Does your mobile phone charge poorly or not at all? This is often the fault of lint that accumulates in the USB socket preventing the charger cable from being inserted correctly. A very simple cleaning is essential!
Does your smartphone charge badly? The USB socket no longer fits very well in its housing? Do not panic ! Before taking your precious mobile to a repairer, taking out the soldering iron or thinking about changing the model, simply try to clean the connector. Indeed, if you are used – like many – to leaving your smartphone in a pocket, it is more than likely that the problem comes from dust, or, more precisely, from tissue residues accumulated over time at the bottom. of the orifice. It is these micro-fluffs that prevent the USB plug from being correctly inserted into the telephone port, preventing good electrical contact. The diagnosis is also quite easy to establish: if the male plug fits badly in the female housing and the load is dotted, it is generally the fault of the fluff!
The solution to this very common problem is extremely simple and within everyone’s reach because it requires neither technical knowledge nor special equipment. The only tool you need is an ordinary wooden or plastic toothpick – metal needle-like objects can cause damage when used under certain circumstances.
Even if it’s not essential, turn off your phone – no need to remove the battery – then insert the toothpick into the socket and scrape gently. In a few seconds, you will remove the famous accumulated lint. Repeat the operation to remove as much residue as possible. You may be surprised by what you will come out of, especially if you have never performed the operation…
If you have one, use a can of compressed air or a vacuum cleaner with the appropriate reducer – a small plastic accessory that reduces the diameter and increases the suction flow – to remove the residual dust. . then check that the contact is made correctly when you insert the male plug. That’s all !
Note that this little cleaning – to be carried out regularly as a preventive measure, or as soon as the first symptoms appear – concerns all types of smartphone charging sockets (micro-USB, USB-C, etc.), regardless of their brand. But also the tablets: admittedly, they are rarely slipped into a pocket, but they can lie on the cover of a bed, for example… You can also apply the method to other sockets – in fact, everywhere where soft toys can accumulate – including at the mini-jack sockets for headphones.
Be careful though, these connectors being very small, the toothpick will not be the most suitable. Try the operation with a finer tool – a sewing needle, for example –, this time taking the precaution of removing the battery if it is removable.