My Google Pixel 3a XL not charging, charging very slowly, or unable to charge completely.

Many people replace battery or charger or even phone when they get charging problems. But most of the time, the problem is actually on the device itself. Something in your phone is preventing it from charging properly, thus it won’t be able to charge the battery even when it’s connected to a power source.

Possible reasons why your Google Pixel 3a XL won’t charge as intended

If the Google Pixel 3a XL has been severely damaged, it often won’t charge. Usually, a simple screen crack won’t make a difference, but if the device was run over by a dozen cars or fell out of a 50 story window, it’s probably toasted and won’t charge because the hardware is damaged. Another very common reason for charging and power problems is water contact, or dropping a Google Pixel 3a XL into liquid and not drying it out properly. If the Google Pixel 3a XL has sustained excessive water damage and was not dried out properly and sufficiently, the Google Pixel 3a XL battery is often destroyed, and other electrical components in the Google Pixel 3a XL can also be damaged as well, which will completely prevent the Google Pixel 3a XL from charging.

Fortunately, this is usually pretty easy to determine, because if your Google Pixel 3a XL took a deep swim and it’s now not charging the battery, that’s almost certainly the reason why. Try drying it out for 72 hours or so in silica or rice, it could revive it, otherwise, you may just need a new Google Pixel 3a XL or hardware component to fix the problem. Often if a Google Pixel 3a XL is physically damaged, either by blunt force or by a liquid, the Google Pixel 3a XL won’t even turn on or respond to normal fixes for that like leaving it plugged in for a while let alone charge when connected to a power source. If the Google Pixel 3a XL is broken, well, you’ll need to take it in for service or get a new one.

Possible solutions, workarounds and charging tips

Use the following workarounds to isolate the problem, identify the root cause and get your Google Pixel 3a XL back up and charging properly again. If you did not obtain a resolution from the first method, don’t forget to try the next until the problem gets fixed.

As much as possible do not use your phone while charging. There may be some apps installed on your phone that consumes a significant amount of power when activated or launched. So even if your phone is connected to the charger and power source, it’s still possible that it couldn’t get to increase the battery power because the app you’re using continues to drain the battery charge. This is usually among the main reasons as to why your device is charging very slowly or couldn’t get to a 100 percent battery charge.

Perform a soft reset on your Google Pixel 3a XL (if applicable)

If your device still has a little power left, try to perform a soft reset or reboot your phone and then try charging it again. Doing so will eliminate any glitches or bugs that might have prevented the device from charging. The process won’t affect any of your critical information stored on your phone. In case you haven’t done it yet, here’s how:

Press and hold the Power button the on right corner of your phone.
Tap the option to Power Off.
Wait for about 30 seconds then press the Power button again to turn it back on.

Alternatively, you can also press and hold the Power button for about 10 seconds or until the Google logo or animation screen appears.

Your device then reboots. Connect it to the charger and attempt to charge it again once the phone boots up completely.

Calibrate the battery on your Google Pixel 3a XL

Again this is only applicable if you still have a little power left on your device. Calibrating the battery is essential to keep battery performance optimized and that your phone only shows the correct battery level at all times. The calibration process involves draining the battery completely and therefore it should only be done occasionally. Calibrating the battery more often can depreciate the battery’s lifespan from constant draining or fully discharging. If you haven’t done it yet and you would want to give it a shot, then follow these steps:

Use your device until it powers off or when the battery is completely drained.
Turn it back on and then let it turn off on its own.
When your device is powered off completely, connect it to a charger and then allow it to charge until the charging indicator or battery icon says it has reached 100 percent.
Disconnect your phone from the charger then turn it on.
If the battery life does not reach 100 percent, plug it back into the charger and allow it to charge longer until it is completely charged at 100 percent.
Unplug the charger when the battery is full.
Restart your phone.
Then start using your phone again as you normally do until it runs out of power and turns on.
Charge it again until the battery gets fully charged.
Turn on your phone.

Your battery is now calibrated.

Some other options to consider if possible:

You may opt to try troubleshooting apps or perform a factory reset if your device still has the remaining power to stay on.

Boot into Safe Mode. To troubleshoot apps, boot your Google Pixel 2 XL into Safe Mode then diagnose which apps are consuming much power. You may opt to remove the app temporarily if you’re not using it and then see if your device charges normally without the app. You can also try charging your device while in Safe Mode. Should a third-party app is preventing your device from charging properly, it should work or charge as intended while in safe mode since all third-party apps and services are disabled.
Master Reset. Another possible solution but should only be considered the last resort (if possible) is a master reset or restoring your Google Pixel 2 XL to factory defaults. Doing so will help eradicate system bugs that might have affected the device’s charging functions. But you also have to note that all your data will be erased in the process including your personal settings and contents. That being said, creating a backup of all your important files would be necessary beforehand. Then you may proceed with a factory reset through the Settings menu on your phone or use the hardware key combos (Power and Volume buttons).

Those are the most common reasons for a Google Pixel 3a XL device won’t charge when connected to a power source, so if the battery isn’t moving at all, you don’t see a charging indicator, and the device isn’t working, try the above steps before going further. If you still encounter charging and power issues, it’s likely time to have further.