Weak Phone Charging (Corded and Cordless)?

[Iflyprops]

Hello all,

I have an early 2022 Model Y. Both my iPhones (personal 12 and work 8 plus) show charging while on the wireless charging pad, however the 12 does not seem to charge at all, only generate heat. The 8 plus does charge but VERY slowly. I have always found wireless charging to be iffy at best as a whole so this doesn’t really surprise me… however, when I plug either phone into one of the front seat charging ports the phone will only charge one or two percent over a 2 hour drive. Is this normal?

 

[wkramer28451]

The usb ports in the front console will only keep the charge pretty much static. If you use the 12v socket in the armrest it will provide fast charging. I have found the charging pads to work well but since I now have a metal plate on the back of my phone they don't work at all. The plate is for mounting the phone to a dash mount.

 

[jcanoe]

What phone case(s) are you using? My iPhone SE (size is like an iPhone 8) works with the wireless charging pad. I use an Otterbox Commuter case.

You can try inverting the iPhone on the charging pad or adding a spacer at the bottom edge of the charging pad.

 

[wkramer28451]

I'm using an Android - Galaxy Note 20 - which isn't really made for magnetic mounts. Won't switch to IPhone just for that.

 

[Iflyprops]

Thank you for the replies.

I have relatively slim Incipio cases on both phones. I use cordless charging to top the phones off overnight without issue, although the 12 can be a little finicky with placement.

I’m a bit shocked that the forward USB-C drives don’t provide enough power to charge the phones. My BMW charged the phones just fine… guess I may have to get the 12v adapter out again…

 

[jcanoe]

Thank you for the replies.

I have relatively slim Incipio cases on both phones. I use cordless charging to top the phones off overnight without issue, although the 12 can be a little finicky with placement.

I’m a bit shocked that the forward USB-C drives don’t provide enough power to charge the phones. My BMW charged the phones just fine… guess I may have to get the 12v adapter out again…

I have only tested the rear USB-C ports for charging my iPhone SE using a USB-C to USB adapter; worked well.

 

[Snakedoc]

My wife uses the front USB-C to charge her Google Pixel all the time. Charges with no issues.

 

[Iflyprops]

I just ordered a USB multimeter... I'll report back.

 

[Gibb]

Used a battery charge diagnostics app on my iphone 12. Wireless charging is about the same as plug 1100-1300 mH in our Model Y

 

[Iflyprops]

Used a battery charge diagnostics app on my iphone 12. Wireless charging is about the same as plug 1100-1300 mH in our Model Y

I guess I needed to look harder for an app. Good data, thanks.

 

[qdeathstar]

Thank you for the replies.

I have relatively slim Incipio cases on both phones. I use cordless charging to top the phones off overnight without issue, although the 12 can be a little finicky with placement.

I’m a bit shocked that the forward USB-C drives don’t provide enough power to charge the phones. My BMW charged the phones just fine… guess I may have to get the 12v adapter out again…

The wireless charger up front is a little slow, but in my experience the usb-c connections in the back charge my phone up fast. Problably an hour for a charge 0-80 percent. I have an iPhone

 

[Iflyprops]

After a bit of fiddling with a USB multimeter on a road trip to visit the in-laws I’m still scratching my head but do think I have a bit more clarity on the Tesla charging scheme.

With our (my two iPhones plus my wife’s) iPhones plugged into the front USB-C ports, the charging rate seems to be dependent on the state of charge on the iPhone. Anything below roughly 80% I saw a current of 1-2.1A @ roughly 5v. At VERY low phone SOC’s (my wife always forgets to charge her phone…) the amperage is predictably high, but what surprised me was the charging voltage cranked up to nearly 9v! At phone SOC’s 80% and above the charging current seemed to be only enough to maintain the current phone state of charge, .4-8A (depending on whether the screen was on).

I don’t have the ability to read the charging specs when the phone is on the charging tray, but based on the change in the phone’s SOC I suspect that the above is still true.

I haven’t had my coffee yet, so I hope my rambling makes a bit of sense!

 

[CapsEngineer]

With our (my two iPhones plus my wife’s) iPhones plugged into the front USB-C ports, the charging rate seems to be dependent on the state of charge on the iPhone. Anything below roughly 80% I saw a current of 1-2.1A @ roughly 5v. At VERY low phone SOC’s (my wife always forgets to charge her phone…) the amperage is predictably high, but what surprised me was the charging voltage cranked up to nearly 9v! At phone SOC’s 80% and above the charging current seemed to be only enough to maintain the current phone state of charge, .4-8A (depending on whether the screen was on).

This is because you iPhone has optimized battery charging "To reduce batter aging. iPhone learns from your daily charging routine so it can wait to finish charging past 80% until you need to use it".

You can turn this off in Settings->Battery->Battery Heath.

 

[Iflyprops]

This is because you iPhone has optimized battery charging "To reduce batter aging. iPhone learns from your daily charging routine so it can wait to finish charging past 80% until you need to use it".

You can turn this off in Settings->Battery->Battery Heath.

I had turned off optimized charging on one phone, but did so while it was plugged in. I suspect you’re correct, however.

 

[Olafagus]

I have no issue with plugging in via USB-C in front console but I definitely find the charging pads pretty much useless unless you have a bare phone with no case. My Android Z-Flip3 doesn't charge at all but it does have a pretty thick case on it. My wife has Apple iPhone S8 (I think) that starts charging but then about 5 seconds later it stops. Not sure if this is an issue or not. She also has a case. I don't intend to remove my case every time I want to charge my phone in the car so I have been using USB-C instead.

 

[Vicj]

My Flip 3 charges on the wireless charger, with a case, though a bit slow.

 

[Olafagus]

My Flip 3 charges on the wireless charger, with a case, though a bit slow.

Interesting. My friends Samsung with thin case charges as well so go figure. I am seeing Tesla mobile guys today and I'll ask them what they think.