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iPhone won't charge: a diagnosis order that does not waste parts
Start with what the phone already knows
Before opening anything, ask the device. Its charging subsystem reports a status word, an alert register, whether a charge timer or watchdog expired, and what adapter it believes is attached. Those registers usually name the problem.
The order that saves money
- Adapter and cable. Obvious, and still the most common answer. If the phone reports no adapter present with a known-good cable, the fault is inside.
- Charge port flex. Cheapest real part. Liquid ingress and lint live here.
- Tristar / Hydra (the USB interface IC). This chip negotiates with the charger. When it dies you typically get "accessory may not be supported", intermittent charging, or a port that warms up without charging.
- PMIC. Further in, and a much bigger job. Do not go here until the three above are cleared.
- Battery. A cell that has been driven very deep can refuse to accept charge. The gauge records this, so it is checkable rather than a guess.
The register that decides it: a "not charging reason" code, a charger alert, or an expired charge watchdog each point at a different stage of this list. Reading them first is the difference between one part ordered and four.
Liquid damage changes the odds
If there are indications of liquid ingress, Tristar moves up the list and the port flex becomes almost certain. Corrosion also tends to take out neighbouring lines, so check the surrounding components before you close the phone.
Read it from the phone instead of guessing
PhoneVitals pulls every number in this article off the device itself over USB — the gauge records, the panic logs, the pairing checks — and prints them in a report your customer can verify by QR code. The first scan on your computer is free.
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