I have an older Samsung Galaxy A02 or A02s that I usually leave charging overnight. A few weeks ago, I plugged its usual adapter into a faulty extension strip at my dad's office. The strip sparked, lost power, and shut down the computer connected to it. After that, the adapter stopped charging my phone anywhere, so I assumed it had been damaged and switched to another adapter.
For the past few days, charging has still been unreliable. After one full night, the battery was only at 66%. Depending on the outlet and accessories, the phone may not charge at all, show that it is charging without gaining battery percentage, or charge extremely slowly. I'm unsure whether the problem is the phone's charging port, a dirty or damaged cable, a failing adapter, battery protection settings, or the phone's aging battery.
I also have another adapter and cable that cause the screen to behave strangely while connected, so I'm concerned that accessory may be faulty too. What should I test first, and is this likely a charging-accessory problem or a sign that the phone needs to be replaced?
2 Answers
Also check the battery settings for a charging-protection feature. Some Samsung phones intentionally stop around a set percentage, depending on the selected battery-protection mode. That wouldn’t normally explain extremely slow or intermittent charging, though, so verify the setting after testing the accessories.
Start by testing with a known-good adapter and cable separately, preferably ones that charge another phone normally. Since the original adapter stopped working after the electrical spark, don’t use it again. Check the phone’s charging port for lint or debris, but clean it gently and don’t poke around with anything metallic. If the cable feels loose and falls out easily, the port may need cleaning or repair. If charging remains inconsistent with reliable accessories, the phone’s port or battery could be failing.
The cable seems to stay securely connected, so I’ll try another adapter and cable combination and stop using the one that caused the screen problems.