Hearst Magazines and Yahoo have the potential to earn commission or revenue through certain links. Our phones are constantly in our hands, and with the chaos of everyday life, they quickly become dirty from coffee spills, pocket lint, and other debris. While it’s easy to clean the external parts of a phone with a microfiber cloth, the iPhone’s charging port presents a different challenge. The inside of an Apple Lightning port is tiny and difficult to clean, which is why we’re here to help.
Cleaning your iPhone’s charging port shouldn’t be a daunting task. In fact, you can restore your phone to its original condition using household items in just a few minutes. Read on to discover how to clean your iPhone’s charging port the way Apple recommends.
Knowing when to clean your iPhone’s charging port is important. Even if your iPhone is working perfectly, lint, debris, salt, and sand may be accumulating in the charging port. If your iPhone is experiencing slow charging, intermittent charging, or has completely stopped charging, it’s likely that the port needs a good cleaning.
To clean your iPhone’s charging port, it’s crucial to follow Apple’s recommendations. The user manual advises against using anything harder than wood, such as a pin or metal rod, as these can damage the delicate electronic components inside the port. This method is specific to Apple iPhones but can also be used to clean the charging port of other smartphones like Google Android or Google Pixel.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Step One: Loosen Debris
– Gently insert a toothpick into the charging port and scrape the sides to loosen dirt, dust, lint, or debris. Avoid forcefully poking or jamming the port, as this can cause permanent damage to the internal components. Repeat as necessary until you feel everything has been loosened.
Step Two: Blow It Out
– Use compressed air to blow out the loosened debris. Hold the phone over a microfiber cloth with the port facing down and tap it gently to dislodge any remaining particles.
If you’re concerned about the sharp tip of a toothpick, a small paintbrush can be a great alternative for loosening and removing debris in your iPhone’s charging port. While it may not be as effective as a toothpick for stubborn or stuck-on particles, it’s ideal for light maintenance.
If your charging port has come into contact with water, the popular method of placing your phone in a bag of rice is effective for completely waterlogged phones. However, for isolated instances of water exposure, such as raindrops or dishwater splashes, a smaller drying solution is necessary. Start by turning off your phone completely. Hold it with the charging port facing down and gently tap it on a hard surface to remove excess water. Then, leave it in a safe and dry place for 24 hours. Apple advises against using quick and forceful methods like hair dryers or vacuums, as they can easily damage the internal electronics.
It’s important to clean your iPhone’s charging port regularly, even if you consider yourself a neat person. Dust and lint can easily accumulate and affect your iPhone’s performance. We recommend giving your iPhone’s charging port a thorough clean about once every season or every three months.
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