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Wildmain

Q: iPad mini shows lightning bolt while plugged into wall outlet 240v but power % keeps dropping. What could be the cause of this?

My question is general, My girlfriend overseas has my iPad mini 1st gen.. it should have the latest update, but I'm not 100% sure her wifi is pretty bad, some apps won't even update. Anyway, her problem is, and I can see it on find-my-phone app.. When plugging in the iPad it shows the lightning symbol, yet the power % is not rising, in most cases it drops, especially if it's in use. she is using the 5-watt charging system. I have purchased a 12-watt wall charger for her but she won't get it for a couple of weeks. Her voltage is 220-240. I am wondering if it can be a dirty socket in the iPad itself or can voltage spikes also be a problem, they are known to have brown-outs, so that pretty much tells me the power is inconsistent there. Sometimes overnight it gets a full charge other times it's getting half charged.  I'll add other devices using that same power source are fully charged. We have used apple cords and after market cords, both have the same issue. either it shows it's charging but decreases or it just doesn't show to be charging at all. We are going solely on the lightning symbol to discern whether it is charging or not, but from some other posts I have read that may not be a good indicator as to it's charging state.  Pretty frustrating, any advice could be helpful! 

I am having her get the socket cleaned today to see if that helps.. Next step will be replacing the charging socket inside the iPad, I'm really trying to avoid that, it is close to 3 years old, so that might be the problem as well.

iPad Mini

Posted on Apr 11, 2016 8:14 PM

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Q: iPad mini shows lightning bolt while plugged into wall outlet 240v but power % keeps dropping. What could be the cause of this?

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  • by sterling r,Helpful

    sterling r sterling r Apr 13, 2016 1:46 PM in response to Wildmain
    Community Specialists
    Apr 13, 2016 1:46 PM in response to Wildmain

    Howdy there Wildmain,

     

    It sound like your GFs iPad mini isn't charging consistently on its own even with different cables. There could be a variety of factors here so I would use the following section of the following article to help you troubleshoot it or determine if she might need service on the device:

     

    Charge your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

    If your device won’t charge or charges slowly

    If you have very low battery and plug into power, a black screen or one with a red battery might appear for a few minutes. Let your device charge for a half hour. If it still won't charge, follow these steps:

    1. Check your charging cable and USB adapter for signs of damage*, like breakage or bent prongs. Don't use damaged accessories.
      Lightning to USB and a USB wall adapter
    2. Remove any debris from the charging port on the bottom of your device, then firmly plug your charging cable into your device. If the charging port is damaged, your device probably needs service.
      The lightning port on the iPhone 6s
    3. For a wall power outlet, check for firm connections between your charging cable, USB wall adapter, and wall outlet, or try a different outlet. For a computer, check that it's on and not in sleep mode, then try each USB port on the computer.
    4. Restart your iOS device. If your device won’t power on or still won't charge, learn what to do.

    *If you're unsure about whether an accessory is damaged, take it to an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for evaluation, or contact Apple Support.

     

    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.