The Amazon Fire tablet is an excellent budget device that offers a multitude of features such as streaming Netflix, playing games, and accessing Google apps on Amazon devices. However, like any other electronic device, it’s not perfect and can experience issues with charging.
If you’re having trouble charging your Amazon tablet, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s how to troubleshoot your Fire tablet.
Firstly, you want to start by doing the basic stuff that helps to ensure the problem lies with your tablet and not with another aspect of the charging process. Switch outlets to ensure that the problem doesn’t lie with the outlet you’re using to charge your device. You’ll also want to grab both a different charging cable and USB adapter. All Fire tablets use a micro USB cable, and reliability has never been that connector’s strong suit. If you can make sure you’re using the included adapter or one that has a similar voltage, a low-powered voltage will result in your Fire tablet being plugged in but not charging.
Once you’re sure that the problem doesn’t lie with your outlet, adapter, or charging cable, it’s time to begin looking at the tablet itself. Start by unplugging your Fire tablet and pressing and holding the power button for 40 seconds or until your device restarts automatically. Reconnect the power cable and allow the device to charge, assuming a connection has been re-established.
If you’re still unable to charge, you may have run into a hardware issue. Fire tablets are well-built, but faulty micro USB connectors have been a common problem among consumers, especially on older models. Plug your Fire tablet in with both the device and the cable line flat on a hard surface. Slowly move the cable up and down into the sides of the port to see if the connection resyncs. As we mentioned, micro USB has its fair share of problems when it comes to reliability; it’s why the move to USB C has been so popular. If the micro USB port is weak and unable to connect to your device, you may have found the culprit, a hardware issue preventing you from charging.
Unfortunately, while it is possible to take the Fire tablet apart in order to clean the contact points and resolder the port onto the device, it’s difficult, time-consuming, and only for those who have experience in soldering. If you can, check out a guide in the description of this video on how this is done. However, we’d recommend requesting a warranty claim from Amazon instead, a link to which can also be found in the description.
Before making a warranty claim, you’ll likely be asked to factory reset your tablet. Generally speaking, that’s a good idea to try anytime you’re having an issue with your phone or tablet, even if it doesn’t seem like a software issue. Dive into the settings of your device and select device options. Click on reset to factory defaults, then select reset. Obviously, you can only do this if your Fire tablet is charged enough to reset. If you can’t get your tablet to turn on at all, skip this step and just contact Amazon.
In conclusion, troubleshooting your Fire tablet’s charging issues can be done by following the above steps. However, if you encounter a hardware issue, requesting a warranty claim from Amazon is the recommended course of action.