How To Fix Samsung Galaxy S7 Not Charging & Other Charging Issues

It is important that your #Samsung Galaxy S7 (#GalaxyS7) is charging properly because if not, you won’t be able to use when it runs out of battery. We, however, have already received a few complaints from users whose brand new phones aren’t charging. Others reported theirs aren’t charging properly while some said their units won’t fast-charge at all.

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Charging issues are among the most common problems reported by Galaxy device owners so we’re not really surprised to have received some messages about this kind of problem from early adopters of the new flagship device from Samsung.
As technicians, we already have our troubleshooting procedures that we follow when trying to fix problems we don’t know what the cause is. So, if you simply told us that your phone just stopped charging one day without apparent reason, then we suggest you follow our troubleshooting guide below.
However, for owners whose phones suffered liquid and physical damage, there’s no need to troubleshoot. Instead, bring your phone immediately to a technician and have it checked.
ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S7 Power Saving modes and how to extend its battery life

Basic Troubleshooting Guide for Galaxy S7 Not Charging Issue

Step 1: Forced Reboot

If the problem occurred out of the blue without apparent reason, then there’s a chance the system crashed especially if the phone is unresponsive or turned off on its own and won’t respond when the power key is pressed.

The first and the safest thing you should do is this: press and hold both the Volume Down and the Power keys together for 7 to 10 seconds. If the device still has enough battery left and if we’re right about the system crash, then it should boot up normally once you’ve done the procedure successfully. After this, the device should charge normally using the original charger.

Step 2: Check the charger and the USB cable

Assuming the phone is responding well but won’t charge if plugged in, then the next thing you should do is check the power adapter and the cable that bridges the charger to the device. Here’s how…

Check the port on the charger and see if you can find something that obstructs the cable like dirt, lint or whatever it is that prevent good contact between receptors. Also, double check if there is a bent pin. If there is, you should be able to straighten it out using a pair of tweezers or even a toothpick for that matter.

Do the same thing to the cable only that you have to check both ends. As to the bent pins, if there’s one in the end that connects to the phone, you cannot possible straighten it out. So, in this case, you need to buy a new USB cable or a set of Samsung charger, which brings along the power adapter.

If the cable has a break, then you also need to buy one. Remember, the power cord is the only one that connects the charger to your phone, so without it or if it’s broken, naturally, the device won’t charge.

RELATED POST: How to troubleshoot Samsung Galaxy S7 slow charging issue

Step 3: Check the USB port on your phone

Now that you’ve done the Forced Reboot and checked both the charger and cable but the device still refuses to charge, it’s time you checked its utility port. Try to see if there is also some lint or debris inside that obstructs the cable from making good contacts with the receptors. If there’s nothing in there, then proceed to the next step.

Step 4: Try using a different charger and/or cable

If you know someone who has the same phone as yours, try to borrow his/her charger (with the cable) and see if your phone charges and if so, then the problem was with your charger. You need to buy a new one.

However, if your phone still refuses to charge, then it’s possibly an issue with the battery or the phone itself.

Step 5: Try using a wireless charger

Just before you decided to send the phone for checkup, try using a wireless charger to charge it just to see if it takes in current through a different medium. If so, there’s a chance the problem with the USB port of your device and not the battery or a hardware problem.

In case the device won’t charge wireless, go see a technician about it, otherwise, try doing the next step just to probe further.

Step 6: Try holding the device at various angles while charging

Plug in the cable and try holding the phone at certain angles to see if it charges. If the USB port is loose, it’s just a matter of positioning the phone so the cable makes contacts with the receptors. You may also try to move the end of the cable that’s connected to the phone up and down or sideways. If at times the phone shows the charging icon, then it’s just a loose connection. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about it than to let the technician handle it.

As far as troubleshooting the not charging icon is concerned, this is as far as you go. Your Galaxy S7 is still new and must still be within warranty. Opening will surely void the warranty.

Other Charging Problems with Galaxy S7

Now that I’ve shown you how to troubleshoot your phone that’s not charging, it’s time we jump into other charging problems you may encounter with your new device.

Galaxy S7 not charging properly

This case includes the device responding when the charger is connected but keeps disconnecting and reconnecting especially when moved or even slightly touched while charging. This behavior suggests that there’s a problem with the connection between the phone’s receptors and that of the cable’s.

You need to hold or position the device at a certain angle or make sure the cable is properly plugged into both the phone and the charger.

Galaxy S7 is charging very slowly

Considering the phone has a fast-charging feature, sometimes owners get annoyed if the phone charges normally (which may take an hour or two to complete) or charges slowly (which takes forever to finish or not at all).

If your phone is charging normally–not fast charging–and you have the feature enabled, then try turning off the screen. You may also check if it’s heating up because if so, that’s what prevents the fast-charge feature from working.

Another reason why the phone is charging slowly is when there are tons of apps running in the background. Others may suggest closing those apps but it would be a hassle especially if there are bunch of them, so I suggest that you boot your phone in safe mode if you want to continue using your phone while charging. Or, you may turn it off while being plugged.

Galaxy S7 drains its battery instead of charging

This is also one of the most common charging issues. The device is using the battery quicker than it could take in even if it’s plugged in. It’s another variation of “slow charging” issue only that it actually doesn’t charge but the cause may be the same–tons of apps running.

So, if you have this problem, you may boot in safe mode or turn your phone off while charging.

Galaxy S7 not fast charging via wired & wireless

First off, just make sure fast charging is enabled on both technologies. Unlike the previous Galaxies, the S7 and S7 Edge now have the toggle switch that allows owners to turn off the fast charging feature for both wired and wireless, although, by default it’s enabled.

One of the subtle reasons why the device won’t fast charge is when it’s heating up. So, make sure the device isn’t heating up while charging because if it is, turn it off and let it charge without power.

Galaxy S7 not charging after getting wet

Your phone is water-resistant, not waterproof. So, liquid can still get into it somehow. If your device stopped charging after it got wet, there’s a chance water was able to get in. In this case, don’t do any troubleshooting. Instead, turn off your device and don’t attempt to charge it again. Then, visit a tech and let him check it for you.

I hope that this troubleshooting guide as well as our recommendations to different charging problems may help you.

16 Comments

  1. S7 won’t charge on our wireless charger. Keeps trying to charge but stops and says the charger is paused, then tries again and pauses again………etc
    The wireless charger works fine for our second S7.
    Have tried the suggestion you have for troubleshooting.

  2. My samsung s7 active will only charge when I turn off the fast charging mode. This makes charging take 8 hours. If I turn fast charging on, then my phone does not even detect that a cable is connected. I have already tried deleting the cache partition. Any other tips?

  3. Before doing ALL the things written in this blog. Try this ONE simple STEP… JUST MANUALLY SCREEN OFF YOUR PHONE before charging. It worked for me! I went to Samsung 7 times and they cannot figure out why my phone is charging 3+ hours… They suggested closing all the apps, turning off the wifi or mobile data but it did not get resolved. They also reprogrammed by phone and updated my software but still the charging was slow…. so “SCREEN OFF” is the answer!!!

  4. Was out shoveling and didn’t realize that my usb port got a little moisture in it. My phone yelled at me when i went to charge it with the “moisture” warning. Let it sit for a few minutes, and dried it manually, but then it didn’t say anything at all when I plugged it in. So I got more than a little worried. So, I came across this post, and did the hard reset (volume down + power for 7 seconds) and after reboot my phone is charging like a dream. I agree with some posters that there must be a crash in the charger/detector portion of the software, and it needs a little push sometimes to get restarted. I don’t agree with some posters (if a simple hard reboot solves the issue) that it’s a huge irritant. I’d much rather my phone have an overactive moisture detector than to risk shorting out the entire unit. Thanks for the post!

  5. The Step 1 worked for me. I do not understand that when I had restarted the phone solely by the power button it did not work but when I pressed both Volume Down key and Power key together, it worked like a charm.

  6. My S7 moisture detection circuit is way overactive, it will always charge on wireless so far. Cleaning with a hairdryer occasionally helps but there are several days it will not take charge through USB, I tried connecting to PC and during no charge times it does not communicate either.
    The phone had never seen more than normal pocket moisture, sweat or some rain. I live in tropical country. I cannot lug the bulky wireless charger around, this is really frustrating performance for a ‘flagship’ device. I suspect a trip to several weeks of service center is in store for me … GROAN. Especially as the problem is intermittent. The moisture detector is a great idea but on my phone it does not work and I suspect never will in this tropical space. Trying to block water with seals is a terrible design strategy. Wireless charging is already supported, so a simple sealed circuit turning DC into AC for the wireless could have made a totally sealed USB port without any need for complicated detector circuits.

  7. My two-month-old phone didn’t charge overnight and I assumed it was my wireless charger. then I tried two other chargers in the office with no luck. I rebooted and tried charging still no change. After reading your troubleshooting page I held volume down and power keys together for 10 sec and tried charging again. This time it worked. Thank you! I hope this is not going to happen again.

  8. Mine gave me the moisture warning and wouldn’t charge, I used a hair dryer and waited an hour,it still wouldn’t charge . I finally put the otg connector that came with the phone ,along with a thumb drive plugged in to the otg connector, I then took it out and a delayed message popped up saying usb connector removed,I tried charging again and it worked. Worth a try. I think it caused the phone to reset the moisture protection ,idk it works fine now.

  9. Thanks for the help it helped me greatly i tried multiple times to turn my phone on but it wouldnt and now it is working well again thanks android

  10. Just happened to mine…was in my pocket when I was in maybe 6 inches to a foot of water for maybe 15-30 seconds…hopefully it’s more water resistant than that. Only thing I can think of that could have happened to it though, which is just fantastic because it means I get to waste time over at ATT at some point…joyful! Haven’t even had it for a month yet.

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