Why Is My Charger Taking Away Battery? How to Fix It

If your phone loses battery percentage while connected to a charger, the charger may be supplying too little power, the cable or charging port may be damaged, or the phone may be consuming more power than the charger provides. Overheating, demanding apps, a weak charger, poor cable connection, or a failing battery can also cause the percentage to keep falling while charging.

By FN Editorial TeamPublished September 26, 20263 min read
Why Is My Charger Taking Away Battery? How to Fix It
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Why Is My Charger Taking Away Battery? How to Fix It

If your phone is connected to a charger but the battery percentage keeps going down, the phone is either receiving too little usable power or consuming power faster than the charger can provide it.

This is different from a phone that simply charges slowly. If the percentage continues falling while the charger is connected, check the charging equipment, phone temperature, charging port, and battery.

1. Stop Using the Phone While Testing

First, stop gaming, streaming videos, using the camera, running navigation, or using other demanding applications.

Turn the screen off and leave the phone connected to the charger for 15–30 minutes.

Then check the battery percentage.

If the battery starts increasing when the phone is idle, the phone was consuming more power than the charger was supplying.

2. Try Another Charging Cable

A damaged cable can cause unstable or very slow charging.

Try a known-good compatible cable.

Check the cable for:

- Frayed sections
- Bent connectors
- Loose connections
- Burn marks
- Physical damage

If the battery begins increasing normally with another cable, replace the original cable.

3. Try Another Compatible Charger

The charging adapter may not be providing enough power.

Connect the phone to another known-good compatible charger.

If the battery starts increasing normally, the original charger may be faulty or unsuitable for the phone.

Do not continue using a charger that becomes excessively hot, smells unusual, or shows physical damage.

4. Check the Charging Port

Inspect the charging port with good lighting.

Look for:

- Dust
- Lint
- Dirt
- Moisture
- Corrosion
- Damage

Debris can prevent proper contact between the cable and the charging contacts.

Do not insert a needle, pin, knife, or other metal object into the port.

If the port is wet, disconnect the charger and allow it to dry completely before charging again.

5. Check Whether the Phone Is Overheating

A hot phone can reduce charging performance.

If the phone becomes unusually hot:

1. Disconnect the charger.
2. Stop demanding applications.
3. Move the phone away from direct sunlight.
4. Remove a thick case temporarily if it is trapping heat.
5. Allow the phone to cool naturally.
6. Test charging again.

Do not put the phone in a refrigerator or freezer.

6. Check Battery Usage

Open the phone's battery settings and look at which apps are consuming the most power.

If a game, social media app, video app, hotspot, navigation app, or another process is consuming excessive power, close it and test charging again.

If the battery percentage increases after the application is stopped, excessive power consumption was contributing to the problem.

7.

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Sources & References (4)

All factual claims and technical steps are cited and verified against direct documentation.

Google Newsnews.google.com

Contribution: Grounding reference for verified reporting.

Accessed: 2026-09-26
Google Newsnews.google.com

Contribution: Grounding reference for verified reporting.

Accessed: 2026-09-26
Google Newsnews.google.com

Contribution: Grounding reference for verified reporting.

Accessed: 2026-09-26
Google Newsnews.google.com

Contribution: Grounding reference for verified reporting.

Accessed: 2026-09-26

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