iPad Charging Slowly: Wrong Charger, Background Apps

Few things are more frustrating to device owners than slow or poor charging, especially when the device in question is an iPad you're using for important -- and portable -- needs. There are a few reasons why your iPad might be charging slowly, but luckily there are usually simple solutions available if you're dealing with these issues.

At Bad Apple, we're proud to provide a wide range of Apple repair services, including comprehensive iPad repair solutions that cover several areas, charging concerns among them. What are some of the most common reasons you might be experiencing these concerns, and what can be done about them? Here's a primer.

##MISSING IMAGE##

Using an iPhone Charger for Your iPad

First and foremost, some Apple users don't realize that there's a difference between the adapters and cables for iPads and those used by iPhones and other iOS devices. It's pretty simple: iPhones, iPod touches and iPad use 30-pin connectors; iPods and older iOS devices use a smaller eight-prong one.

If you're charging your device with the wrong equipment, it's not as simple as plugging in, as you're more likely to experience problems. Or, even worse, use an iPad charger with a different device and damage your equipment -- this is especially the case if you're using Lightning connectors with older devices that require 30-pins.

Too Many Background Apps

In other cases, the simple volume of apps running in the background can have a profound impact on your device's charging speed. If you're dealing with apps that are constantly syncing, updating or using location services, it can put a real drain on your battery life, especially if you're doing so while you use the iPad at the same time.

To fix this problem, try closing out of all your apps and then restart the iPad. When it restarts, you should see a dramatic improvement in charging time as all of this background traffic is eliminated.

Battery Needs Replacement

Finally, in some cases a slow-charging battery will simply reveal that the battery itself is no longer able to hold a sufficient charge. If your iPad is at least a year old, this is a possibility that should be considered as the root of the problem.

Most iPad batteries can get around 1,000 full charges, after which capacity starts to decline. If your device isn't lasting as long as it used to, or if the battery indicator shows less than 20 percent capacity remaining even after a full day's use, you should consider getting the battery replaced as soon as possible.

In part two of our series, we'll go over some other tactics to look into if your iPad's battery is charging slowly or not at all. For more on any of our iPad repairs, iPhone repairs or related services, contact the team at FixITMobile | Bad Apple today.