iPhone12 Pro battery spontaneously discharges while on a Belkin Qi charger.

Question

iPhone12 Pro battery spontaneously discharges while on a Belkin Qi charger.

I have a Belkin flat 3-in-1 charge pad. Recently my iPhone 12 Pro (bought 2020) suddenly discharges even with the magnets engaged (I can feel them "lock" together). The green charging circle doesn't appear onscreen the way it does on my AppleWatch Series 7 when it's on the charger, and my AirPods charge fully too. So it's not an issue with the power source into which the charge pad is plugged. The phone isn't even in a case--it's my auxiliary phone that lives on my nightstand. (My 12 ProMax, my main line using AT&T, is in a case and plugged via Belkin cable into an Apple USB-C-to-Lightning charger when not in use--it maintains a full charge). So the problem must be with the phone itself--its max capacity after 3 yrs of very light use is 91%. Usually it will fully charge when plugged into a cable & "brick" (even 3d party), but that setup is not at bedside (and logistically, can't be due to not enough outlets). There's an iHome clock radio at bedside with a Lightning plug, which used to charge it upright before I bought the Belkin pad--but the phone no longer "recognizes" it. Therefore, if it's not the battery per se, it must be the charging coil inside either the phone or the Belkin pad.

This started 2 OS updates ago, and continues on 16.4.

I know I'm upgrade-eligible (to the 14 series) for both phones via both carriers. But it's a massive PITA to go to the T-Mobile store and spend hours having the tech do a data transfer--which sometimes doesn't work (it took several tries going from the 11 to the 12 Pro). Not about to DIY, as I'm likely to screw it up. And I want to wait till fall for the 15 series.

Anyone else with this issue? Is it your battery, the phone's charging coil, or the Qi/MagSafe's charger charging coil? If so, how (if ever) did you resolve it?

iPhone 12 Pro

Posted on May 31, 2023 3:39 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

R4FTY

Level 4

1,375 points

Jun 1, 2023 1:00 AM in response to Sandra Andina1

It sounds like you've already ruled out a few potential causes for the issue, like the power source and the charger itself. There are a couple of possibilities that could be causing the problem with your iPhone 12 Pro:

1. **Software issue**: Since you mentioned that the problem started two OS updates ago, it's possible that a software bug is causing the issue. You can try the following steps to address this:

- Make sure your iPhone is running the latest iOS version.

- Reset all settings: Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. This will reset all settings to their default values but won't delete any data.

- If the issue persists, consider backing up your data and performing a factory reset to see if that resolves the problem.

2. **Hardware issue**: If the software troubleshooting doesn't help, it's possible that there's a hardware issue with either the iPhone's charging coil or the Belkin pad's charging coil. To narrow down the cause, you can try testing your iPhone on a different Qi/MagSafe charger. If it works fine on another charger, the issue could be with the Belkin pad. If the problem persists, it's more likely an issue with the iPhone's charging coil. Moreover, try using a cable to charge, if it charges, it means that only the coil is the problem.

In case it's a hardware issue with the iPhone, you might want to take it to an Apple Store or an authorized service provider for a diagnostic test. They can help identify the exact issue and recommend a solution, which could include a repair or replacement depending on the severity of the problem and your device's warranty status.

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Answer 2

Jun 2, 2023 9:17 PM in response to R4FTY

Doubt it's a software issue, as I always download & install the latest iOS updates as soon as they're released. All my devices have the latest iOS and MacOS updates. Reset didn't help. Not about to give it a de facto lobotomy--er, factory reset--because backing up the data on a 2-generations-old phone (my auxiliary one) would be a massive PITA. I have it "mirror" my main phone (12 ProMax, A&T) and don't want to lose that or have it affect my main phone. (I keep the 12Pro at bedside all the time now--so calls route to both phones (and my bathroom wi-fi-only iPadPro circa 2017). I don't want to have to keep my main phone at bedside too--my nightstand (and the MagSafe pad in question) is upstairs; having to remember to bring it downstairs with me all day (whether charging, in purse or car) and then haul it back up at bedtime. At my age, I have enough stuff to have to remember as it is.
It does charge fully when plugged in, even to a non-Apple charger/cable (in another room--no more room nor outlets at bedside). But that doesn't "exonerate" the Belkin's MagSafe puck's coil too--both its and the phone's coil could be deteriorated/defective. Not about to haul my 12Pro upstairs to try it out on the Belkin--I have enough trouble as it is remembering to unplug it from its cable and put it in my purse when I leave the house.
Not worth taking it to an AppleStore or service facility--I'm upgrade-eligible for the 14 series, at about the same monthly payment.

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Answer 3

nkh

Level 1

79 points

Jun 23, 2023 7:43 AM in response to Sandra Andina1

I had a near-similar experience --- also with iPhone 12 Pro --- this morning.

Just 12 hours earlier I had completed update to 16.5.1... and all seemed fine.

When I retired last evening, the iPhone was fully charged, and not connected to any external devices.

When I awoke this morning, all seemed fine... but when I attempted to disable my normal wake-up call... the iPhone died! The iPhone was totally dead!

I attempted to recharge via my iMac... and checking hour or so later, I found the battery was was totally revived.

Checking Settings:Battery, the associated graph shows that the battery had earlier precipitously discharged over just a few minutes' time.

Currently, the iPhone seems perfectly normal.

But... what event could have precipitated the battery's precipitous discharge? Was the update complicit?

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Answer 4

Jun 23, 2023 12:30 PM in response to nkh

Mine turned out to have a dead MagSafe charging coil. I determined that by first confirming that it charged fully via Lightning. Then I did bring my 12ProMax upstairs, laid it down on the charging pad and immediately felt it "lock" into place, heard the chime and saw the green circle. So I did the math and realized that since thhe 12Pro's AppleCare had expired, it wouldn't have been worth trying to have the coil replaced; and that with the 14 series already available (with the superior chip in the Pro & ProMax) it wouldn't have made sense to replace it with either a 13 series or a refurb 12Pro. Went to the AppleStore and got $350 for the trade-up to a 14Pro.

I know it would have made more sense to hold off till Sept. or Oct. when the 15 series is released (every site says never to buy an iPhone in late spring/early summer), but I wanted to have that MagSafe capability at bedside without having to haul my main 12ProMax around the house with me; and I didn't want to be tempted to upgrade a second time in Sept. I can live with the diff. between a 12Pro & 15 series; but when it comes to my 12ProMax (bought summer 2021), which is my main phone, I'm looking forward to the M2 chip and new features of the 15ProMax.

(I have 2 different phones & carriers because I switched from Ameritech to Sprint because of better customer service after my flip phone was stolen in 2002; the rest is too complicated--and for some more fiscally-prudent people, illogical--to explain).

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iPhone12 Pro battery spontaneously discharges while on a Belkin Qi charger.

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