Why Does My Wireless Charger Keep Blinking? Causes and Fixes

Quick answer: Why does my wireless charger keep blinking? In most cases the pad is telling you it stopped charging on purpose. The usual causes are metal or a thick case between phone and pad, a phone sitting off the coil, a power adapter that’s too weak, or heat. Remove the case, center the phone, and swap to a stronger wall adapter first.

A blinking light is an error code with no words. Honestly, the annoying part is that every brand picks its own colors, so a green light on a Samsung pad means “fully charged” while a flashing green on the Anker 313 means the wall adapter is giving it the wrong input voltage.

So I’d start with the cheap checks. They fix most cases. Then match the color to your charger’s manual.

Why It Happens

Here are the causes in the order I’d suspect them, based on what Anker, Samsung and Apple say in their own support pages. In practice, I’d bet on one of the first three.

Something is between the phone and the pad. Anker says a flashing indicator usually means the charger detected a foreign object, such as a metal attachment, or an incompatible phone or case. Coins, keys, metal plates for car mounts and card wallets all count.
The phone isn’t on the coil. Samsung says a flashing red light on its wireless chargers means the phone isn’t charging properly because of its position.
The power adapter is too weak. Anker lists low voltage from the power supply as the other common reason a pad flashes. On the Anker 313 pad, flashing green specifically means the input voltage is incompatible.
Heat. Apple says that if an iPhone gets warm, software might limit charging above 80%, and charging picks back up once it cools.
Vibration moved the phone. Apple notes that a notification buzz can shift the phone enough that the mat stops providing power.
The phone is also plugged in. Apple says an iPhone won’t charge wirelessly when it’s connected to USB. Samsung says something similar about a cable or charger connected to the phone.

Why Does My Wireless Charger Keep Blinking? Read the Color First

Colors aren’t standard, so treat this table as examples from specific chargers, not a universal key.

Charger	Light	What the maker says it means
Anker 313 Wireless Charger (A2524)	Flashing blue	Foreign object detected
Anker 313 Wireless Charger (A2524)	Flashing green	Input voltage is incompatible
Samsung wireless chargers (US support page)	Flashing red	Phone isn’t charging properly because of its position
Samsung wireless charging pad (India support page)	Cyan	Pad is on an old low-power adapter (5V/1A or 5V/0.7A), so charging is slower
Samsung Gear S3 charging dock	Blinking red	Not charging

Samsung also says some of its chargers use different indicator colors. If your pad blinks yellow or orange, look up that exact model number in its manual before you guess.

How to Fix It

Work down this list in order. Stop as soon as the light goes solid. The trick is to change one thing at a time, so when you find the fix you actually know which part was causing the blink and you don’t end up replacing a perfectly good charger.

Take the phone off and look at the pad. Wipe away crumbs, remove anything metal, and pull any cards out of a wallet case. Apple warns that cards with magnetic stripes or RFID chips, like badges or key fobs, can be damaged by a charger.
Remove the case. Anker and Apple both say bulky cases, metal parts or battery cases can block charging. Magnetic mounts and magnetic cases can reduce performance too.
Center the phone, screen up. Samsung says the coil location varies by device, so slide the phone around until the connection is stable. Foldables should be closed with the back facing down.
Unplug the phone’s cable. If a USB cable is still in the phone, wireless charging won’t run.
Power-cycle the pad. Samsung’s advice when the light misbehaves is to unplug the cable from the charger and plug it back in. For its Gear S3 dock, Samsung says to unplug it and wait 10 seconds.
Use a stronger wall adapter. Anker suggests a wall charger rated 9V/2A. Samsung recommends a 5V/2A adapter for its pad. Don’t use a laptop USB port while you troubleshoot; my rule is wall outlet first, everything else later.
Cool it down. Move the phone and charger somewhere cooler and out of direct sun. Wait a few minutes.
Stop the buzzing. Apple suggests turning off vibration or using Do Not Disturb so notifications don’t nudge the phone off the coil.
Restart the phone. Anker lists a phone restart as one of its basic steps. It costs you a minute.

If It Still Blinks

Borrow a second phone. If it charges fine on the same pad, the problem lives in your phone or its case, and I’d go back to step 2 and look harder at that case, because a slim-looking cover with a hidden metal plate or a magnet ring for a car mount is a common culprit.

No phone works? Then the pad, its cable or its adapter is the suspect. Swap each one before you give up on it.

My take: don’t keep forcing a charger that blinks with nothing on it, or one that gets hot to the touch. Unplug it and contact the maker. Anker and Samsung both point owners to their support teams once the basic steps fail.

For more charging problems, browse the Charging & Power section. If it’s an iPad or Galaxy Tab that charges slowly on a cable too, see why is my tablet charging so slow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my wireless charger blink when nothing is on it?

Some pads flash briefly when you first plug them in. Samsung says its charger light flashes when the cable is first connected. Constant blinking with nothing on the pad points to a power or hardware fault, so try another adapter and cable.

Why does my wireless charger blink green?

It depends on the brand. On the Anker 313 pad, flashing green means the input voltage is incompatible, so a stronger adapter is the fix. On other chargers green can mean fully charged. Check your model’s manual.

Can a phone case stop wireless charging?

Yes. Anker and Apple both say thick cases, metal parts, or battery cases can interfere. Magnetic cases and mounts can slow charging too.

Why does my phone stop charging at 80% on a wireless charger?

Apple says a warm iPhone may limit charging above 80% until it cools down. Move the phone and pad to a cooler spot.

Is a blinking wireless charger dangerous?

Usually it’s the charger protecting itself. If the pad gets hot, smells burnt, or the cable looks damaged, unplug it and stop using it.

Last updated: November 10, 2026. Sources: Anker: wireless charger does not charge my phone, Anker 313 Wireless Charger indicator lights, Samsung: wireless charging with Galaxy devices and Apple: how to wirelessly charge your iPhone.