Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

My iPad is stuck on the low battery/ plug to charge screen. It won't take a charge from any source. It also isn't recognized by iTunes on my PC. I need help please I've tried everything that I know. Thanks everyone for reading this.

iPad 4

OS is 10.1 I think.

It was stuck at the apple screen. I got that resolved but now it shows the low battery and plug to lightning cable screen. When I plug in the cable the cable it goes off the screen leaving just the low battery icon. I can leave it plug in for hours or an entire day but the low battery only shows the red bar. Sometimes I think it flashes but it never builds a charge. When I plug it into iTunes the system doesn't recognize it. I mean on the PC in iTunes when you select "devices" it usually shows the device that's plugged in and show "sync". Well the sync is there but it is greyed out and the device is not listed next to the word sync. I'm stuck and can't figure out what to do next. Please help I can't afford a new iPad and certainly not this close to Christmas I have family to get gifts for plus we usually look at previous years Christmas on the iPad as a family and I don't want to let everyone down. I'm hoping there is a solution here. Any advice or suggestions is much appreciated. Thank you and Merry Christmas

Posted on Dec 10, 2016 12:25 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Feb 27, 2018 3:51 AM

Here's how to fix it:

Lithium batteries have protection against over-discharging, they do this by breaking the circuit if the voltage drops too low to prevent further drain. Unfortunately, once this has triggered, you can no longer put charge back into the battery because the battery is disconnected internally, so no matter how long you leave the phone on charge, it remains disconnected and flat.

You only need to get the voltage in the battery to raise a percent or two to reconnect the protection circuit so that it will charge again and you can do that by warming up the battery. You may get away with leaving the phone overnight in a very warm (hot) place, such as on top of a hot water tank, however a more efficient way is to heat the battery, but heat it up until it's quite hot with a hairdryer on its hottest setting. I have also used a portable heater and held it close for a few mins. Heat it for a good 1-2 mins so that the hear soaks right through the battery and it feels hot to the touch, this will raise the internal voltage enough to reconnect the protection circuit. IMMEDIATELY reconnect the phone and put it on charge (it must be hot). After about few mins up to 20 mins, enough charge should get back into the battery to fire up the phone and it'll come back to life.

I've done this a few times now on various different models and it always works. Hope it helps you.

25 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Feb 27, 2018 3:51 AM in response to kjdesign1

Here's how to fix it:

Lithium batteries have protection against over-discharging, they do this by breaking the circuit if the voltage drops too low to prevent further drain. Unfortunately, once this has triggered, you can no longer put charge back into the battery because the battery is disconnected internally, so no matter how long you leave the phone on charge, it remains disconnected and flat.

You only need to get the voltage in the battery to raise a percent or two to reconnect the protection circuit so that it will charge again and you can do that by warming up the battery. You may get away with leaving the phone overnight in a very warm (hot) place, such as on top of a hot water tank, however a more efficient way is to heat the battery, but heat it up until it's quite hot with a hairdryer on its hottest setting. I have also used a portable heater and held it close for a few mins. Heat it for a good 1-2 mins so that the hear soaks right through the battery and it feels hot to the touch, this will raise the internal voltage enough to reconnect the protection circuit. IMMEDIATELY reconnect the phone and put it on charge (it must be hot). After about few mins up to 20 mins, enough charge should get back into the battery to fire up the phone and it'll come back to life.

I've done this a few times now on various different models and it always works. Hope it helps you.

Mar 12, 2017 11:01 AM in response to kjdesign1

This was caused by the apple software update, iOS 10.1, and 10.2 on the iPad Air, and iPhone 6. My devices were both in mint condition, and the update destroyed both of them. The first thing that happened was super battery drain, then my device would just shut down for simply no reason. The second I'd plug it in, my battery would show I still had 90% charge. What you are experiencing is happening to me, over and over. I leave it plugged in, and it will shut down and show the battery icon on a black screen. I went into iTunes, it didn't recognize my device either. I clicked help, in the drop down clicked diagnose and it brought the apple logo up on my iPad. Ran the diagnostic test, and everything passed. The very next day, my iPad shut down and went back to the black screen with the battery icon and charge symbols. I've found if I click the power button, then the home button back and forth over and over and over, eventually the apple logo appears and my iPad comes back on. This is Apple's fault. Their iOS 10 updates caused these problems. Apple needs to take responsibility and own up to a faulty software update. Both of my devices were 1 1/2 years old and in beautiful condition when this began. Simultaneously after the update, they both fail me now. Everyday consumers don't have $1400.00 laying around to replace two devices. I can't see me buying Apple products in the future, when they won't admit their fault and fix what they broke.

Aug 7, 2017 7:19 PM in response to Pooh1963

yo man. i brought my ipad air 2 to a tech today thinking my battery or some other part was dead and he told me that i should google the IOS 10 update and how it causes the same problem as yours. So i look it up and sure enough i find your post and a few others about the exact same issue with the exact same timeline. I just assumed that the battery was going. Not impressed at all with apple on this one despite loving my ipad other than this issue. I dont mind if the battery goes after thousands of hours of use, but he told me that i may be screwed on this one unless ipad decided to take ownership for its mistake because there was no concrete fix. Any apple devs able to shine light on this issue???

Sep 16, 2017 5:30 AM in response to Pooh1963

Same symptoms with my ipad. Putting it away at a high % charge and later i get the battery indicator and connector are shown. Connecting is to PC does not work, the ipad is not detected. Playing with on / off switch and home button brings up apple logo. But i have an ipad 2 with ios 9.3.5. First blamed new software but problem remained. Same happened to my iphone 4S which was working fine until..... Replaced it and now the ipad starts. Don't like this. Start to dislike Apple products.

Dec 30, 2017 2:54 PM in response to xapury82

Sometimes it takes two hours to get it started. I notice in the colder months it’s harder, so I put it under my blanket to get warm in the mornings lol It helps! It’s APPLE updates. I’m glad they’re being sued now. A $29 battery doesn’t help what they broke. If you get a new battery in an iPad, 9/10 times the screen cracks and you have to pay for a new one. Every single tech told me it’s safer and cheaper to buy another one. Apple should have to pay. Insurance or not!

Jan 12, 2018 6:16 PM in response to FR_apple

I have tried pretty much everything that is possible and suggested on the internet

Power+Home Button- Didn't work even when I did it 40-50 times

DFU mode- Didn't work

I even heated up the battery with a hair dryer and put to charge (as weird as it sounds, it has worked for hundreds of people and it does have a scientific logic to it)

Nothing has worked and finally I had to give it for a battery replacement which should do the trick.

Jan 31, 2018 11:44 PM in response to KauaiFinn

I don't think that there will come a solution other then to buy something else. If Your iPad is more then 3 years old it is over its lifetime. A shame but that are the hard facts of today's technologie. take a look at apple's competion. A year with software updates and it's over. And then there lifetime? A new product cost you money but safes you frustration and give you joy of a new product.


This is my experience after having the same problems with an 5 year old ipad2.


That does not mean that there is no room for improvements!

Feb 1, 2018 11:40 AM in response to PieterHartman

Which competing tablet do you recommend?


The primary reason I hesitate to buy a non-Apple tablet is only because I’ve become so dependent on iCloud & the ease of syncing all my work between all my devices & having my photos and documents from my iphone automatically & effortlessly synced to my iPad, etc etc. Is this sort of stuff even possible, using a non-Apple product with an Apple phone?

My iPad is stuck on the low battery/ plug to charge screen. It won't take a charge from any source. It also isn't recognized by iTunes on my PC. I need help please I've tried everything that I know. Thanks everyone for reading this.

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