It’s Plugged In. Nothing’s Happening.
You dug your old iPad out of the drawer, plugged it in, and… nothing. No charging icon. No screen. Maybe a brief flash of the battery symbol and then black again. You’re two minutes away from throwing it back in the drawer permanently.
Hold on. Most charging problems with old iPads have a fixable cause. The cable, the adapter, the port, or a drained battery that just needs more time. Let me walk through what actually works.
Start With the Cable and Adapter
This is the fix about 40% of the time, and it’s the easiest to rule out.
Check your cable. Old Lightning cables fray, crack, and develop internal breaks you can’t see. If you’re using the cable that came with the iPad five years ago, it’s probably damaged. Bend it gently near the connector – if the charging icon flickers on and off, the cable is shot.
Try a different cable. Use one you know works with another device. Don’t grab the one from the junk drawer that “might work.” Use a cable that’s currently charging something else successfully.
Check your adapter. This one catches people. Old iPads came with 10W or 12W adapters. If you’re plugging into a 5W iPhone charger (the tiny cube), your iPad may charge extremely slowly or not at all. The iPad needs more power than a phone charger delivers.
Grab a 10W+ adapter. The 12W iPad adapter or any 20W USB-C adapter with a USB-C to Lightning cable will work. If you’re using a computer’s USB port, try a wall adapter instead – computer USB ports often don’t supply enough power.
Clean the Charging Port
Grab a flashlight and look into the Lightning port on the bottom of your iPad. See lint, dust, or dark gunk packed in there? That’s your problem.
Old iPads that have been in drawers, bags, and pockets collect debris in the port. It compresses against the contacts and blocks the connection. The cable clicks in and feels normal, but it’s not making contact.
How to clean it:
- Power off the iPad
- Use a wooden or plastic toothpick (not metal – you’ll damage the contacts)
- Gently scrape along the bottom and sides of the port
- You’ll be surprised how much comes out
- Blow gently into the port to clear loose debris
- Try charging again
A dry, soft-bristle toothbrush works too. The key is avoiding metal tools that could short or scratch the contacts inside.
The Deep Discharge Problem
If your iPad has been sitting in a drawer for months (or years) without being charged, the battery may have drained below the threshold where the iPad can boot. This looks like the iPad is dead, but it usually isn’t.
What to do:
- Plug it into a known-good cable and a wall adapter (not a computer USB port)
- Leave it alone. Don’t press any buttons. Don’t try to turn it on.
- Wait at least 30 minutes. Sometimes an hour.
- After 30-60 minutes, try pressing the Home button or the power button
A deeply drained battery needs time to accumulate enough charge to power the screen. If you keep pressing buttons trying to wake it, you’re using the trickle of power it’s receiving. Just let it sit.
If after an hour there’s still nothing on the screen, leave it plugged in overnight. Batteries that have been at zero for a long time can take several hours to recover enough to show the charging screen.
Force Restart
Sometimes the iPad isn’t dead – it’s frozen on a black screen. The battery may be fine, but the software has locked up.
For iPads with a Home button (most old iPads):
Hold the Home button and the Power button together for 10 seconds. Keep holding past the Apple logo until it restarts.
For iPads without a Home button:
Press and release the Volume Up button, then Volume Down, then hold the Top button until the Apple logo appears.
If the iPad restarts and shows a battery icon, it was a software freeze, not a charging problem. Plug it in and let it charge normally.
Temperature Check
iPads refuse to charge if they’re too hot or too cold. If your iPad has been in a hot car, a cold garage, or sitting in direct sunlight, bring it to room temperature before trying again. Apple’s comfortable range is 32-95°F (0-35°C), and the iPad will show a temperature warning if it’s outside that range.
When It’s Actually the Battery
If you’ve tried everything above and the iPad still won’t charge – or it charges to 10% and dies within minutes – the battery itself is probably degraded.
Old iPad batteries degrade whether you use them or not. A lithium-ion battery sitting at zero charge for a year or two can lose significant capacity permanently. If the iPad was fully drained and stored for a long time, the battery may not recover.
Check battery health (if the iPad turns on): Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If maximum capacity is below 60%, the battery is significantly worn.
Your options:
Apple battery replacement: $99. Apple replaces the battery in most iPad models, even older ones. The catch: they won’t service “vintage” or “obsolete” iPads (generally 7+ years old). An iPad Air 2 or newer should still qualify. An original iPad Air or older probably won’t.
Third-party repair: $50-100. Local repair shops and mail-in services will do it for less. Quality varies. Ask if they use genuine or equivalent cells, and whether there’s a warranty on the work.
Is it worth it? Be honest with yourself. If your iPad is stuck on iOS 12 or older, spending $99 on a battery for a device with shrinking app support doesn’t make much financial sense. If it’s an iPad Air 2 or newer (running iOS 15+), the repair extends a device that still has real useful life.
It Charges, But the Battery Dies Fast
Different problem, easier solution. If your old iPad charges fine but drains in an hour or two, you might not need to fix the battery at all. Just keep it plugged in.
Most of the best uses for an old iPad – a kitchen display, a digital photo frame, a weather station – work perfectly on constant power. Mount it on the wall, run a cable to it, and the battery condition stops mattering.
Follow basic battery safety practices: don’t cover the iPad (it needs airflow), keep it out of direct sunlight, and use an Apple-certified charger. A worn battery that’s always topped up is safe for years of continuous use.
When to Let Go
Sometimes an iPad genuinely can’t be saved. If the screen is cracked, the port is physically damaged, or the battery is so far gone that an overnight charge produces nothing, it may be time.
Don’t throw it in the trash. iPads contain lithium batteries that shouldn’t go in landfills.
Recycling options:
- Apple Trade In: Apple recycles any iPad for free, even with zero trade-in value. Drop it at an Apple Store or request a mail-in kit at apple.com/trade-in.
- Best Buy: Accepts old tablets for recycling at any store.
- Local e-waste: Most towns have electronics recycling. Check earth911.com for drop-off locations near you.
Quick Troubleshooting Checklist
- Try a different cable (one you know works)
- Use a 10W+ wall adapter, not a computer USB port
- Clean the Lightning port with a toothpick
- Leave it plugged in for 30-60 minutes without touching it
- Force restart (Home + Power for 10 seconds)
- Bring it to room temperature if it’s been in extreme heat or cold
- If it charges but drains fast, just keep it plugged in and give it a new job
Most old iPads that “won’t charge” actually will. It’s usually a bad cable, a dirty port, or a battery that needs patience. Try the cheap fixes first. The drawer can wait.
Got a Samsung or Android tablet instead? The troubleshooting steps are similar – check our guide on what to do when your old tablet won’t work.