A 1¢ toothpick works 99% of the time.
YSK before you buy a replacement for your cellphone that has stopped charging, buy the $10 cleaning kits and spend the time deep cleaning the phone's charging port.
Submitted 3 weeks ago by 11111one11111@lemmy.world to youshouldknow@lemmy.world
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/e053d8ad-e784-4749-9f87-d986846cd561.jpeg
Comments
Zachariah@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
b_tr3e@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
For the missing 1% use isopropanol.
zr0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
YSK that OP is now mad at wasting $9.99
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Who’s wasting money on 1 cent toothpicks?
Zachariah@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
LOL, that’s the value of them—not the price of them.
NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
Yeah… be incredibly careful about shoving something with metal bristles into your charging port.
Maybe once a year I get a bit of gunk in my port (hey-oh!). Samsung (presumably all usb c androids?) are generally really good about losing their shit and yelling at you to remove the cable immediately and clean your port.
So when I get home? I just get one of my flossers (for teeth) that tend to have a cheap plastic toothpick attached to it. Works perfect, no liquids, and very minimal risk of damaging the port.
Septimaeus@infosec.pub 3 weeks ago
I’ve always used wooden toothpicks because
- Common
- Made from cheap soft wood: more likely to deform or destruct against metal than most plastics
- Cut with the grain: especially soft to anything raking against the sides (like delicate pins)
- The uneven “splintery” sides happen to be pretty good at snagging tiny fibers of lint to pull them out as one big ball, requiring fewer swipes
More techniques:
- clean with port facing straight down to get gravity assist
- blow across the opening of the port: mild negative pressure + agitation inside cavity vs blowing directly into port (which is generally warned against explicitly)
- focus on “pinning” lint up against each of the two corners and holding gentle pressure during extraction: these corners of the port have no exposed pins, and happen to be where lint tends to accumulate anyway
11111one11111@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
All bristles were nylon-ish material. All plastic no metal. The brushes were held by thin metal wire but so thin it was like throwing a hotdogs down a hallway.
remon@ani.social 3 weeks ago
No need to waste money on a “kit” for such a basic task.
FireWire400@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Yeah, a toothpick or even a toothbrush will do the trick if you’re careful. And without creating unnecessary waste.
ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
It needs to be a hard material though. Soft plastic or wood can sometimes bend and break before getting anywhere.
11111one11111@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The plugs homie. I bought the plugs. They came with the jankey cleaning kit that changed my life hahah
remon@ani.social 2 weeks ago
We seem to have very different lives.
quick_snail@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
And if that doesn’t work, take it to a shop to replace the port.
Don’t thow out a perfectly good phone just because the port stops working…
1985MustangCobra@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
i never trust shops to fix a phone after working for one. they will purposefully damage other components or take your OEM screen and put an aftermarket screen.
nasi_goreng@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
If you have tech-savvy friend, try ask them a good repair shop.
Sometimes, Google review or any online review are not helpful as most of the reviewer are casual users that might be get tricked by the shop.
quick_snail@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
I don’t understand how it could be worse than a phone that you can’t turn on?
lobut@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Also, how come they need to unlock the phone to replace the battery … like, I guess they’re running diagnostics?
But like, can do that without getting access to bloody everything on my phone?
BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Impossible for iPhone users
- sent from my iPhone that I regret buying in some ways
quick_snail@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
Doubtful. This might be an issue in countries that don’t require iPhone to use standards or that have terrible anti-consumer laws.
In any case, if that’s you, its not impossible. Just need to take it with you the next time you go on a trip overseas to a country that isn’t run by corporations
imetators@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
My last phone had this issue that sometimes it wouldn’t charge. Tried different cables but it still sometimes wouldn’t charge. Bought a pcb with antennas and charging for my phone, replaced it. Sometimes still had this issue but much less. I kept this phone til it couldn’t compute anymore. Twice shattered screen, twice replaced.
4 years. Not a flagship, but had a decent hardware. In the end it couldn’t do anything. Wifi worked half assed. 5g couldn’t connect sometimes. Android Auto would reboot constantly or outright not work. Battery would occasionally begin to loose charge rapidly and even charging with a power bank phone would still lose charge. It almost like I got an update that cut my phone’s balls and removed organs. But in the end, 400euro for 4 years - not so much. My new phone is better at less than half price. Hope it’ll work next 2-3 years no issues.
quick_snail@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
When wifi stops working, that’s a reasonable reason to retire a phone.
But not screen or port breakages
notarobot@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
10 USD??? I justo walk into a phone repair shop and ask them if they can clean it. they do it in under a minute for free
markz@suppo.fi 3 weeks ago
Walk into a store? I just use a toothpick or a needle
notarobot@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
My toothpicks are not that thin.
I usually pass various phone shops on my way to buy groceries, so it’s not an inconvenience
ook@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
Do not use a needle. Use something wood, like the toothpick you suggested, or plastic. The needle might damage the port.
justaregularthrowaway@lemmynsfw.com 3 weeks ago
Last time I used a needle I caused a short. Cost me 120 euros to have it fixed
11111one11111@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
That is not how Verizon stores work in the US. They dont even fuckin carry Samsung OEM charging blocks at my local Verizon wireless store. They havent done anything tech support related in a very long time. You basically go there for them to use your phone to call their customer/technical support to ultimately tell you to take it to a You Break IT We Fix IT store.
krakenx@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Alternatively, just grab a free toothpick from a restaurant and use that to clean the port.
starman2112@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Toothpicks are WAY too thick. A sewing needle did the job for me though
Artoink@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I wouldn’t use metal to clean it. A sewing needle is surely hard enough to scratch the coating on the pins. Plastic or wood would be less destructive for repeated use.
blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
The old Reddit trope
The real LPT is in the comments
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Kinda, you really want to use a soft brush and 90% isopropyl. A tooth pick is only useful if you are EXTREMELY gentle. Otherwise you might cause more damage.
Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I used to shock and amaze people when I’d pull out half a cottonballs worth of pocket lint and get their phones working again.
11111one11111@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
As I told another person with similar reply, the purchase was for the adhesive plugs to prevent this from happening in the future as i prepped to buy a new phine but the plugs happened to come with a jankey cleaning kit and turned my frown upside down. The plugs are as much of the take away as the cleaning the port.
Defectus@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
a simple sewing needle does the job
winkerjadams@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
I use a toothpick as the metal could potentially short something
Romkslrqusz@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
You’re not going to short anything.
The power pins (VCC) on your phone’s USB-C port aren’t “live” at all times, the standard requires communication over CC1 and CC2 to negotiate which side is receiving power and at what voltage. Otherwise, a specific value of resistor needs to be in place between those pins and GND to get “dumb” charging at the original 5V usb standard.
EddoWagt@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
The port should detect shorts and stop working, atleast on waterproof phones
ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
You really won’t short something, and wooden toothpicks are at risk of splintering and leaving more behind than getting out if you’re not careful.
Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I would not use metal simply because its hardness is going to be similar or higher than the hardness of the contacts themselves, which means there’s a chance it could scratch or break the contact entirely.
ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
You generally won’t be touching the contacts much, since most gunk like lint can just be scooped out. Just be a bit gentle and you’ll be fine.
nailingjello@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
I’ve been using magnetic USB cables and adapters on my devices for years. I occasionally need to clean their connection, but otherwise work we’ll. Found one I liked and purchased a bunch of them, now the car, house, office, etc. all have one of the magnetic cables nearby.
They charge a little slower, but that’s better for my battery long-term anyway.
Rooster326@programming.dev 3 weeks ago
I did this but the magnets started to lose their “magnet-ness?” They didn’t snap in right and would look plugged in but not charging.
Felt like I traded one quirky cord not going in, for another.
Do you have a preferred brand?
asteriskeverything@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Fucking magnets. How could they stop working???
Fuckswearwords@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Word you’re looking for is magnetism or polarity.
AllHailTheSheep@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
you could get a magnetizer and run it through that a few times. even something cheap like this should do the trick: ebay.us/m/18o4zx
magnets just lose their strength over time and repeated use. the Samsung flip phones use magnets to detect when it’s open or closed, and a lot of the time they’ll lose strength and the phone won’t detect that’s it been opened or closed. I have pretty much that exact magnetizer and I run the magnets through that a time or two and everything starts working again lol. I assume the same concept should work for you.
nailingjello@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
I use the [N. NETDOT Gen 10 Magnetic Charging Cable] (a.co/d/ijM37pD). I have thrown away a few of the magnetic tips that physically broke from abuse, but for me that’s cheaper than a device repair.
When they stop connecting properly, I usually clean them with a toothpick (or other good suggestions from this thread).
planish@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
I had no idea these existed and they look amazing!
Where do you buy these that isn’t under boycott?
sobchak@programming.dev 3 weeks ago
I used to use these, but I think they contributed to my charging port failing, so I just try to use wireless for everything. I’ve read of other people that had the same issue. I think the cause was electrical arcs when attaching and detaching. Or maybe ferreous shavings getting in the pins. Whatever it was, it damaged in the charging circuit.
CaptainBlinky@lemmy.myserv.one 3 weeks ago
at the very least get a toothpick and get the lint out.
aramis87@fedia.io 3 weeks ago
You could also set up wireless charging and put the phone down for a bit.
lemmyng@piefed.ca 3 weeks ago
Or magnetic USB-C adapters. Keeps the gunk out of the charging port while still retaining functionality (including fast charging). There's also charge-only adapters, which are handy for travel when you don't trust the port the phone is connected to.
Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 3 weeks ago
This is the answer.
I’ve used them for close to 10 years. Started because one phone had a touchy port. Glued the adapter in the right position and never had a problem.
slothrop@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
Heathen!!!
logicbomb@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I had a phone that I put the charging cable in backwards, and the port was completely broken. Bought a wireless charger and never had any problems.
(Whoever decided to standardize phone chargers on that connector should be put into prison.)
nathanjent@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
I use the pick side from one of those dental flossers to clean mine. Works great and easy to replace.
worhui@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
By all means try a tooth pick and pure alcohol, if that doesn’t work a professional might get you set straight.
Repair shops can do a better job cleaning than a home option. I had a data and charge problem, bought a kit and tried 3x times; it didn’t work . Bought new cables just in case that was the issue. Brought it in for repair fully expecting to pay for a port repair. Repair shop did a through cleaning charged me $15 and sent me on my way with everything working.
11111one11111@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
My phone is a Galaxy Z-Fold5, not new but not old enough for me to replace since the Fold7 just shipped.
Was hell bent sure the issue causing my phone to begin not accepting charging cables* was something Samsung was doing with their software updates. (*It charged fine with contactless chargers if youre ok with it taking 10-14 hours to charge)
It was too much of a coincidence that the phone charged 100% fine with any and all cables. Download a software update (not android update, this was samsung delivered update) phone doesnt charge with a cable after that for 2-3 weeks. Im T1Diabetic who uses wifi connected glucose monitor, so it fuckin drains battery juice 24/7 with very little setting controls to mitigate it. So I spent 2-3 weeks battling with it to charge on charging pads.
Didn’t change a thing with what I was doing and BAM another Samsung update, weirdly close to the last update and fuck me running if the phone didnt start charging very very tenderly with charging cables again.
Eventually figured fuck it, if its hard to do the phone is broke if its easy enough to do then maybe it will help and bought a pack of adhesive rubber type C port plugs from Amazon that came with a super cheap cleaning kit. It wasnt anything special. It came with the picture pointed and spaded q-tips, a flexible wire brush, then I used my own zip tie that I shaped, a sim card tool and a cloth for cleaning glasses. AND WENT TO FUCKING TOWN.
Everytime you plug in your charger to your phone, any dust that is in there is getting buttfucked into the back of the phone’s charging port like its a muzzleloaded gunpowder. Lol a bit hyperbplic but you get the point.
Finished cleaning the port. Plugged it in. First fuckin try, no fighting it, now switching chargers, no “charging but not fast charging” bullshit. No more voids in guessing my blood sugar. No more watching tv holding charger into phone. AND $1,000+ THAT IS STILL IN MY FUCKING ACCOUNT.
I gotta assume this is the #1 driver for phones needing to be replaced ever since the screens stopped shattering everytime you sneezed. The adhesive rubber plug is amazing. It is hardly noticeable and stays in the charging port even with my opening and closing of screens. It never pops out.
Honestly the smartest $10 I think I may have ever spent.
TLDR: Phone not charging? Buy $10 type C cleaning kit from amazon, watch 5min video on tips for cleaning, clean charging port for night and day results. Not difficult, very hard to fuck up your phone unless you jackhammer the port cleaning it. Saves you the cost of a new phone.
And obviously this isnt a fix all for all charging issues.
salacious_coaster@infosec.pub 3 weeks ago
An old toothbrush and isopropyl alcohol works fine.
Salamanderwizard@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I use a toothpick.
LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
drosophila@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 weeks ago
As an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure I recommend those tiny rubber stoppers you see in the photo. They have a peel and stick part that goes under your case which retains the plug on a strip of rubber. That strip might wear out in a few years and rip, but they cost almost nothing to replace (and in fact come in packs).
Phones used to have these things built in, then they stopped in the smartphone era because they didn’t look as sleek and futuristic I guess. Now, if you have a case, it once again makes hardly any difference to the appearance.
Jayb151@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Literally just use one of those toothpick flosser things. The end is usually a plastic pick, which is perfect.
Muscle_Meteor@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
Wireless chargers as your bedside charger will also reduce wear on your charge port so if thats the weak point of your phone that will help it last longer
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
If we had Atari cartridges in 2025 kids would be buying kits to clean them and blow into them.
SpicyTaint@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
What the fuck are you people doing that causes the phone to not charge anymore? Rolling around in the mud naked with the phone clamped between your ass cheeks?
I have never had an issue with charging my phone at any point in the last 20+ years. I even have my phone upside down in my pocket so the charging port is facing up.
Theoriginalthon@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Just get a bit of plastic packaging or something similar. Cut thin long rectangle. Then cut a small chunk out near the tip to form a small hook. Scrape along the bottom of the port in all directions. Pull out fluff, then repeat until no more fluff comes out. Then go again as you won’t have got it all out even if it looks like it
SlartyBartFast@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Do the same with your butthole. Thank me later
Melvin_Ferd@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
My charging port died and I’m so pissed. 2 year old Google pixel. Never buying pixel again. I looked up how to desolder the charging port and it’s a pain in the ass. It has this like weird shield over it and I have no idea how to desolder this thing. Why can’t it be straight forward
dan@upvote.au 3 weeks ago
I always use wireless charging, and have a silicone plug in my phone’s USB port to stop dirt getting in there. Very similar to these: a.co/d/aFWuSI3
In the rare case that I need to plug something into it, the port is completely clean.
ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 2 weeks ago
You must appease the Machine Spirit. You have to chant the prayers to the Omnissiah, burn the holy incense, and rub the phone in purified oils.
The Machine Spirit must be appeased.
letsgo2themall@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I have a cheap pack of plastic Walgreens tooth picks that are perfect for this. My phone case has a rubber cover for the port so I don’t have to do this often.
badbytes@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
A filed down toothpick is really good at cleaning that USB port.
paper_moon@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
People don’t try cleaning their charging port before buying a new device? Thats crazy. I really have a hard time believing people don’t try cleaning before buying a new device.
fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
Some people are just absurdly lazy.
Also what kind of kit does op have? A sim card ejector, a metal brush, a q tip thing, half a zip tie, and some adhesive things? Any thin plastic shim will work perfectly, and sometimes even a stiff plastic bristle brush works well.
slazer2au@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Not all are lazy, some just don’t know.
My in-laws didn’t clean the dust out of their PC for almost a decade because when they purchased it, no one told them to clean the filter on the front.
anomnom@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
I wouldn’t put anything conductive in there.
Wood toothpicks worked great on lightning ports, usbc is a little trickier and more fragile so I use a plastic spudger from an old screen replacement kit.
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Most people buy a new cell phone long before the charger stops working.
I’m weird. I’ve had my cell phone since 2020. But MOST people buy one every 2-3 years. Just because the newest latest and greatest just came out.
My 5 year old phone still has no issue charging. And when the battery starts dying, MY battery is user replaceable.
acockworkorange@mander.xyz 3 weeks ago
Don’t believe this person, they’ve clearly lost their mind.
tpihkal@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I mean, it’s one phone, paper_moon. What could it cost? $1000?
BroBot9000@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I’d believe it, especially with all the propaganda from big corporations and the fomo they push with new technology. Looking at Apple and their fucking yearly phone cycles.
Don’t forget to consume more! Buy two just in case! Consume! CONSUME!!!
PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Sounds like you haven’t met very many people.
ozymandias@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
i found out weed smokers regularly use a glass pipe until it’s clogged and then just throw it away….
also, if you go dumpster diving around the first of the month you can find trash bags full of useful things that people abandon and landlords throw out.
paper_moon@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Lol this one is truly unbelievable to me. Its glass! Soak it in soapy water or vinegar for gods sake…
11111one11111@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Cheese and rice theres a lot of responses jumping to accusations of people too lazy but I’ve never heard someone too lazy to clean a phone port for $1000 savings.
100% of the people im surrounded by in my family/friends would be to afraid of breaking it beyond trade in value towards the new phone. My case was extreme but since the screens got better id have to guess charging issues is up there for one of the biggest reasons people trade their phones in.
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
They just need an excuse to buy a new phone.