# What might cause this USB cable problem? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2025, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541 "2025-11-03T20:55:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/21 "2025-11-04T04:32:31Z")
OK, thank you for the clarifications. That does paint a (very) different picture. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/22 "2025-11-04T13:22:20Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > USB-C ports have a delicate blade inside, so I don’t know what the best way to clean them is. Perhaps a sewing pin or compressed air? A sewing needle. It’s small enough to easily maneuver around that blade. I’ve cleaned maybe a dozen USB-C ports by now – mine, my husband’s, my sister’s, a couple of friends’… You can look and see nothing, because the crud is pressed up against the side. But if you scrape it with the needle it comes loose and then can be removed. And voila, the phone charges again. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/23 "2025-11-04T13:24:13Z")
Does the charger use a USB-C cable? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/24 "2025-11-04T13:31:13Z")
USB A on the charger(s) end. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/25 "2025-11-04T15:02:56Z")
At the risk of beating a dead horse, you’d still get much more power from a USB PD C to C fast charger rated for 20W or higher. I know that doesn’t directly address the question of “why it charges slower over time”, but it is still much much more powerful than the 7W you’re currently getting at 1800 mA and will very likely solve the issue. 7W just isn’t a lot of power for modern phones under load. USB PD is a totally different system than USB A to C. It isn’t limited to 5V (can go up to 20V, 30V, or even higher). But you NEED a special USB PD charger for that, along with a C to C cable. There cannot be USB A anywhere. They are all called USB but this is a marketing problem; USB PD is not actually backward compatible with USB A chargers or cables. How about this? Buy and try that Anker charger. If it doesn’t end up solving the problem, I will buy it off you and pay for shipping. I’m pretty confident it will, though. OK, I will shut up now! 😅 ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/26 "2025-11-04T18:27:28Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > If you really want to measure each component, you need an external hardware USB tester to check the voltage: [Eversame 2 in 1 Type C USB Tester Color Screen LCD Digital Multimeter, USB C Voltage Current Voltmeter Amp Volt Ammeter Detector USB Cable Charger Indicator DC3.6-30V/0-5.1A - Amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/Eversame-Multimeter-Voltmeter-Indicator-DC3-6-30V/dp/B07JYVPLLJ?mfadid=adm&sr=8-6) +1 on this test device. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/27 "2025-11-05T04:29:12Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > My standard operating situation is that my phone is only actually unplugged for a couple of hours a day. Any time I’m staying in place near an outlet, the phone is plugged into the charger. This is unusual behavior and I wonder if it’s related to the problem. Perhaps the phone battery is wearing out faster than usual because you have it plugged in most of the time? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/28 "2025-11-05T04:34:44Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > I’m pretty confident it will, though. Me, too. Although i have an old usb-a charger in my car that pumps enough charge that my phone increases its charge while running Google maps and plugged in. So i would expect an old charger to charge your phone, even under a moderate load. But also > [@markn\_1](#): > > Perhaps the phone battery is wearing out faster than usual because you have it plugged in most of the time? I’m pretty sure this is part of your problem, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/29 "2025-11-05T04:45:49Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > This is unusual behavior and I wonder if it’s related to the problem. Perhaps the phone battery is wearing out faster than usual because you have it plugged in most of the time? I donno, but the battery is a year newer than the phone, having been replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/30 "2025-11-05T04:50:21Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > So i would expect an old charger to charge your phone, even under a moderate load. Before a few days ago it was charging under a very heavy load. As in playing a video in a window while web browsing while transcoding videos _and_ batch reformatting large folders of images in the background. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/31 "2025-11-05T06:14:47Z")
Does the phone get hot? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541/32 "2025-11-05T06:22:02Z")
Not really. CPU only reaches up around 140 F on CPU-Z, IIRC. Right now my CPU is a little below 100 and the battery around 80 (via CPU-Z). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-cause-this-usb-cable-problem/1024541.md?page=1)