Why does a phone sit at 1 percent per hour on a weak wireless pad?

Main answer · Wecent Editorial Team

Short answer: Not necessarily. Very slow charging usually comes from misalignment, a thick or metal case, a weak adapter or cable, heat, or a phone busy with background tasks. Check each in turn. If the phone charges normally on another pad and the pad is slow with other phones too, the pad is the problem.

What is normal

A wireless pad charges more slowly than a cable, but a phone should still gain a clear amount in an hour. One percent an hour means almost all of the power is being used by the phone itself, or lost along the way.

Likely causes

• Misalignment. The coils are not lined up, so the connection is weak.
• Case or objects. A thick case, a metal plate, a card or a ring between phone and pad.
• Weak power source. The adapter or cable cannot supply what the pad asks for.
• Heat. A warm phone slows charging to protect the battery.
• Heavy use. Screen on, video, navigation or hotspot use takes the power.
• Phone settings. Some phones limit charging, for battery care or at certain temperatures.
• Pad fault. Damaged coil or poor design.

How to test

1. Remove the case and any objects.
2. Move the phone around on the pad until the charging indicator is steady.
3. Use the adapter and cable recommended in the pad’s instructions.
4. Turn off the screen and close apps.
5. Try another pad with the same phone, and another phone on the same pad.
6. Let the phone cool down before trying again.

Reading the result

• If another pad works, the first pad is likely weak.
• If another phone also charges slowly, check the adapter and the pad.
• If only one phone is slow, look at the phone’s settings and case.

When to return it

If the pad is weak with several phones and adapters, ask for a replacement. Keep notes on what you tried, since this speeds up the claim.

Example log

Write down the phone model, case, adapter, starting level, level after one hour and room temperature. This small log lets support see the cause quickly.

Quick summary

Check alignment, case, adapter and heat first. Compare with another pad and phone.

When to suspect the pad

If you have tried two phones, two adapters and no case, and the result is still close to nothing, the pad is probably faulty. Stop using it if it gets hot, makes noise or smells. Contact the seller with your log and ask for a replacement, rather than trying more and more things.

Where this answer says to confirm with Wecent, the detail is not published on the product page and has to come from the datasheet or the factory. General facts come from the regulators, standards bodies or device makers named in the text.