iPad Suddenly Won’t Charge

My iPad suddenly won't charge. It makes the charge noise when the cord is plugged in but the lighting bolt won’t show and the bar doesn’t go beyond 0%. The charging cord, etc, is fine. It turns itself off, as though the battery is dead, but then comes back on as though it’s charging. I just noticed that it is popping the "pink screen" for a second just before it goes dark. All of this started after last night's update - of course I’m unable to do any true troubleshooting because the device won’t charge and keeps restarting. This is a 4th Gen iPad Pro with the latest OS. Help!!

Posted on Aug 23, 2023 7:46 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 23, 2023 7:52 AM

Disconnect your Power Adapter - and then perform a forced-restart of your iPad:


Force restart iPad (models with Face ID or with Touch ID in the top button)

If your iPad doesn’t have the Home button, do the following:

  1. Press and quickly release the volume button nearest to the top button.
  2. Press and quickly release the volume button farthest from the top button.
  3. Press and hold the top button.
  4. When the Apple logo appears, release the top button.




Force restart iPad (models with the Home button)

Press and hold the top button and the Home button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.




After restart, reconnect your Power Adapter.


If difficulties persisted, these support pages should help with troubleshooting battery and charging issues:

Charge and monitor the iPad battery - Apple Support

If your iPad won't charge – Apple Support


Troubleshooting generally requires substitution of the Power Adapter and cable for another known-good item. Most models of iPad require a Power Adapter rated at 12W (i.e., 2.4A @5V) or greater to reliably charge. 5W Power Adapters (1.0A @5V) intended for older models of iPhone are inadequate to charge an iPad; if the iPad charges at all, charging will be very slow. Recent models of iPad are supplied with a 20W USB-C Power Adapter.


Some third-party USB-C power adapters (and portable PowerBanks) may not support USB PD (Power Delivery). Power Delivery mutually negotiates the charging voltage; the source, load and cable are all elements involved in the negotiation protocol. Unless the Power Adapter explicitly supports USB PD, it will almost certainly fail to charge the iPad via a USB-C hub. 


Also be aware that USB standards limit USB-C cables to a maximum of 2m. Longer non-certified third-party cables may be available, but may not be usable. Remember, USB-C cables are not all the same. They are “active” - in that they include additional electronics built-in to their connectors.


Also worthy of mention, many computer USB ports also cannot source sufficient power to charge an iPad. Unless explicitly designed for charging connected devices, computer USB ports are typically limited to 0.5-1A @5V (i.e., 2.5-5.0W).


If you continue to experience difficulties when using an appropriate Power Adapter of 12W or greater, you might be best advised to seek assistance directly from from Apple Support. You can contact the Support Team using the Support link at top-right or bottom-left of this page. Alternatively, you can initiate and manage your support cases from Apple devices using the excellent Apple Support App. If not already installed, the App can be downloaded from the App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-support/id1130498044


You might also visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the technicians will be able to test and assess your iPad, Power Adapter and cable(s):

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple




4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 23, 2023 7:52 AM in response to Zeusie2020

Disconnect your Power Adapter - and then perform a forced-restart of your iPad:


Force restart iPad (models with Face ID or with Touch ID in the top button)

If your iPad doesn’t have the Home button, do the following:

  1. Press and quickly release the volume button nearest to the top button.
  2. Press and quickly release the volume button farthest from the top button.
  3. Press and hold the top button.
  4. When the Apple logo appears, release the top button.




Force restart iPad (models with the Home button)

Press and hold the top button and the Home button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.




After restart, reconnect your Power Adapter.


If difficulties persisted, these support pages should help with troubleshooting battery and charging issues:

Charge and monitor the iPad battery - Apple Support

If your iPad won't charge – Apple Support


Troubleshooting generally requires substitution of the Power Adapter and cable for another known-good item. Most models of iPad require a Power Adapter rated at 12W (i.e., 2.4A @5V) or greater to reliably charge. 5W Power Adapters (1.0A @5V) intended for older models of iPhone are inadequate to charge an iPad; if the iPad charges at all, charging will be very slow. Recent models of iPad are supplied with a 20W USB-C Power Adapter.


Some third-party USB-C power adapters (and portable PowerBanks) may not support USB PD (Power Delivery). Power Delivery mutually negotiates the charging voltage; the source, load and cable are all elements involved in the negotiation protocol. Unless the Power Adapter explicitly supports USB PD, it will almost certainly fail to charge the iPad via a USB-C hub. 


Also be aware that USB standards limit USB-C cables to a maximum of 2m. Longer non-certified third-party cables may be available, but may not be usable. Remember, USB-C cables are not all the same. They are “active” - in that they include additional electronics built-in to their connectors.


Also worthy of mention, many computer USB ports also cannot source sufficient power to charge an iPad. Unless explicitly designed for charging connected devices, computer USB ports are typically limited to 0.5-1A @5V (i.e., 2.5-5.0W).


If you continue to experience difficulties when using an appropriate Power Adapter of 12W or greater, you might be best advised to seek assistance directly from from Apple Support. You can contact the Support Team using the Support link at top-right or bottom-left of this page. Alternatively, you can initiate and manage your support cases from Apple devices using the excellent Apple Support App. If not already installed, the App can be downloaded from the App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-support/id1130498044


You might also visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the technicians will be able to test and assess your iPad, Power Adapter and cable(s):

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple




Aug 23, 2023 10:11 AM in response to Zeusie2020

Hi - thanks again. The issue is that my iPad was reflecting a “0%” charge so it couldn’t sustain even a reset without shutting down and restarting.


For anyone else having this issue, I was able to find a solution that worked. I wasn’t at all optimistic but when I followed these steps, my device suddenly started charging normally and seemed to get out of the boot loop. I was able to continue with the update and everything now seems fine:


Fix iPad Reboot Loop While Charging/in Low Battery


In some cases, your iPad stuck in boot loop because your device is either has a low battery or while it is charging. We suggest using this method to fix your iPad reboot loop issue. 


Step 1: First, you want to plug your iPad into your charger. Then plug the charger into the wall. You will notice that your device will reboot again and that the apple logo has popped up. 


Step 2: When you see the apple appear on your screen this is when you need to unplug your charger as quickly as possible.


Step 3: Get ready to plug in the charger again. Watch the screen carefully, your home screen will pop up briefly. When you see it, plug your charger in right away. After this, your screen will go black. This means that your device has powered down.


Let it charge for at least 30 minutes then try to turn on your iPad again and see if the iPad boot loop error has stopped.

Aug 23, 2023 8:35 AM in response to Zeusie2020

If your iPad is stuck is actually stuck in a boot-loop, you’ll need to resolve this specific issue - which may entail “restoring” the most recent version of iPadOS to the iPad. This support page outlines restoration of an iPad to Factory Settings:

Restore your iPhone, iPad or iPod to factory settings – Apple Support


You’ll need access to either a PC (with iTunes installed) or a Mac (with iTunes or Finder - as appropriate for the installed version of MacOS).

Download and use iTunes for Windows – Apple Support

Update to the latest version of iTunes – Apple Support


Use of a PC or Mac computer is unavoidable. If you don’t have access to a suitable computer of your own, that of a helpful friend or family member will suffice. Alternatively, the technicians at the Genius Bar of your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) will be delighted to assist.


Aug 23, 2023 8:15 AM in response to LotusPilot

Hi thank you for trying to help. This didn’t fix the issue. It appears that my iPad hasn’t been able to complete an update from last night (16.6) and is stuck in a loop of sorts. For some reason, this is prohibiting charging and is causing the device to restart itself constantly after the pink screen. I can’t charge it enough to continue with the update so I’m completely out of options.


None of my local Apple repair locations are allowing appointments, incl the Genius Bar, so I’ll need to do a drop in.

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iPad Suddenly Won’t Charge

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