Let The Pros Handle It
If youre willing to make a trip and have a nearby Apple Store, this is always the best option. An experienced employee will know how to clean out the charging port safely and will have professional tools that are best able to do the job like cute tiny vacuum cleaners. Best of all, an Apple Store should clean your port and get your iPhone working again for free.
If you dont have a nearby Apple Store, you can take your phone into any similar type of repair shop, jewelry repair shop, or business that specializes in mobile devices or equipment, and they should be able to help you. Of course, theres no guarantee someone else will do it for free, but when dealing with delicate components, your iPhone is typically better off in the hands of a professional, even if you have to pay a fee for the service.
Charger port problems can get frustrating, but there is an alternative. You could always switch to wireless charging, although a cable connection is usually necessary for any big data transfers.
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A Reddit Post Showed An Image Of The Phone Covered In Debris Arranged Around The Magnetic Parts Of The Device
The user shared a photo of his sand-covered iPhone
- iPhone’s MagSafe comprises several magnets
- These magnets attracted the iron in the sand
- Tahoe City doesn’t actually have a beach with magnetic sand
Is the sand in Tahoe City, California, US magnetic? Well, that’s what an iPhone user thought recently. In a post on Reddit, user bopete1313 shared a photo of his iPhone’s back covered in ferrous debris. The picture shows the ferrous neatly arranged around the camera, speakers, and MagSafe ring, while the rest of the phone was clean. He wrote in the caption, The sand in Tahoe is magnetic and stuck to my phone. However, oblivious to the user, the MagSafe charging system comprises a lot of magnets.
What the user failed to realise was that the MagSafe technology separated the iron from the sand, making it appear that the sand had magnetic properties. Apart from MagSafe, the rest of the iPhone is also full of magnets between the speakers and image stabilisers in the cameras.
Responding to the post, another user Mixedbysaint said that particles the magnet attracted were ferrous, adding the sand wasn’t “magnetic.” “If the sand itself was magnetic, it would cling on more than just that magnetic material under the iPhone,” the user said.
K1NG_itai, another user, went on to claim that iPhone users should say “goodbye” to the “speakers.”
“It’s not magnetic. I grew up spending weekends in Tahoe. The phone is magnetic and attracts iron shavings,” wrote another user, bumbletowne.
Clean The Lightning Cable Contacts
Another reason your iPhone might not charge properly is the state of your Lightning cable. In particular, the contacts can press against the gunk that makes its way into the charging port. This results in grime build-up on the cable contacts that can prevent proper charging.
Unplug your Lightning cable at both ends before attempting to clean it. Wipe the contacts clean with a damp cloth until you can see them gleaming—they should be gold. Be sure to let the connector dry before using it again. This is also a good time to examine the cable for further signs of damage or wear.
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Use A Peanut Butter Jar
If you dont like the feeling of using your phone through a bag or paying for expensive waterproof cases, you can use a cleaned out peanut butter jar. Most bigger jars can hold a cell phone or two, a set of keys, and even a portable charger.
Open the jar whenever you need your phone and then place it back in and screw back on the lid for a safe space on the beach.
Clean Your iPhone Case
You can clean the case separately, since it’s far more resistant to damage than your iPhone is. It’s also relatively cheap to replace the case if something happens to it.
With the case removed, clean per the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions, if there are any. If not, use warm soapy water to dislodge dirt and grime from the case. Pay attention to the various openings including charging ports, mute toggle, volume rockers, and camera lens opening.
Put your iPhone case to one side to dry. Then turn your attention to the phone itself.
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The Do’s Of Cleaning Your iPhone Speakers
Do use a soft bristled brush to gently brush your iPhone’s speaker grilles. Try to use the brush at an angle so you’re not forcing the dirt up into the grille, but gently brushing it out.
DI QIU REN offers an affordable twin-pack of extra-soft bristled toothbrushes that is ideal for the job. Each of these specialist brushes boasts 20,000 “nano” bristles.
Do consider investing in a special cleaning putty. While Blu-Tack can be used at a pinch, you want the putty to be as sticky as possible so you don’t push the dirt further in but remove it as you pull the putty away.
AirSquares Cleaning Putty is specially designed for getting dirt out of earbuds and iPhone speakers. It is available in packs of 12 or 24 small squares.
Do use an air blower. These useful devices do not offer as much pressure as canned, compressed air and are safe to use on iPhones. Consider using an air blower after you’ve used the soft bristled brush it will help remove any debris the brush has dislodged.
The Pixel RB-20 is made of strong rubber for a robust blast of air and offers a comfortable, ergonomic grip.
Now, isn’t that better?
Exploring Other Speaker Fixes
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iPhone Se iPhone Xs iPhone Xs Max iPhone Xr iPhone X iPhone 8 iPhone 8 Plus iPhone 7
Clean your iPhone immediately if it comes in contact with anything that might cause stains or other damage for example, dirt or sand, ink, makeup, soap, detergent, acids or acidic foods, or lotions. Follow these guidelines:
- Unplug all cables and turn off your iPhone.
- Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth for example, a lens cloth.
- Avoid getting moisture in openings.
- Dont use cleaning products or compressed air.
Your iPhone has a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic oil repellent coating. On iPhone 8 and later, the coating is on the front and back. This coating wears over time with normal use. Cleaning products and abrasive materials will further diminish the coating and might scratch your iPhone.
Check To Make Sure Your iPhone Speakers Are Working
If you’re not sure your iPhone speakers are working correctly, there is a super-quick way to check.
Go to your iPhone’s Settings app and, depending on what iOS you’re running, click on “Sounds” or “Sounds & Haptics.” Look for the “Ringer and Alerts” slider and drag it back and forth a few times.
This should produce a ringtone sound at varying volume levels. If you don’t hear any sound, or if your speaker button on the “Ringer and Alerts” slider is dimmed, your speaker might need service, so you should get in touch with Apple.
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What’s Inside The Charging Port Of Your iPhone/ipad
Although your iPhone may look clean on the outside, it does not mean that it also has a clean charging port. Remember the charging port is placed at the bottom of your iPhone. Also, it is always open. This means that it can easily collect dirt, debris, and lint from the surrounding. The port can collect these elements from even your pocket or purse. The port can collect dust on a windy day or even from your home. Simply put, there are numerous things that can clog your lightning port.
When this debris clogs your charging port, it ends up on the charging pins. These are the pins which connect to the charging cable and hence make charging possible. The debris will keep the pins from making a good connection with the charging cable. As we have already pointed out earlier, these charging issues can be fixed by cleaning the charging port. But, how do you clean the charging port?
What’s Apple’s Official Advice
We thought we’d take a look at Apple’s official advice on the how-to of cleaning your iPhone’s speakers, since, after all, the company manufactures them. Apple states, “If necessary, clean the speaker or receiver opening with a small, soft-bristled brush. Make sure that the brush is clean and dry.”
We’re taking that advice a step further with our “do’s” of cleaning your iPhone’s speakers.
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How To Clean Your Charging Port
At first glance, you might not be able to see the built-up dirt in your port. Even with a flashlight, it can be difficult to see into that tiny chasm. The key is in poking and scraping very lightly until you’ve dislodged some dirt. Things get easier after that.
Note: Pay special care when cleaning around the charging pins, so you don’t accidentally damage them. Otherwise, you might end up having to replace the port entirely, which is not a better position to be in.
Scrape against the back wall of the port.
This will take a lot of poking and scraping. Continue to do this until the debris starts to come loose. You’ll see a bit of gunk come out on the toothpick.
Sometimes, you may need to carefully scrape the sides of the port, too. Debris can get lodged behind the spring-loaded anchors. Be careful not to damage the anchors.
Repeat step four until you’re not pulling out any more debris.
You might have to blow into the port in-between scrapings to get some of the loose lint and dirt out of the way.
When you think you’ve cleaned the port out, connect your iPhone to the charging cable again and see if it worked. If not, repeat the steps above until it works, or until you’ve determined that the problem is not a dirty port, at which point, you can run through the troubleshooting steps.
How To Clean Corrosion Off iPhone Charging Port
Your iPhones lightning port is something of a miracle structure. Its where your charger cord plugs into the port and begins reinvigorating your iPhone and making it usable again after the charge wears down. Unfortunately, this port is metal, and all metal is susceptible to corrosion over time.
The culprit is simple and unavoidable: moisture in the air. Theres not a place on earth that doesnt have some type of moisture in its air, meaning that your iPhones beloved lightning port may at some point have at least miniscule corrosion, making for a hard to charge iPhone.
If it sounds tragic, its because it is. No one wants to whip out their iPhone for charging only to discover that its not charging at all. Its one of those nightmare scenarios for people who are addicted to taking selfies and just managed to almost capture the perfect one while the better was about to die.
To clean corrosion, and keep your charging port healthy, its time to dig deeper into the issue and see whats within your power to do. Well cover How to clean corrosion off iPhone charging port and so many other questions.
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Remove Grease From The iPhone’s Camera Lens
Like the Home button and sensor array, both the front and rear cameras are susceptible to grease buildup.
Learn to recognize the signs of a dirty lens cover in the viewfinder of your chosen camera app. Look for:
- Light streaks
- A foggy image
- Difficulty focusing
Cleaning will deal with each of these problems. Simply wipe the glass covering the lens regularly with a soft, damp, lint-free cloth.
How To Clean A Phone’s Charging Port Safely
Once you determine that you have a dust problem inside the charging port, you’ll want to be careful when cleaning it to avoid causing permanent damage to your device. Using sharp metal objects like safety pins, paper clips, or knives can scratch your phone’s delicate components or even chip and break off inside the port.
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Cleaning The Headphone Jack
Should You Take Your Phone To The Beach
Lets face it, the only foolproof way to protect your phone from beach-related hazards is to leave it at home. While this might work if youre heading out for a quick dip or committing to a digital detox, it isnt practical most of the time.
After all, whats a day at the beach without music, selfies and a leisurely scroll through the socials? More importantly, what if theres an emergency and you can’t be reached?
Nowadays, leaving home without a phone is like leaving home without pants only a brave few dare risk it! These tips wont guarantee your phones safety, but they’ll give you peace of mind that you tried your best.
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Can I Use The iPhone 11 Underwater
As for using the phone in the pool, the same concept applies. If the phone falls into the water, it might survive a quick dip if the pool isn’t too deep. You should not try to take underwater photos. Sure, you might succeed without damaging your phone, but is it worth the risk? If you want to take underwater shots, invest in a waterproof phone case designed for that purpose.
Note: saltwater is even more damaging due to its corrosive and conductive nature. Dropping a device in the ocean is more dangerous than dropping it in the pool.
How To Clean An iPad Or iPhone Charging Port
The Lightning port on Apple® devices contains slightly different charging pins than a standard USB-C port. However, the steps for how to clean an iPhone charging port or an iPad USB-C charging port are simple:
If these methods don’t work, you may need to have your device checked for other battery issues.
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