Samsung Galaxy S3 charging issue

[GSDer]

ErikaDG128,
You haven't said what happens when you attempt to charge the phone completely off. Do you see the charging graphic?

If something is wrong with the micro-USB port then a wireless charging solution might be your only option.

You could try reloading the firmware using the Kies software on your PC - here's an overview of what to do:
- if you don't already have the Kies software installed on your PC, download it (just search Google) and install it. The first time it runs it'll update itself to the latest version so make sure you run it once before proceeding.
- put your phone in Download mode: with the phone completely off, press and hold the Volume Down and Home and Power buttons simultaneously, and release them all when you see the Samsung splash screen
- connect the phone to your PC with the USB cable that came with the phone
-- if you've never had the phone connected to your Windows-based computer before, you'll see messages about installing drivers, etc - just wait until this is done (may take 5 or 10 minutes) [I don't know what happens if you have a Mac - it probably just works]
- in the Kies software, select the second item in the Tools menu and just follow the prompts to enter the model number (in CAPS) and IMEI/Serial Number (both found under the battery - it's ok to remove the battery at this point)
- the Kies software should start downloading the correct firmware for your phone from the Internet; once that's done (depending on your Internet connection speed) it'll begin downloading that to the phone (this probably takes 10 minutes or so)

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[NuNetizen]

Guys, its not the charger, battery or cables, its the USB socket of the phone. When you put it in your pocket, it picks up 'fluff' etc some which can create a short circuit in there, causing your battery to discharge quickly, think it's docking, or not allowing the charging cable to connect properly. You have to be carefully not to cause damage if you try to clean yourself. IMPORTANT; remove battery first. Use a cocktail still to carefully dislodge debris and blow out. You will most often be surprised, but it isn't always successful. You may have to send it away to be repaired properly.

Charging on my 2 and a half week S3 just stopped working. Found this thread. Tried a Blackberry and a HTC charger. Also tried charging from PC. Nothing worked. I was just about to order an external charger and battery set, when I saw Darren's quote about the USB socket gathering "fluff". I blew twice into the socket and tried charging again, and it worked. Must've been dust. Thanks for the tip, you made my day .

 

[bubblebutt55]

I am also a very frustrated customer that has become completely disappointed with T-Mobile and Samsung. Both of us ( my spouse and I) have been having charging issues now for about six months and in that time I have replaced our batteries twice, and my phone once. I was not happy with having to replace my $400, 7 month old phone, that I pay a monthly insurance on with a referb!!!! And I still have the same problems. My spouse keeps saying it is probably the charger. I just found a sight "http://blog.brokenlcds.com/troubleshooting-samsung-galaxy-s3-charging-problem/" that tells you how to go in and check your connectivity prongs inside the phone....I will try this after I try another charger.
I am so disappointed in T-Mobile and Samsung for selling something they are not standing behind after I pay $$$ for something I need. Then again...maybe that is there strategy!

BB55

 

[Darran Rankin]

Same issues. Tried new battery & 5 different chargers lol

It DOES charge when the phone is turned off, but the battery drains at almost 1% per minute depending what I'm doing.

The ONLY charger I have found to actually charge the phone while it is still turned on is the Galaxy S4 official charger...
But again, the battery discharges at an alarming rate.

I've also sent the phone in to be 'repaired' by O2. It was returned with new firmware, and completely wiped. The issue continued...

I'm at a loss as to what to do.

Will have a good trawl through this post, and hopefully find an answer.

Thanks for this post & the responses

Darran

 

[sure why not]

Darran,
It seems to me you have a battery drain problem, rather than a charging problem.
When on the (S4) charger that does work, if left long enough will it eventually reach 100%?

If you remove the back cover and feel around, what area is getting hot?
The battery? The SD? The CPU?

Something is consuming an inordinate amount of power.
And that power has to become heat.

 

[shelleyr25]

I am going nuts as well...I have had my S3 for just over a year (USA- TMobile) and a few weeks ago it just stopped charging using anything other than the original charger that it came with. I was able to buy another original charger off of ebay which works as well but have nothing to use in my car. I have cleaned for "fluff" to no avail. I purchased a Samsung car charger from ebay as well and that does not work. The guy in the tmobile store told me that it is not the usb cord that matters, it is the charging unit that it connects to. I just do not understand why it worked fine for me for so long and now just became picky about what it will charge with.

ANYONE HAVE ANY LUCK WITH A CAR CHARGER FOR THE S3???????

 

[sure why not]

I'm convinced there are more than one charging failure mode for the S3.

The stock Samsung cable is xxxx, IMO.

Before switching to a wireless charging back I was using a Galaxy Note 2A car charger. (from Ebay)
This charger DOES have the data pins shorted together...
It seemed to charge fine and it easily kept up with Googlenow, Bluetooth and the GPS running.

 

[at-Hassan83]

Hi
i face problem in battery for S3 Mini - 1st time the battery about to die so i decided to connect the charger i did but no any signal showing that the phone is working dark screen only.
then i purchased a new battery i fixed it in phone it was working & okay but when battery level is near to finish i put the charger again and same previous problem happened ( not working )
i smell the battery it like burned smell
so please advice i don't know whats happening

- - - Updated - - -

Hi
i face problem in battery for S3 Mini - 1st time the battery about to die so i decided to connect the charger i did but no any signal showing that the phone is working dark screen only.
then i purchased a new battery i fixed it in phone it was working & okay but when battery level is near to finish i put the charger again and same previous problem happened ( not working )
i smell the battery it like burned smell
so please advice i don't know whats happening

 

[NiisaM222]

Ive had the same issue with my S3, ive tried charging it all around the house and at work, and when I charge it over night its only a shocking 10-20% charge in like 10 hours. On the otherhand I have used someone elses charger and it does speed things up so called up phones 4 u as the phone was under warranty they said chargers are not covered by the warranty but as a goodwill gesture we'll send you a voucher to spend on our website, they dont sell originals so having to settle for one of their cheap chargers, let hope it does the job.

In general though the samsungs battery is terrible and loses charge like anything....Its not a bad phone to be fair but the battery lets it down big time.

 

[petar mkd]

The whole problem is the cable....i measured it and it has 10 ohms resistance (waay to much). It means that onley 100 mA pass in the phone.... and that is why is charging slowly.... so get new usb to micro usb cable... because you can Kill the batery with time...

 

[sucaprio]

My Galaxy S3, owned for just over a year, drains pretty quickly; within 10 hours it can be at 15% or less with minimal use - 30 main call and a dozen texts.

Recharging fails whilst the phone is switched on but works when switched off. Tried three different chargers and they all work with the Nexus 5 and the Galaxy S2. Anyone have any ideas; dud battery and,if so, would it be covered by warranty?

 

[GSDer]

So when the phone is off it charges normally (about 1.5 hours to full charge from ~10% charge), but with the phone on it doesn't charge at all? Or it just charges at ~100 mAh (which would take 20 hours to reach full charge from ~10%)?

If it charges normally with the phone off then there's nothing wrong with the battery or the charging circuit hardware. But if it's wacky when the OS is running then it sounds like something got corrupted that's causing the OS to reduce the charging current to minimum.

You can try clearing the system cache in Recovery mode, but I don't think that's going to help. I think you need to reload the stock firmware and hopefully that'll clear up whatever got corrupted.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[sucaprio]

With the phone on it can take 12 hours to recharge but it's unreliable. Sometimes it'll still not charge (fully). With the phone off right now and plugged in, it's about 80% charged after 3 hours and it's still charging.

How easy is it to reload the stock firmware? Sorry, I'm really out of my comfort zone so feel free to talk to me like I'm a numpty.

 

[GSDer]

With the phone off right now and plugged in, it's about 80% charged after 3 hours and it's still charging.

How easy is it to reload the stock firmware?

Hmm, that doesn't sound right - using a stock 5V 1.0A charger and the phone turned completely off, my phone will go from dead to fully charged in just over 2 hours. So perhaps there's some problem with the battery, or the charging circuit or micro-USB port.

Too bad you don't have money to throw at the problem - I'd suggest a new battery and a wireless charging solution.

Finally, reloading the stock firmware isn't too difficult. You MAY still have access to your pictures/videos when you're done, but everything else that isn't synced with the cloud will be gone. Here's an overview of what to do:
- if you don't already have the Kies software installed on your PC, download it (just search Google) and install it. The first time it runs it'll update itself to the latest version so make sure you run it once before proceeding.
- put your phone in Download mode: with the phone completely off, press and hold the Volume Down and Home and Power buttons simultaneously, and release them all when you see the Samsung splash screen
- connect the phone to your PC with the USB cable that came with the phone
-- if you've never had the phone connected to your Windows-based computer before, you'll see messages about installing drivers, etc - just wait until this is done (may take 5 or 10 minutes) [I don't know what happens if you have a Mac - it probably just works]
- in the Kies software, select the second item in the Tools menu and just follow the prompts to enter the model number (in CAPS) and IMEI/Serial Number (both found under the battery - it's ok to remove the battery at this point)
- the Kies software should start downloading the correct firmware for your phone from the Internet; once that's done (depending on your Internet connection speed) it'll begin downloading that to the phone (this probably takes 10 minutes or so)

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[sucaprio]

I might try the stock firmware reload and then sell it and replace it with a Nexus 5. Getting fed up with Samsung but still wouldn't buy an iPhone. Thanks for your advice and help

 

[Andrew Brisbane]

Charging on my 2 and a half week S3 just stopped working. Found this thread. Tried a Blackberry and a HTC charger. Also tried charging from PC. Nothing worked. I was just about to order an external charger and battery set, when I saw Darren's quote about the USB socket gathering "fluff". I blew twice into the socket and tried charging again, and it worked. Must've been dust. Thanks for the tip, you made my day .

well I live in Australia, my s3 has worked very well for two years, although it has taken a lot of abuse including being dropped in the dirt. it is insured still so I will ask them to fix it as it is having charging issues now. I think a design flaw is that it has no cover for the sensitive USB port. It should possibly come with a basic case covering that and other holes... Of course eventually phones will be totally waterproof and almost indestructible (but can easily dissolve in a certain acid) and be flexible, screen can change size, no need to charge as it can charge from the sun in 5 minutes and then last 3 days of heavy use... ect ect

 

[sure why not]

I don't know why Samsung doesn't include a pair of silicone plugs for the headphone and USB sockets.
They are 50c or less on Amazon or Ebay.

With Wifi, Bluetooth and wireless charging there's really no reason to ever have to plug it in. (except for rooting/ROM's/...)

 

[transistors]

if you didn't unplug the charger from the outlet, sometime, when you plug the device, the charger detect that it's the usb from computer and limit the charge rating...

for charger not recognized, the fix of that issue is very simple

http://forums.androidcentral.com/general-help-how/312596-samsung-galaxy-charging-issue.html

 

[DesElms]

if you didn't unplug the charger from the outlet, sometime, when you plug the device, the charger detect that it's the usb from computer and limit the charge rating...

for charger not recognized, the fix of that issue is very simple

http://forums.androidcentral.com/general-help-how/312596-samsung-galaxy-charging-issue.html

I'm sorry, but that thread's first two posts -- by that thread's starter (aka, its "original poster" or "OP") -- are just ridiculously wrong and misleading.

I have, however, added a third post to that thread which sets straight the record; and provides any Samsung Galaxy famly phone user -- particularly a Note II user -- with pretty much everything s/he needs to know about this subject.

 

[didi1654]

Okay I dont know how to post where to post but this is close to my issue so I am going to post on this. I have a samsung galaxy s3 and i swear its breaking my chargers. I got the battery charging case and it stopped charging. I got a new one went off to college and that one stopped charging too. I unfortunately broke the case so could not get a new one and they stopped selling them. Anyways I now dont have a charging case and use a regular charger. I have switched from charger to charger five times. At first they work but the eventually they stop charging my phone. I went to verizon and my point cant be proven because when using a new charger it works but after some time it like breaks the charger or something. Anybody have any idea whats going on.