What to Do if Your Nintendo Switch isn’t Charging?

If you own a Nintendo Switch, you might’ve grown accustomed to taking a break in your gaming sessions to recharge the device. However, finding out that the console isn’t charging when it’s supposed to can present the ultimate dread for every Switch user.

If that’s happened to you, don’t despair. In this article, we’ll show you what to do if your Nintendo Switch isn’t charging, and how to remedy the issue.

Give It Some Time

When the battery is completely drained, it might not be able to turn on immediately after you plug it in. The best course of action is to wait for about an hour to see if the console will start charging.

However, you should make sure you’re not wasting time waiting for a poorly connected charger to transfer power to the device. Check if the Switch is plugged in properly – the best way to do that is to use the USB, since you’ll get notification if the connection is established.

Check Your Charger

The USB-C charger that came with your Switch should be the only one to use for charging the console. Specifications of other chargers may vary and be incompatible with the Switch, damaging the battery and making the device not function.

If the charger doesn’t seem to function, try unplugging it both from the power outlet and the Switch. Wait for about half a minute and the charger should reset. Reconnect it to see if the issue is resolved. If not, you can try plugging the charger into a different power outlet or try using another charger. Should you change the charger, make sure the new one is also intended for the Switch.

Force-Reset the Switch

If you’re confident the charger is working correctly and everything is plugged in the way it should be, perhaps your Switch has been frozen. In that case, the console needs to be reset.

To reset a frozen Switch, press the power button and don’t let it go for about 15 seconds. If the device is frozen, this will make it shut down. After you release the button, wait for a minute and then plug in the Switch to see if it’ll charge.

Contact Nintendo

If nothing else worked, the final solution to your problem could be to submit a ticket to Nintendo support. You might have to send the console or the charger to them for repairs, but at least your Switch will be in capable hands.

Other Causes and Solutions

We’ve mentioned some of the reasons why your Nintendo Switch isn’t charging. The problem might stem from the battery being completely drained, either the Switch or the charger needing a reset, or a faulty charger or outlet.

However, there are some other possible reasons for this issue. The thing to check for first would be dirty or damaged contacts. You should examine all contact points on the console, the charger, and the Dock if you’re using it. Perhaps the only thing keeping the device from recharging is some dust that’s accumulated over time.

Should you try and clean the contacts, don’t use hard or sharp objects that can damage the contact points. Instead, use a soft material like cotton and try blowing into the port.

Finally, if you’ve hacked or modified your Switch in any way, that could be what’s keeping it from functioning correctly. You should try to undo any changes and see if the console will start recharging after that.

Charge Up and Play On

Now that we’ve shown you what to do if your Nintendo Switch’s not charging, chances are you’ll be able to resolve the problem with ease and, hopefully, without having to send your console for repairs. Once the issue is remedied and your Switch freshly recharged, you can get back to gaming in no time and enjoy all that the Switch has to offer for hours on end.

Did you manage to make your Switch start recharging? What was the cause of the problem, and how did you fix it? Let us know in the comments section below.

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