M1 iPad Pro gen 5 not charging

I have seen this issue throughout Apple’s support forums, however most of them are at least two years old and not allowing any updates.


I tried all of the suggested steps in Apple’s “What to do if your iPad will not charge” document, aside from cleaning the USBC port.


We use two iPad Pros in our household and my M1 iPad Pro has been pretty reliable - until yesterday when it refused to charge at any of the three charging locations in our home.


Only my old Lenovo laptop charging cable worked last night, otherwise I would have had a dead iPad today.


Is my iPad on its way out? Am I going to have to buy a new one soon? Not looking forward to it. I even bought a Magic Keyboard from Apple to use the charging port on it in order to not wear out the one on my iPad, but that stopped working and charging months ago.

iPad Pro, iPadOS 18

Posted on Mar 5, 2025 6:16 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 5, 2025 6:23 AM

Starting at the beginning, recognising that you may have tried some of this already...


Verify that your charging cable is in good condition and properly connected to both your iPad and its Power Adapter.


If the charging cable won’t properly seat or easily fit into the charging port of the iPad, this might indicate that either dirt or lint is obstructing the plug, or the plug or charging socket have been damaged. A damaged charging cable must be replaced - whereas a damaged charging port must be repaired.


If the problem is due to a visible obstruction, you may be able to remove it yourself*. With good light, using a sharpened wooden matchstick or plastic toothpick (never metallic), very gently try to dislodge a visible the obstruction from the socket. Be careful to avoid damaging the delicate electrical contacts within the socket. Note that a USB-C socket has an obvious "tongue" within the socket that is easily damaged.


(*) Removal of an obstruction is often best entrusted to the technicians at the Genius Bar of your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the appropriate tools and expertise are available:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple


If the charging problem is not mechanical, 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; proprietary charging standards, such as QC (Quick Charge), are not supported.


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


Similar questions

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 5, 2025 6:23 AM in response to gooober

Starting at the beginning, recognising that you may have tried some of this already...


Verify that your charging cable is in good condition and properly connected to both your iPad and its Power Adapter.


If the charging cable won’t properly seat or easily fit into the charging port of the iPad, this might indicate that either dirt or lint is obstructing the plug, or the plug or charging socket have been damaged. A damaged charging cable must be replaced - whereas a damaged charging port must be repaired.


If the problem is due to a visible obstruction, you may be able to remove it yourself*. With good light, using a sharpened wooden matchstick or plastic toothpick (never metallic), very gently try to dislodge a visible the obstruction from the socket. Be careful to avoid damaging the delicate electrical contacts within the socket. Note that a USB-C socket has an obvious "tongue" within the socket that is easily damaged.


(*) Removal of an obstruction is often best entrusted to the technicians at the Genius Bar of your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the appropriate tools and expertise are available:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple


If the charging problem is not mechanical, 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; proprietary charging standards, such as QC (Quick Charge), are not supported.


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


Mar 5, 2025 8:38 AM in response to LotusPilot

Thank you for all the kind info!


I will take your suggestion and make an appointment at a Genius Bar to have them evaluate my iPad Pro, charger and cables.


They sure are picky when it comes to cables over 2M long! It just seems short in most situations such as living room, bedroom and TV room. But I never ever saw any notifications about the cables or chargers being incompatible. Not even once.


I purchased one of Apple’s new 2 port USBC chargers a while ago and just ordered a 2M Apple charging cable. Yes I bit the bullet and bought one! I will try it and if it solves the “cable sensitivity issue”, then I will invest in more of them to use throughout our home.


We shall see! For now, my iPad Pro is charging again at other chargers and cables. The cables and chargers we use are relatively new and in good condition.


You know, now that I think of it, we have one USBC charging cable in the bedroom that is over 6’ and maybe that is why it charges and doesn’t charge so inconsistently.


Thanks again for all the help!!!

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

M1 iPad Pro gen 5 not charging

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.