sleep mode when you are charging your iPod. In sleep mode, the power to all the external peripheral devices via the USB port is cut-off, so, your iPod won't charge in such a situation.
Check your cable and the charging port.
Use someone else's cable to charge your iPod. If this cable charges your iPod when used with your computer, or your power adapter, then you should change your cable. Always, buy a genuine cable from either Apple, or some other online store. Do not use cheap USD 2 cables that you can get from street vendors.
If this doesn't work, then you should check whether the port that you're using for charging is functioning properly. Try a different USB/FireWire port on your computer, and check if it charges your iPod. If it does, you know that you have a faulty power port. Get it repaired, or stop using it.
Do you have a faulty power adapter?
Use someone else's power adapter along with your USB cable for charging your iPod. If this combination is able to charge your iPod, then you have a faulty power adapter. Get it replaced, or buy a new one.
Did you check for loose connections?
Make sure that the connections, starting from the charging dock of your iPod to the main power source, are all snug. All it takes is a loose connection to break the electric path for the current to flow through.
You might have a faulty charging dock.
If you followed all of the above steps carefully, and still weren't able to get your iPod to charge, then you might have something wrong with the charging dock. To check for a faulty charging dock, use your power adapter and cable to charge someone else's iPod. If you are able to charge it, then you have either a faulty dock or a bad battery.
If you have tried all of the above steps, and are still unable to charge your iPod, then it is advised that you visit your nearest Apple Service center/Genius Bar.
Did you jailbreak your iPod?
Jailbreaking voids the warranty of iDevices. However, you can easily erase the proof of jailbreaking by using the following trick.
Put the iPod in DFU mode, and then restore it via iTunes to have a clean and untouched iPod. Now, visit the Apple Support center and don't tell them anything about jailbreaking.
