Why do iPhone Chargers Crack? How to fix it?
Tired of seeing your iPhone chargers crack each time? Here is why they crack, how to fix it, and how to prevent it from happening.
iPhone chargers crack because the cable has to be thin and lightweight and because people are not careful enough about it.
Why do iPhone chargers cable crack?
It’s quite common to see iPhone chargers cracking, anybody already sees one. They always crack at the same place, on the plastic protecting the lightning port.
As this plastic is specifically here to protect the charging port, it’s normal that this is the first thing damaged on a charging cable. It usually cracks because it got old, and with time, the plastic gets less and less reliable.
Apple, but also many other brands, try to make charging cable the most lightweight possible, and the tiniest possible. Nobody wants a big and heavy charging cable. Because of this, they don’t use heavy plastics, or other materials such as metals, to make their cables.
But the main reason why iPhone chargers crack is because of people.
Is it dangerous to use a cracked iPhone charger cable?
Depending on how much damage is the charging cable, it can be dangerous to use it.
If the cable is only cracked a little bit, then you do not need to worry about it and can still use the cable to charge your iPhone, without any risk.
But if the damage is big enough for you to see the inside of the charger, then there is a risk that something gets into the cracked charger, and therefore adds more trouble than you already have.
So, as far as the iPhone charger is not too much cracked, it’s safe to use. If you can see the inside of it, it’s too damaged and you should not use it anymore.
However, if you experienced any issues while charging your iPhone, such as an iPhone getting hot while charging, you might need to change your charger.
How to fix a cracked iPhone charger?
Hopefully, a cracked iPhone charger can be easily repaired, even if the cable is quite damaged. There are 2 ways to fix it.
Fix a cracked iPhone charger using electrical tape
The easiest way to quickly fix a cracked cable is to use electrical tape. It’s a kind of tape made to insulate electrical wire, therefore protecting the wire from external potential threats.
Many people have electrical tape at home, if you don’t have one, ask your friends and family. Otherwise, you can buy one here.
You only need to cover the cracked part with this tape, and you are good to go. You might need to replace the tape from time to time, this should stay a temporary fix.
Fix a cracked iPhone charger using a heat shrink tube
The best way to fix a cracked charger is to use a heat shrink tube, this way is a permanent fix and quite reliable.
A heat shrink tube is a tube that you place around a wire, and applying heat to the tube will shrink it, and therefore fix it around the tube.
To fix a cracked iPhone charger with a heat shrink tube, you need a lighter, and a heat shrink tubing kit. First, choose the correct size tube, and cut it to the correct length, it must be longer than the cracked part of your charger, but no need to make it too long either.
Then, heat it up using the lighter. The tube will shrink and therefore cover the cracked part of your charger. It will protect the charger and wire from any other damage.
In the same topic, how to fix a cracked iPhone camera.
How to avoid an iPhone charger cable from cracking?
If iPhone charger cracks are something usual, there are still a few things you can do to avoid it, at least reduce the chance for your cable to crack.
Do not unplug your iPhone by pulling the cable
Most people, while unplugging the iPhone, pull on the cable, this will damage the charger over time.
Be careful about it when you unplug your iPhone, you should pull the port itself instead of the charging cable. In this way, there is no risk to damage anything.
Tidy your iPhone charger
Most of the time, people are not careful enough about their chargers. Make sure to tidy it correctly after use.
If the charger is not in a good place, anything can happen. Someone can walk on it, or something heavy could be placed over it.
These are the main reasons why your charger cracks. By tidying your cable in a safe place, you are sure nothing wrong can happen.
Get a better iPhone charging cable
Some iPhone chargers are really bad and crack quicker than others. Apple ones are good enough, but there are other charging cable better.
I personally use this one from Belkin for years and the cable is still in perfect condition. No cracks or any other damage. You can also use a MagSafe charger instead of a Ligthing one.
If your iPhone charging cable is too damaged, you might want to buy a better one.
Author
Maxime Levesque is a technical engineer with more than 5 years of professional experience. He is an expert in computer and phones, mostly on Apple products. Maxime is also the founder of TechBrowser.
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