ipad will not charge and keeps flipping between Apple icon and battery symbol.

Hey Caht29,

Thanks for the question. The following resources provide information about the symptom you are experiencing:

iOS: Device unexpectedly restarts, displays Apple logo, or powers off

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5356

Make sure your iOS device is up to date. If you still see this issue after updating, contact Apple Support.

iOS: Not responding or does not turn on

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3281

Resolution

1. If a single application is not responding or stops responding when it opens, you can force it to close.

2. If the device is unresponsive or if certain controls aren't working as expected, restart your device.

3. If the device remains unresponsive or does not turn on (or power on), reset your device.

4. If there is no video or if the screen remains black, verify that the device has enough charge to turn on:

1. If you are using an iPad, ensure that it's connected to the USB Power Adapter supplied with the device.

2. Let it charge for at least twenty minutes, then see if it starts normally.

3. If there is no image on the screen, press the Sleep/Wake button to attempt to wake the device.

4. If the screen displays a red battery icon, continue charging the device until the battery is fully charged. Learn more about charging iPhone and iPod touch, or iPad.

5. If the above steps do not resolve the issue, or the if the screen remains black or shows a persistent Apple logo, try restoring with iTunes:

1. Connect the device to your computer and open iTunes.

2. If the device appears in iTunes, select and click Restore on the Summary pane. Learn more about restoring iOS software.

3. If the device doesn't appear in iTunes, try to force the device into recovery mode, and then restore it.

6. If the above steps do not resolve the issue, contact Apple.

Thanks,

Matt M.

I tried everything I could find in posts on this forum and other Apple communities and struck out on them all. The classic fix is to hold in the power and home buttons. Heard that one among many other variations with the device plugged into outlet power and/or computer with ITunes. No option of that sort worked, but I was determined to get my iPad functioning again and refused to pay Apple support to troubleshoot and fix it. I finally ran across several forum posts that were well written and logical about the lithium battery being discharged to the point that the battery will no longer function properly. I will Not attempt to go into the science behind lithium batteries and why the fix of heating the battery up puts a mild charge back into the battery, etc. If your iPad or other iX device battery has been completely drained and is displaying the red battery icon with a few red strips, and all other troubleshooting measures fail you may want to try heating the device until the back of it is hot to the touch, then try plugging it in and waiting for at least 10-20 minutes.

I had little hope in this fix, but it indeed gave the internal battery in my iPad enough juice to start taking a charge. It is now at 48% and climbing. I am convinced that no other troubleshooting method would have resulted in my iPad battery being jump-started into taking a charge and powering the device on because I tried them all. There are probably a million ways to heat the iPad to attempt this fix with what seems to be the most popular being a hair dryer and standing there for an eternity until the back of the device is hot to the touch. If I told you that I put the iPad on a wooden cutting board and placed in the oven at 170 for 20 minutes I am sure many would not believe it or get holier than thou that I violated some safety commandment of placing the iPad in an oven, but that very well might have worked...

Could be the charger, cable or iPad. Plug the USB cable into your computer. It may say "Not Charging", however, it is charging slowly and will verify that the cable is good.

Try this first - Reset the iPad by holding down on the Sleep and Home buttons at the same time for about 10-15 seconds until the Apple Logo appears - ignore the red slider - let go of the buttons. (This is equivalent to rebooting your computer.) No data/files will be erased. http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1430

The quickest way (and really the only way) to charge your iPad is with the included 10W or 12W (5W on Mini) USB Power Adapter. iPad will also charge, although more slowly, when attached to a computer with a high-power USB port (many recent Mac computers) or with an iPhone Power Adapter (5W). When attached to a computer via a standard USB port (2.5W, most PCs or older Mac computers) iPad will charge very slowly (but iPad indicates not charging). Make sure your computer is on while charging iPad via USB. If iPad is connected to a computer that’s turned off or is in sleep or standby mode, the iPad battery will continue to drain.

Apple recommends that once a month you let the iPad fully discharge & then recharge to 100%.

How to Calibrate Your Mac, iPhone, or iPad Battery

http://www.macblend.com/how-to-calibrate-your-mac-iphone-or-ipad-battery/

At this link http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/galaxy-tab-android-tablet,3014-11.html , tests show that the iPad 2 battery (25 watt-hours) will charge to 90% in 3 hours 1 minute. It will charge to 100% in 4 hours 2 minutes. The new iPad has a larger capacity battery (42 watt-hours), so using the 10W charger will obviously take longer. If you are using your iPad while charging, it will take even longer. It's best to turn your new iPad OFF and charge over night. Also look at The iPad's charging challenge explained http://www.macworld.com/article/1150356/ipadcharging.html

Also, if you have a 3rd generation iPad, look at

Apple: iPad Battery Nothing to Get Charged Up About

http://allthingsd.com/20120327/apple-ipad-battery-nothing-to-get-charged-up-abou t/

Apple Explains New iPad's Continued Charging Beyond 100% Battery Level

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/27/apple-explains-new-ipads-continued-charging- %20beyond-100-battery-level/

New iPad Takes Much Longer to Charge Than iPad 2

http://www.iphonehacks.com/2012/03/new-ipad-takes-much-longer-to-charge-than-ipa d-2.html

Apple Batteries - iPad http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipad.html

iPhone: Hardware troubleshooting (Power/Battery section also applies to iPad)

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2802

http://www.overthought.org/blog/2014/the-ultimate-guide-to-solving-ios-battery-d rain

http://www.overthought.org/blog/2014/the-ultimate-guide-to-solving-ios-battery-d rain

Extend iPad Battery Life (Look at pjl123 comment)

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3921324?tstart=30

iOS 7 Battery Life Draining Too Fast? It’s Easy to Fix

http://osxdaily.com/2013/09/19/ios-7-battery-life-fix/

Poor battery life after installing iOS 7.1? Try these simple tips

http://www.zdnet.com/poor-battery-life-after-installing-ios-7-1-try-these-simple -tips-7000027348/

New iPad Slow to Recharge, Barely Charges During Use

http://www.pcworld.com/article/252326/new_ipad_slow_to_recharge_barely_charges_d uring_use.html

iPad: Charging the battery

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4060

Best Practices for iPad Battery Charging

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/best-practices-for-ipad-batte ry-charging/

How to Save and Prolong the battery life of your new ipad

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4480944?tstart=0

Prolong battery lifespan for iPad / iPad 2 / iPad 3: charging tips

http://thehowto.wikidot.com/prolong-battery-lifespan-for-ipad

iPhone, iPod, Using the iPad Charger

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4327

Install and use Battery Doctor HD

http://itunes.apple.com/tw/app/battery-doctor-hd/id459702901?mt=8

To Extend a Device’s Battery Life, Get to Know It Better

http://tinyurl.com/b67c7xz

iPad Battery Replacement

http://www.apple.com/batteries/replacements.html

In rare instances when using the Camera Connection Kit, you may notice that iPad does not charge after using the Camera Connection Kit. Disconnecting and reconnecting the iPad from the charger will resolve this issue.

 Cheers, Tom 😉