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Move it to a wall socket before you conclude anything
Plug the iPad into its own USB power adapter in a wall outlet, not a computer, a keyboard, a monitor or a car. An iPad draws far more current than most USB ports supply, so it can sit on a low-power port all night and gain almost nothing — or show “Not Charging” while still connected. Apple's guidance is to use a wall outlet with the adapter that came with the iPad. If it charges there and not elsewhere, nothing is broken and you have found your answer.
Applies to: iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad Pro, with both Lightning and USB-C ports. The port on the bottom of the device differs by model and generation; the charging behaviour and the troubleshooting order do not.
Where is it plugged in?
Most iPads that will not charge are plugged into something that cannot charge them. The rest divide into a blocked port, a failed cable, and a device that is too hot or too cold to accept a charge. Those are all quick to distinguish, and none of them needs tools — but the order matters, because swapping cables while plugged into an underpowered port tells you nothing.
It says Not Charging while plugged in
Is it on a computer or accessory port?
Use a wall outletNothing happens at all
Is there lint compacted in the port?
Check the portIt charges only at certain angles
Is the cable damaged near the connector?
Change the cableIt stopped charging in heat or cold
Is it outside normal operating temperature?
Let it settle1. The power source is the usual answer
Apple's instruction is to connect the iPad to a USB charging cable — preferably the one that came with it — and a USB power adapter plugged into a working power source, and it is best to use the USB power adapter that came with the iPad. That specificity is doing real work: iPads draw substantially more current than phones, and many USB ports simply cannot supply it.
A computer's USB port is the most common culprit. It may keep the battery from dropping while the iPad is awake and add almost nothing over a night, and many laptops cut or reduce port power when the lid closes or the machine sleeps. Monitor hubs, keyboard passthrough ports, car USB sockets and aeroplane seats are all in the same category — enough to show a connection, not enough to charge meaningfully.
The Not Charging message in the status bar is information rather than an error. It means the iPad is connected to a source that cannot deliver enough current for it to charge in its current state, which is exactly what a low-power port produces. Move to a wall outlet with the proper adapter, and if that message clears, the device was always fine.
Test in the order that isolates: wall outlet with the supplied adapter first, then change one thing at a time. Swapping cables while still on a computer port tells you nothing, because the port was the limit all along.
2. Lint in the port, which looks like nothing
Apple's guidance is to remove any debris from the charging port on the bottom of the device, then firmly plug the charging cable in. This is the single most under-appreciated cause on the list. An iPad spends its life in bags and on sofas, and the port collects lint that compacts into a solid pad at the bottom each time a cable is pushed in — until the connector can no longer seat fully.
The tell is a connector that does not click home, sits slightly proud, or falls out under its own weight. If the cable feels loose in an iPad and firm in another device, that is compacted debris rather than a worn socket. Look into the port with a bright light and you will usually see a grey mat rather than the contacts.
Clear it carefully and with the iPad powered off. A wooden toothpick or a plastic tool, used gently to lift the pad out rather than push it further in, is the right approach. Nothing metal — a paperclip or a pin will bend or short the contacts, turning a two-minute clean into a repair. No liquids and no compressed air blasted into the port either; both drive debris deeper or introduce moisture.
3. Inspect the cable and adapter, then change them
Apple's step is to check the charging cable and USB adapter for signs of damage such as breakage or bent prongs, and then to try a different power adapter or a different charging cable. Inspect before you swap, because visible damage tells you which one to replace rather than leaving you guessing.
Cables fail at the strain points, which are the last inch before either connector. Look for kinks, a bulge in the moulding, exposed braid, or discolouration around the plug. A cable that only charges when held at an angle, or that stops when the iPad is moved, has a broken conductor at the strain relief — that is a definitive diagnosis and the cable is finished, regardless of how it looks elsewhere.
Change one variable at a time. A different cable on the same adapter, then a different adapter on the original cable. Doing both at once works but leaves you not knowing which failed, which matters if the cable is one you use elsewhere. And confirm the connections are firm at every joint — Apple's guidance includes checking for firm connections between cable, adapter and outlet, and a wall adapter that has worked loose in a slack socket is an easy thing to overlook.
Cable failed
Charges only at certain angles, or stops when the iPad moves. Broken conductor at the strain relief.
Adapter failed
A second cable behaves identically on that adapter, and both work on a different one.
4. Too hot or too cold to charge
Apple lists this explicitly: make sure the iPad is not too hot or too cold, and keep it within acceptable operating temperatures. Lithium batteries refuse to charge outside a safe band, and the device enforces that in software rather than risking the cell — so an iPad that has been in a hot car or on a sunny windowsill may connect, acknowledge the charger, and deliberately not charge.
The cold case is less obvious and just as real. An iPad left in a cold car overnight or carried through winter can be well below the charging range, and it will often show a charging symbol while gaining nothing until it warms up. Bring it to room temperature and leave it an hour before testing — do not warm it deliberately with a heater or a hairdryer, which risks more damage than it solves.
Charging inside a thick case generates and traps heat, and doing so under a pillow or duvet makes it much worse. If your iPad only misbehaves when charging overnight in bed, that is the cause. Take the case off and charge it on a hard surface as a test.
A device that is hot to the touch and refusing to charge is behaving correctly. Let it cool on its own before doing anything else — this is protection working, not a fault.
5. When it charges but shows nothing
An iPad with a completely flat battery shows nothing for a while after being connected, exactly as other deeply discharged devices do. Leave it on a wall adapter for at least half an hour before concluding it is dead — a battery drawn all the way down takes time before it can light the screen, and repeatedly unplugging it to check resets that progress.
If it has had a proper charge and the screen stays black, a force restart is the next step. The method differs by model: on iPads with a Home button, hold the top button and the Home button together until the Apple logo appears; on iPads without one, press volume up, then volume down, then hold the top button until the logo appears. Keep it on the charger while you do this.
A screen that stays black while the device is otherwise alive is a different fault from a charging one. If the iPad makes sounds, appears on a computer, or responds to a connected keyboard while the display shows nothing, the battery and charging are fine and the display is the problem — which is a service question rather than a cable question.
6. When it is the iPad, and what to tell support
The case for hardware is specific rather than accumulated: no response after 30 minutes on a wall outlet with the supplied adapter, a clean port, and a second known-good cable, at room temperature. That combination is a service case. So is a port whose connector visibly wobbles or has bent contacts after cleaning, which is a physical repair rather than anything you can adjust.
Battery ageing presents differently and is worth separating out. An iPad that charges to 100% and drains in a couple of hours does not have a charging problem — it has a worn battery, and no cable or adapter will change that. Several years of daily cycles is the normal cause, and it is a battery service rather than a fault.
When you contact Apple Support, give them the tests. Say whether it charges from a wall outlet with the supplied adapter as opposed to a computer or accessory port, whether the status bar says Not Charging, whether the port has been checked for debris and what you found, whether a second cable and adapter behaved the same, and whether the device was unusually hot or cold. Those five answers separate an underpowered port from a blocked connector from a failed cable from an iPad that needs looking at.
Frequently asked questions
Why won’t my iPad charge?
Most often it's plugged into something that can't charge it. iPads draw far more current than most USB ports supply, so a computer, keyboard, monitor hub or car socket may hold the battery steady and add almost nothing overnight. Apple's guidance is a wall outlet with the USB power adapter that came with the iPad. If it charges there, nothing is broken.
What does “Not Charging” mean on an iPad?
That it's connected to a source which can't deliver enough current for it to charge in its current state — it's information, not an error. Low-power USB ports produce it routinely. Move to a wall outlet with the proper adapter and the message should clear. It can also appear when the iPad is too hot or too cold to charge safely.
How do I clean lint out of my iPad’s charging port?
Power the iPad off, look into the port with a bright light, and gently lift the compacted lint out with a wooden toothpick or plastic tool — never anything metal, which can bend or short the contacts. Don't use liquids or blast compressed air in, both of which make it worse. The tell is a cable that doesn't click home or falls out under its own weight.
Why does my iPad only charge at certain angles?
That's a broken conductor at the cable's strain relief — the last inch before the connector, where cables fail. It's a definitive diagnosis: the cable is finished regardless of how it looks along its length. Replace the cable before suspecting the iPad, and check the adapter separately by trying a second cable on it.
Can an iPad be too hot or cold to charge?
Yes, and Apple lists it as a step. Lithium batteries won't charge safely outside a temperature band and the device enforces that, so an iPad from a hot car or a cold one may connect and deliberately not charge. Let it return to room temperature on its own — don't warm it with a heater or hairdryer. Charging in a thick case under a duvet causes the hot version of this.
My iPad charges but the battery drains in hours. Is that a charging fault?
No — that's battery wear, and no cable or adapter will change it. Several years of daily charge cycles is the normal cause. It's worth separating from a charging problem because the fix is different: a battery service rather than troubleshooting the port, the cable or the power source.
Sources and review notes
Checked on . Compiled by Glitchary from Apple’s support documentation. Port types and force-restart button combinations differ between iPad models and generations — check Apple’s current article for yours. Guidance on cleaning tools, cable strain points and charging inside a case reflects general practice rather than Apple documentation, and any work on a damaged port should go to Apple or an authorised service provider. Glitchary is independent of Apple.