I have an Anker Nano 30W power bank with a built-in USB-C cable. The bank itself charges and powers on, but it won't keep any of my devices charging. When I connect it to my iPhone 13 using a USB-C-to-MagSafe cable, nothing happens. When I connect it to my M3 iPad Pro over USB-C, it briefly starts charging and then shows "Not Charging." I'll be without access to wall power tomorrow, so I'm trying to figure out whether this is a cable problem, a compatibility issue, or a defective power bank.
4 Answers
Apple-device certification is unlikely to be the issue here, especially since the iPad briefly detects the charger. Still, using a separate, reliable USB-C cable with the power bank is a quick way to rule out a damaged built-in cable or poor connector.
Try isolating each part of the setup: fully charge the power bank, test it with another known-good USB-C cable if possible, and try charging a different device. Also test the iPad with another charger and cable. If the power bank still connects for a second and stops, it’s probably defective rather than incompatible.
Since the iPhone and M3 iPad Pro can both accept at least this much power, the 30W rating shouldn’t be the problem. Devices negotiate the amount of power they need, so a brief connection followed by “Not Charging” points more toward a faulty power bank, cable, or USB-C connection than the devices receiving too many watts.
That was my thought too. The same MagSafe cable charged my iPhone from a wall adapter recently, and MagSafe should only draw around 15–25W anyway.
It would be worth contacting Anker support. If the bank is showing a full charge but cannot provide steady output to either device, they can help confirm the fault and may replace it under their warranty or support policy.
The iPhone 13 cable worked normally from a wall charger, so I’m leaning toward the power bank or its built-in cable.