How To Fix Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Not Charging

Without power, your Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be just another expensive paperweight on your table. We received several emails from our readers seeking help because their device won’t turn on and not charging. Power-related issues are very easy to fix as long as the phone responds to its charger if plugged in because if not, before you actually proceed any troubleshooting procedures, you make sure the device will charge properly.

Charging issue is common to smartphones but is rampant to older devices. There are a lot of factors to consider when troubleshooting a phone that’s not charging because it can be caused by malfunctioning accessory, an issue with the hardware or a glitch in the firmware.

More often than not, we see charging issue as a result of a hardware problem but you should know the firmware also plays a big role in making the device charge. That is why a phone that always freezes or hangs cannot charge properly.

This post will walk you through troubleshooting a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 that’s not charging. Its purpose is to know what the culprit is and once you have an idea what causes the problem, that’s when you develop a procedure to fix it. But just to set proper expectations here, this troubleshooting guide doesn’t guarantee a 100% solution especially if the problem is hardware-related.

How To Fix Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Not Charging

We are always following the safer route in troubleshooting, so we won’t suggest procedures that could potentially damage your phone even further once done incorrectly. While we know the procedures we suggest here are safe, you must proceed at your own risk.

Step 1: Attempt to turn the phone on

I understand the battery may have already been drained but there’s always little amount of electricity left. If you let the phone sit for a long time without turning it on, that little amount of electricity might be enough to power its components for a short while.

The purpose of this step is not actually to turn the phone on but to see if the screen flickers or the LED indicator lights up or any other signs that the hardware is still good. If the phone won’t power up any of its components, don’t worry as you are still in the first step of this troubleshooting.

Step 2: Perform the soft reset

This is one procedure only phones with removable battery could do. This procedure actually drains electricity store in the capacitors and other components of the phone and it refreshes the memory. It has already been proven over and over that this procedure is effective in dealing with minor hardware and firmware glitches. Here’s how you do it…

1. Remove the back cover.
2. Pull the battery out of the phone.
3. Press and hold the power key for 30 seconds.
4. Place the battery back in and then the back cover.

Step 3: Charge the phone

Once you’ve attempted to turn the phone on and performed soft reset, plug the charger to the wall and the end of the cable to your phone to see if the device charges.

It’s very easy to know if your Galaxy Note 4 charges; just look at the top of the screen and see if the LED indicator lights up, or, watch the screen for a few minutes and wait until the charging icon appears. If the battery was totally depleted, it may take a few minutes for the charging signs to show up. So, it’s wise that you leave the phone plugged in for at least ten minutes.

If the charging signs won’t show up after 5 minutes, then that’s a bad sign. It might be a hardware problem affecting the phone’s capability to turn on and charge. However, if the LED indicator lights up and the charging icon displays on the screen, then problem solved–the phone is charging.

Step 4: Verify the charger is good

Assuming the phone didn’t show any charging signs, the first thing you should look into is the charger where electric current comes from. The easiest way to know if it’s busted or not is to use a different charger. If the phone charges with other chargers, then you need to buy a new one.

If it’s impossible to try a different charger, then try charging different devices using your Note 4’s charger. If those devices charge, then the problem is with the phone.

Step 5: Make sure the USB cable isn’t broken

If other devices didn’t charge with your charger, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the charger that’s the problem. There’s always a chance that the cable, which bridges the phone and the charger, is broken or something. One way of knowing if it’s a cable issue is to use a different one replacing the original cord.

In case the phone is still on, connecting the phone to a computer will also give you an idea if it’s a cable issue or not; if the cable is broken, it won’t be detected by the computer.

Step 6: Check the USB port for corrosion and debris

Check both ends of the cable first to see something is preventing the contact. Then, check the USB port on your phone for debris or dirt corrosion. By following this step, you can also check if there is a bent pin or not.

After checking the port for debris or bent pins, try plugging the cable and check if it snaps right into the port. You can tell immediately if it’s loose or not. Constant plugging and unplugging will loosen the connection overtime and that will result to poor contact and intermittent charging issues.

Step 7: Inspect the battery

After you’ve done all those steps and your Note 4 still refuses to charge, then it’s time to go after the battery. If it’s not functioning normally, the phone won’t charge because there will never be cells that will store electricity.

To inspect the battery, remove it from the phone and check the connectors on both the device and the battery itself. If everything looks normal, try spinning the battery on the table. If it spins, it means there’s a bulge and most of the time bulges develop on defective battery.

Trying on a new battery will immediately tell you if you need to buy a new one or not. However, if all of these steps failed, it’s time you sought help from a technician as it is probably a serious hardware issue.

Having problems with your phone that’s not charging?

We can help you troubleshoot. We already published troubleshooting guides for the following devices:

• Samsung Galaxy S2
• Samsung Galaxy S3
• Samsung Galaxy S4
• Samsung Galaxy S5
• Samsung Galaxy S6
• Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
• Samsung Galaxy Note 2
• Samsung Galaxy Note 3
• Samsung Galaxy Note 4