Hearing a high-pitched noise from your phone charger can be annoying and also quite alarming. However, this is more common than you would think. Let’s talk about why it happens and if it is dangerous.

If your phone charger makes a high-pitched noise, it may be annoying, but it is not dangerous. There are a few different reasons that this can happen, but none of them mean danger for you or your phone.

Let’s discuss why this happens and what you can do about it.

Causes of High-Pitched Noise in Phone Chargers

Now that we know you aren’t in danger, here are a few reasons you may be hearing that noise and what you can do about it.

Loose Outlet Wires

One of the reasons you may be experiencing a high-pitched sound when charging your phone could be because of the outlet you are using. If the outlet has any loose wires, they will vibrate, which can cause a high-pitched whining sound to emit from the outlet. This is especially common with older homes.

The best way to determine if this is the problem is to move your charger to another outlet and see if the sound continues. If you are still experiencing the same sound with another outlet, something else is causing the sound. Otherwise, you have some loose wires in your outlet and should contact an electrician to help get it functioning properly again.

Old/Damaged/Defective Charger

A common reason that your charger makes a high-pitched noise is a problem with the charger. This can be difficult to tell if there is no visible damage and the charger still works. The best way to tell if the charger is the problem is to use another charger with the same outlet and the same phone.

If you experience the noise again with a new charger, then consider some other options here as to why it is happening. However, we understand that a new charger isn’t always easy to come by. If you don’t have another charger to use, consider inspecting your current charger for any damage to the cord or plug.

Without any visible damage, your charger can still be defective. It happens even with new chargers, as it can with any electric or wired device. If you have a new charger that is making this noise, consider contacting the manufacturer for a replacement.

Power surges can also be a major factor for chargers wearing out over time. If you connect your charger to a power source just to have that source shut off and start again, it can cause a power surge. Sometimes this will completely fry your device, which is why most electricians recommend unplugging the unused cord.

However, power surges do not always cause your cords to stop working altogether. Sometimes the damage is less noticeable, and the symptoms of a damaged but usable power cord can present in high-pitched sounds like the one you are hearing. Internal damage to a charging cord is a lot more difficult to diagnose.

Power Switching

Another common reason chargers make a high-pitched sound when using them is how much power they are using. Pay attention when you hear the high-pitched sound, which will help better determine the cause.

Low Battery

When you first plug your phone in to charge on a low battery, the charger uses a lot of power to get the phone charged again. If you notice the sound when you first plug in your phone, then your charger may be attempting to use too much power.

As the charger powers the phone, there is a current passing through the charger. The transformer inside of the charger will vibrate as the power passes through it and powers the charger sending a charge to your phone. These vibrations can cause the transformer within the cord to make a high-pitched sound.

This happens more commonly when your phone is at low power because the charger sends a lot of power through the transformer to compensate for the low battery. If this is the cause, the charger will stop making this noise once the phone reaches a higher battery power, usually around 80% charged.

Fully Charged

Sometimes, the sound can come once the phone has fully charged. After your phone is completely charged and remains connected to the charger, the charger will stop sending as much power to the phone. Instead, the charger will begin trickling power into the phone as needed to keep it at full charge. This helps prevent overcharging the device.

While this is handy for those who don’t want to watch their phones as they charge, it can become a nuisance when the charger starts making high-pitched sounds once it reaches 100% battery. In the same way that the charger uses more power when the phone is at a low battery, it will use less power when it charges fully.

This change in power can affect the phone charger in the same way. As the charger adjusts its power and brings it down to a trickle, it can cause the charger to make a noise as it attempts to control the amount of power sent to the phone. Any change in power can create this high-pitched frequency as the charger will attempt to switch to a different power method.

Fast Chargers

It is very common to have noise problems with faster chargers. These chargers give your phone much power at once, allowing the battery to fill much faster than an ordinary charger. Because the charger uses so much power to do this, it is common to hear noises while it is working.

This is the same reason you hear them when an ordinary charger is charging a phone with a low battery. The charger works harder and uses more power to charge a phone faster than other chargers. This means you will be more likely to hear the power surge through the transformer.

How to Fix a High-Pitched Noise in a Charger

Once you diagnose the problem with your charger, it will probably be a simple fix. Most of the time, you will need electrical work on your outlet or to purchase a new charger. However, these steps aren’t always necessary.

Try moving the charger to a different outlet as a potential solution. If the outlet is the problem, then the sound should not follow you to another power source. If it does, then you have a charger problem rather than an outlet problem. If the outlet is the issue, we do not recommend attempting to fix it yourself. Always check with an electrician first.

If the problem is the charger, there are some ways you can fix your charger and not have to replace it. In fact, there are repair kits for charging cords that you can look into if you want to fix them yourself. This iPhone Cleaning Kit Port Cleaner, available on Amazon, is perfect for doing minor repairs to your charging cord.

Unfortunately, kits like the ones above can cost more than simply buying a new charger. So, weigh the pros and cons before making your purchase. Otherwise, you may just want to purchase a new charger and eliminate the problem that way.

Final Thoughts

There are many reasons your charger may be making a high-pitched sound, but none of them put your safety at risk. So, if you are comfortable dealing with the sound, it won’t be much of a problem for you. If you’d rather not hear the high-pitched noise every time you plug your phone in, we have solutions to help you out.

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