How to fix an iPad that's charging slowly

Whether you want to binge your favorite show or need to get some work done, waiting on your iPad® to charge is frustrating—especially if it's taking longer than usual.

Don't worry. There are lots of reasons why your iPad may be charging at a snail’s pace—and fixing it may be as simple as adjusting settings or trying different charging cables. Here at Asurion, our experts help millions of customers solve their device problems every day—from setting up a new phone to fixing a disabled iPad. Here are their tips for charging your iPad more quickly.

What to do if your iPad is charging slowly

Try these troubleshooting steps to figure out why your iPad seems to be taking forever to charge and speed up the process:

Don't use your iPad while charging

If you want your iPad to charge faster, make sure not to use it while it's charging. Leaving it alone until it's fully charged should speed up the process.

Turn on Airplane Mode while charging

Putting your iPad in Airplane Mode while it's charging turns off features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®, which saves battery and may result in faster charging.

To turn it on, swipe down from the top-right of the screen to open the Control Center, then tap the airplane icon.

Turn off active downloads

Make sure you're not downloading or updating apps or software while your iPad is charging.

Decrease the screen brightness

Keeping your screen bright can run down the battery. To decrease the brightness, tap Settings > Display & Brightness, then use the slider to turn it down.

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Close unnecessary apps

Check to see if you have a lot of applications open by swiping up and to the right from the bottom of the screen. Closing apps will help you use less battery so your iPad can charge more quickly.

Disable Background App Refresh

Turning off this feature can save battery and speed up the charging process.

1. Tap Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
2. Tap Background App Refresh, then tap Off.

Restart your iPad

Haven't turned your iPad off in a while? Shutting it down every now and then can fix bugs and glitches that may be affecting your charging.

To turn it off, tap Settings > General > Shut Down, then use the slider at the top.

Try a different charging cable and outlet

Plug another charging cable into your device to make sure the one you’re using is working properly. While you’re at it, check the wall outlet to ensure that it’s not the problem.

Check your power adapter

Depending on which model iPad you have, the power adapter that came with it is somewhere between 10W and 20W—but you can buy a faster iPad charger from Apple that'll speed up the process.

Clean out the charging port

Your iPad's charging port may be full of dust and dirt, so carefully use a new toothbrush, a toothpick, or a can of compressed air to clean it out. For step-by-step instructions, check out our guide to cleaning your device’s charging port.

Update your iPad

Try updating to the latest iPad software. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install the update if there's one available.

Restore your iPad's firmware

Putting your iPad into Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode erases and resets every line of code, so make sure to back up your iPad before trying this step.

For iPads without a Home button:

1. Turn off your iPad and connect it to a computer.
2. Open iTunes® or Finder®, then press and hold the Top button for three seconds.
3. Keep holding the Top button, then press and hold the Volume Down button—hold both for 10 seconds.
4. Let go of the Top button, but keep holding the Volume Down button for five more seconds.
5. If the screen stays black but is illuminated, it's in DFU mode.
6. Your computer should have recognized your iPad. Follow the on-screen instructions to restore it.
7. To exit DFU mode, quickly press the Volume Up button, then do the same for Volume Down, then hold down the Top button until your iPad reboots.

For iPads with a Home button:

1. Turn off your iPad and connect it to a computer.
2. Open iTunes or Finder, then press and hold the Top button for three seconds.
3. Keep holding the Top button, then press and hold the Home button—hold both for 10 seconds.
4. Let go of the Top button, but keep holding the Home button for five more seconds.
5. If the screen stays black but is illuminated, it's in DFU mode.
6. Your computer should have recognized your iPad. Follow the on-screen instructions to restore it.
7. To exit DFU mode, hold down the Top and Home buttons until your iPad reboots.