When your phone won't charge is one of the scariest problems. Don't panic. There are some fairly mundane reasons why this might happen.

To do something even as simple as charge your phone, there are a lot of parts that need to work together, so to figure out what is to blame and to get things working properly, you should test everything.

If you notice that your phone stops charging at 80%, you should not be stressed. This feature is called Optimized battery charging.

If your phone charges with one cable, but not another, you know it is the cable. You know your phone is yours if your cable charges other phones but not your own. When your phone starts to charge again, you know what the problem is so you don't have to change anything.

There are many ways to diagnose and fix charging problems.

1. Turn it off and back on again

If you are trying to fix a problem, restart the system and see if it fixes it. If you still have enough battery life, restart the phone and try to charge it again.

If your phone battery is very, very low, under 5%, or completely dead, this step won't work for you.

2. Verify that your phone is not charging

Make sure your phone isn't charging. You can charge your phone by plugging it into an AC adapter, but you should also check the phone's display. If the battery is dead, leave it to charge for two hours and then check it.

There is a battery icon at the top right of the lock screen. If there is no lightning in sight, it is not charging.

charge 1
The lightning bolt in the battery icon tells you that your phone is charging.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider

3. Don't charge it wirelessly

If you have a wireless charging case for an older model of the phone, we can eliminate the possibility of a problem.

Plug the phone into a power source with a Lightning cable if you are using a wireless charging case. Again, check to see if it is charging. If it is, you solved the problem. There is a problem with the phone's wireless charging solution.

You can keep the phone charged with wires if you need to take it to an Apple store for service.

4. Check your iPhone's Lightning port

If your phone isn't charging the way it usually does, you should inspect the Lightning port. This is more common than you might think. We spend a lot of time jamming the phone into pockets, bags, and other places filled with dust, debris, and lint.

Dirty iPhone Port
Your phone's Lightning port is a veritable magnet for dirt, dust, lint, and other grime that can interfere with charging.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider

If you see something, carefully remove it with a toothpick or pointed object that will fit in the port. If you have a can of compressed air, blast the port with it.

Try to charge the phone again. If it still doesn't work, move on to the next step.

5. Inspect your cable

If you have had an Apple product for a long time, you will most likely have seen a broken or damaged cable. If your cable looks like that, you should throw it away and get a new one.

Problems are not always apparent to the naked eye when it comes to lightning cables. Sometimes wires can break while inside the sheath. Third-party lightning cables have been known to stop working because the power regulators have failed.

The best way to test your Lightning cable is to try a brand new one from Apple, since there is no good way to see it visually.

iPhone Lightning Charging Cable
Your Lightning cable should look like this — no fraying, sharp bends, or kinks that can damage the underlying wires.
Dave Johnson/Business Insider

6. Check where your phone is plugged in

On the long list of potential problems, you should check your power source. Make sure the computer is awake, not in sleep or hibernation mode, if you want to charge your phone from the computer'susb port. If theusb port you are using has failed, try a different port. If you want to charge your computer from a port built into a keyboard or a hub, make sure you connect it to a port on the computer itself.

Plug it into a wall outlet with an AC adapter like the one that came with your phone. If you've been using an AC adapter for a long time, then you should borrow one from a friend or use the one that comes with an iPad.

7. Check for software updates

It could be the reason why your phone is not charging. Software updates can help prevent problems and improve performance when your phone is functioning properly.

Here is how to check for an update on your phone.

1. Go to settings and then general.

2. There is a software update that you can tap on. Your phone will begin to search for the latest update.

General settings, checking for update.
Tap Software Update for your iPhone to begin searching for updates.
Stefan Ionescu

3. If an update is available, you can install it.

iPhone "Software Update" screen, with the "Install Now" button highlighted.
Tap "Install Now" on the available update to begin downloading it.
Stefan Ionescu

8. Try resetting and restoring your iPhone

Sometimes a factory reset is necessary when you have a problem with your phone.

A reset will return it to its factory default settings and hopefully get rid of any problems you might be facing. This is a last-ditch attempt to fix the issue by yourself.

9. Take your iPhone in for service

If you don't get your phone back up and running, it's likely that there's something wrong with the phone. You can contact Apple or go to an Apple store.