5 Ways to Fix Android Phone Draining Battery While Charging

Quick Fixes

• Reduce the ‘Screen timeout’ duration from Android settings > Display and brightness > Screen timeout.
• Disable the ‘Adaptive Charging’ feature from Settings > Battery > Adaptive charging.

Why Is Your Phone Losing Battery While Charging

Your Android phone may quickly lose battery while charging due to software or hardware issues, such as:

• You’re charging your phone with a less power output source, e.g., your PC or laptop’s USB port.
• Your phone requires more charging power than the wireless charger delivers.
• The charging adapter or cable is disoriented or damaged.
• Your Android phone is overheating due to poor system optimization and resource-intensive apps.
• You’re using an incompatible/poor-quality charging adapter or cable.
• The battery of your phone is damaged or degraded.

Basic Fixes

• Use certified cables and fast charging adapters: Avoid purchasing charging cables from unknown brands and grab a certified charging adapter from a reputed company.
• Avoid charging the phone when heating: Most Android phones have an in-built cooling mechanism to reduce temperature while overheating. Wait patiently and try charging it after some time.
• Don’t use wireless charging: Avoid charging your phone wirelessly as it generates more heat, delivering insufficient power. Also, placing your phone inaccurately on the charging pad may halt or reduce its charging speed.
• Check the app battery usage: Open Android settings, select Battery, and scroll down to view the app battery usage. Select an app with high battery consumption and set it to Restricted.
• Switch to a different power port/outlet: Your existing power outlet is delivering insufficient power to charge your Android phone.

Fix 1: Change Display Settings

If your phone’s screen stays on while charging, it increases the battery consumption slowing down the charging speed. Adjust the display settings to reduce the screen timeout duration.

Step 1: Open the Settings app, select Display and brightness, and tap Screen timeout.

Step 2: Pick the lowest Screen timeout duration so your phone automatically turns off the display after some time, reducing battery consumption.

Fix 2: Disable Adaptive Charging

Adaptive charging learns your routine and suspends charging in inactive hours to extend your phone’s battery life. If you plug in during these hours, it may seem like your phone is draining battery instead of charging. Head to Android Settings to disable the feature.

Note: Adaptive Charging is labeled as ‘Optimised Battery Charging’ on certain Android devices.

Step 1: Open Android Settings, select Battery, and tap Adaptive charging.

Step 2: Toggle off Use adaptive charging to disable it.

Fix 3: Uninstall Third-Party Battery Apps

Most battery-related Android apps claiming to protect your battery are resource-hungry and can drain your phone’s battery while charging. Uninstall them and retry charging your device.

Step 1: Select Apps under Android Settings and tap the installed battery-related app.

Step 2: Tap Uninstall to delete it from your device.

Fix 4: Calibrate the Battery

If your Android phone has abruptly started to drain its battery or showing the wrong battery percentage while charging, battery calibration can fix it.

Charge your device to 100% and use it till it switches off due to low battery. Then, recharge it completely without interruptions. Repeat this process a few times to calibrate the battery and improve its lifespan.

Fix 5: Boot Into Safe Mode

Sometimes, an installed third-party app on your Android phone may malfunction draining your device’s battery while charging. Boot your phone in safe mode and retry charging it.

Step 1: Long-press the physical Lock/Unlock button on your device to open the Power menu and hold the Restart button for a few seconds.

Step 2: Tap OK to reboot your device into the safe mode.