iphone 4 turns off, only works if charging

Hi kthleerdh,

Welcome to the Support Communities! The article below will help with the issue you are having charging your iPhone battery.

If you can’t charge your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203030

If you can’t charge your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Find out what to do if you plug in your iOS device and it doesn’t charge, or it displays an alert.

Make sure you’re using Apple-certified accessories and the right power source.

If your battery is really low, you might see a black screen for a few minutes even after you plug it in. Let it charge for at least 10 minutes (20 minutes for iPad). If it still doesn’t charge, follow the steps below.

If the battery doesn’t charge

If the battery doesn’t charge, unplug your device and try these steps:

1. Look at the connector at the bottom of your device and make sure it’s free of debris.
2. If you're using a USB power adapter, make sure it's plugged in all the way and the power outlet is working. If you're connecting to a computer, make sure it's on and can charge your device. To charge an iPad, you might need to use a USB power adapter and plug into a power outlet.
3. Try a different USB cable, USB power adapter, or USB port.
4. If everything seems to be working, reconnect your device and wait for 30 minutes.
5. If your device still doesn’t charge, try to restart it while it's connected to power. If you can't restart, reset your device.

If you see an alert

When you plug in your device, you might see one of these alerts:

• “This cable or accessory is not certified and may not work reliably with this iPhone.”
• “This accessory is not supported by this device.”

If you see one of these alerts, unplug your device try and these steps:

1. Look at the connector at the bottom of your device and make sure it’s free of debris, then reconnect the USB cable.
2. If you still see an alert, try a different USB cable or charger.

Get more help

If your device still doesn't charge or you still see an alert after trying the steps above, contact Apple Support.

Cheers,

Judy