yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Hardware Hacking General] eliaslear:
not for me

ended up having to replace mine.
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
sorry to ear that, but replacing usb port is easy? if you don't mind can you say how much you paid?

thanks
[Hardware Hacking General] baaltaagaa:
Complet solution

If the problem of loose plug is dust or fluff - cleaning the socket is ok and may be solution. If your socket is ok than the problem is bent plug.

Here U have two complete solutions for the loose micro usb plug problem :)

polecanki.pl/Ciekawostki/Lu_na_wtyczka_micro_usb_Loose_micro_usb_plug
[Hardware Hacking General] mossesmos:
it actually worked !!!! thanks mate
[Hardware Hacking General] Steve Giordano:
Thank! Very good job!
[Hardware Hacking General] nirmit14:
Thanks for the tip. It definitely helped my loose connection on my WD HD. :)
[Hardware Hacking General] wannakatana:
I don't see the pictures :(
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
I checked and it is ok, can you try again? I upload them to imageshack I think that isn't a problem :)
[Hardware Hacking General] MickeyMcE:
Great tutorial! Worked like a charm for me. Usb cable was loose and note fits snug. Thanks!
[Hardware Hacking General] robbyk21:
Thanks for this! It really helped my annoying problem.
[Hardware Hacking General] VividTheMan:
Tried this and No lint or anything came out. My port is still loose as can be! :( HTC Vivid
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
did you tried with another usb cable? (new for example)
[Hardware Hacking General] damnation333:
Just cleaned mine! Thought there wasn't much in there, but it's actually a layer for crap in the back compacted together by the plug so it can't go in as far anymore.

Thank you so much for the tip!
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
Great, I'm happy you did it and it resulted well.
[Hardware Hacking General] flipswitch5point:
Tried this, didn't get any dust :/ but what when I was cleaning it I saw the two little holes in the female side of the port that the clips for the male end are supposed to latch in. Turns out my male end was suffering from... impotence? Lol. I took a needle and adjusted the clips on the cable and it holds fine now. Just posting this for anyone else who's suffering looseness not caused by dust.
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
flipswitch5point, if you want I can try to add this information to the first page!

Thank you for your help.
[Hardware Hacking General] flipswitch5point:
Sure, once you think it's relevant enough to the thread and it'll help anyone with loose ports. Feel free to paraphrase.
[Hardware Hacking General] Msandikci:
thanks bro
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
you're welcome :)
[Hardware Hacking General] firemex:
I will give it a try It might help me get a firm grip when connected.

Thanks for the tip. :good:
[Hardware Hacking General] huperetes:
Excellent. Thank you. Allow me to add my experimentation.

All power off, battery out.

In selecting the cable, it appears that there are three things to take into consideration when it comes to the male microUSB connector.

The length of the exterior actual male plug sleeve. Some are shorter, and do not sit completely in the female.

The difference in length I have seen is usually sub-millimeter, so do not expect to find a meter long male plug versus a standard.

The two retaining pins. They can be stamped from the outer metal, or inserted as a separate part. You can tell this easily by looking the male plug from the side. The retaining clips should not be shaped sheet metal, and should not be able see through under the hump or V of the clip. The clip can also have the back end or hook side worn off.

Finally the internal connectors. I noticed some that skimp on the width and the height of the V of the connectors inside the male connectors. If they are thinner width, they will be weaker, and flatten out much faster than one that is thicker. The second part to this is that the hump on connectors that are thin also tend to be not as high therefore less pressure for the connection.

To fix these problems -

plug length - This can be remedied by minor shaving of the plastic around the male plug, but best to get a new one that is longer.

low retention clip. If it is stamped sheet metal versus the insert, it is actually easier to fix. Grab the clip and gently bend it up a millimeter or so.

Worn off retention clip. I have tried to put solder on it and reshape but the danger of the solder popping off and frying too many things is too high.

Low connection line. Use two needles to create a higher V or hump. First try to push head on the bottom of the hump with a single needle, or use one needle to hold the tip down and press in the V groove with the other to raise it.

Thin connection line. There is nothing you can do about it.

There is one more thing I have seen in cheap knock offs. The female plug connection plates worn off. This is where the connection lines press against, and rub each time it is inserted or extracted. The only two way I know to fix this is to clean and run solder to build the surface up, or replace whole plug. Unless you do a lot of surface mount repairs, forget it.

Final cleaning tip. When I tried the fine idea of sharpened toothpick by telmosousa, I had some technical difficulties. This is most likely because of my senility. To get any material out I had to scrape it to the side of the female plug, then press against the female housing and drag it out that way.

I took a metal needle, thinnest I could find and tapped the head with a hammer. The sharp end of needle bent just ever so slightly into a J. This allowed me to drag out the material from the plugs much easier.

Again, thanks telmosousa.
[Hardware Hacking General] cagiva851:
How to keep micro USB cable attached to the phone

Hi everyone,

Our Android device needs to be connected all the time to an IOIO board under shaking conditions (e.g. smartphone and board are placed on a robot) so does anyone know if there is any after market product that allows you keep the usb cable securely attached to the phone? We just don't want to use duck tape, rubber bands, glue, etc. We want it to look professional and clean.

TIA!
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
Hello, I don't know any device or something else that can do it... but you can do something like the next image. You can make it more professional, and as you'll get it on a robot you can fix it with many light materials (plastic or metal, etc). Of course first you need to connect cable and then fix the "bridge" over it.

If you have any doubt tell me I'll try to help more.

Cheers
[Hardware Hacking General] ShaunOfTheLive:
Thanks telmosousa. There wasn't much dust, and it's still loose, but charging is a lot faster and more reliable (some pins might have been gunked up). I think the male end of my cable is worn down too; I plugged in another cable and it fit very snugly (unfortunately that cable has other problems). Ultimately, it seems like microUSB is just a very unreliable connector on both male and female ends. I hope the upcoming Type-C connector is more resilient.
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
You're welcome. Thank your for reading.

regards
[Hardware Hacking General] TerryRed:
nice
[Hardware Hacking General] thebigoo:
In the best of circumstances, micro USB connections are VERY iffy. With mini USB you could dangle most devices from the cable without worrying they would disconnect, would you try that with a micro USB connection?
[Hardware Hacking General] d8v8n8:
Hi hihipunkt,

Thanks for the tip. It's working now. I tried the cleaning stuff but could not get anywhere as my phone and the cable is new and all other cables I have work just fine. I just received this angle cable that strangely works in other devices I have but I prefer this one so I'm really glad your suggestion worked out.:good:
[Hardware Hacking General] mremo:
My old galaxy had a little "sliding door" of sorts that kept the usb port sealed from debris. It was pretty nice. I'll probably have to clean out the port on my nexus soon and I'll definitely be using your toothpick method! :D
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
thank you, yes try it, a toothpick doesn't break the usb port nor makes a short circuit so I think it is a nice first try
[Hardware Hacking General] replicamask:
Happens to me loads, bit of a hassle but at least its easy to fix. You can also use a piece of a plastic card, just cut off a corner with a scissors. ITunes voucher cards work well
[Hardware Hacking General] mautas:
Thank you!
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
You're welcome :p
[Hardware Hacking General] b0ris_:
This standard is a joke. My cable is definitely not loose and works perfect with other cells, but it's impossible to charge my Galaxy Nexus, it didn't work for me. This micro USB joke makes to never want to buy an Android again, before this has been fixed for future models. This have been issue for many years, how come no one creates an alternative, it's unbelievable for me.

(My last post from an Android for years ahead.)
[Hardware Hacking General] SHAD0WUSER:
I had a combination of both, on the male ends my one side is worn down but i was able to push it up a little with a sharp knife.

Thank you.
[Hardware Hacking General] jmcclue:
Ha just came across ur guide and my sensation is the exact same, usb cable jus falls out n i thought it was just worn over time and that it cant be dirt, but i got a drawing pin anyway and cleaned out the port n oh my god, u should of seen how much ****e i scraped outa there, now it clicks like new ;) nice one :thumbup:
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
I'm glad it worked for you.

Thank you for your feedback.
[Hardware Hacking General] Kushal Sosale:
I have a ZTE Blade .My USB charger port is loose contact. It charges only when the charger is kept at an angle. But even the slightest movement will bend the charger causing my phone to stop charging. I tried cleaning my port with a thin needle but it did not work. Please help!!!

Kushal Sosale
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
Hello, 1st try with another usb cable, if possible with a new one. You've already cleaned it but did you get any fuzz out?

Try which is on first post, flipswitch5point, posted an "how to fix female port".

Report after it.

Good luck.
[Hardware Hacking General] CallumDemi:
Thanks :) This worked a treat!

I'm using a Moto G and this had been bugging me for a while now. I turned my phone off and used an old badge pin I had lying around and didn't touch any of the metal. No electrical shock and it seems to be undamaged! It was really surprising how much dust was there!
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
You're welcome, I'm glad it helped you.
[Hardware Hacking General] vook:
Works even better with a hard, sharpened pencil
[Hardware Hacking General] Phurkus:
Also could be because the charger cable is too lose to hold onto phone when you connect it. Try squeezing the tip a little bit
[Hardware Hacking General] f1tzg3r4ld:
how to fix phone that charges at only a specific angle.

Hello. I had this same issue. First off. He k for dust in the port and for the small lo king pins that are on the bottom of the port. If you don't see the two locking pins sti king out from the bottom of your cable end talked a small needle or toothpick and bend them very gently upward untill the are sti king out of the holes and will hold the cable I.to your phone.

Now here's how to fix the angle issue. In the end of the. cable is a slot for the pin connector of your phone to slide into. You can see there is a gap. Very gently squeeze that gap with whatever u like. I used my teeth. U only want to do it a little. To much and u won't be able to plug your phone in. Over time that gap gets opened up and you ha e to hold the cable at N angle to make a connection. Hope it helps. I've had to do this on several phones and it's never failed. If the charge port is broken then that's another issue.
[Hardware Hacking General] rmlv22@yahoo.com:
Thanks very, very much. One thing I might add: If the dust has been collecting for a long time and impacted, the first few attempts need to be made with considerable force. A month or so ago I believed this was causing the issue with my connector. Worried about the possible fragility of the phone port, I made a couple feeble attempts and concluded pocket lint collection was not my problem. I continued to use a rubber band to keep the micro-USB connected. What a pain that was!! I must have used a rubber band for the past four to six months, and even with a rubber band it was not easy to make the connection stable. After reading the tutorial here, I tried again with more force and pulled out loads of compacted lint (see photo). It was very satisfying! I used various implements. The best, however, was the tweezers out of my Swiss Army knife. I made sure to clear the areas around the specific connector sites. Now my charging cable grabs on and holds well. Like new! I think I might do this every few weeks to keep it clear. Thanks again Telmosousa!
[Hardware Hacking General] QuickNET Tech:
My phone doesn't have connectors on the bottom. It just has two connectors on top which is normal. However both of these connectors have been completely flattened. I can't find anything small enough to get underneath them and pry them outwards.

This is now the third cable in the last 2 months that has done this to me. I have now lost $50 in cables/chargers because of this.

Does anyone have a fix for this? Also some preventive measures as well because I am unsure of what is causing this to happen.
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
Hi, Quickdraw996, sorry but I didn't understand what gets broken, is the phone's usb port or cable connector? If microusb port in your phone is dirty you should clean it with a toothpick or other thin objects like others forum members suggested. If is the usb cable, I don't really get why it gets broken, but let other members reply.
[Hardware Hacking General] QuickNET Tech:
In one of the OP's diagrams there are two latch like things that secure the usb cable. On my usb cable those two pins are permanently pushed down. So now my cable won't stay in my phones usb port. I can't find anything small enough to pry them upwards again. I was hoping someone here may know a solution.

The pins circled in red on the right portion of the diagram below are what I am talking about.
[Hardware Hacking General] avemt1:
The cable you are using is the USB 3.0 micro. The pins can be restored with a small sharp instrument by bending them back into place.
[Hardware Hacking General] QuickNET Tech:
It is a USB 2.0 Micro B connector not 3.0, but that doesn't matter. I went out and bought some sewing needles. I broke 1 but another was able to get in at the end and pry it upwards after some muscle was put into it. I did stab myself a few times but did not make myself bleed so I am ok.

:D
[Hardware Hacking General] avemt1:
I'm glad you were able to get it fixed.
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
Quickdraw996, now that you have some sewing needles you can try to clean the usb port on your phone, maybe there's some dirt in there that forces the cable latches to bend. Clean thoroughly the holes where the latches fasten.

Regards
[Hardware Hacking General] Scorpion Aaron:
Doesn't work for my zenfone 2 when i clean everything nothing came out and i just bought my phone a month ago only, it seems to be going inside deeper.

Reply ASAP
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
If your usb cable seems ok to you, try warranty because the usb port may be damaged. You can try another usb cable first.
[Hardware Hacking General] Scorpion Aaron:
I use other usb cables is ok

Sent from my ASUS_Z008D
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
if with another usb cables it works correctly then it is you usb cable that is damaged!

Otherwise, send it to warranty, because it seems to soon to have to much dust inside.
[Hardware Hacking General] Scorpion Aaron:
Is only a month only, how can dust enter so fast lol
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
Hi, Scorpion did you manage to solve the problem? What was the issue?

regards
[Hardware Hacking General] Sick1:
Haha im glad this came up when i checked google for my Nexus 5 charging problem, there was so much stuff stuck in there, and i couldnt even see it as i thought it was just the back wall of the usb port :D

Thank you very much!!!!?
[Hardware Hacking General] LukeWebber:
Some good, some bad

I tried this on my OnePlus One, and now it won't turn on or charge. So, needing a working phone, I performed the same surgery on my old Galaxy S3, and it worked beautifully.

Guess I'll take the OPO in for repairs. I will say there was an incredible buildup of lint in the thing. But now it's as clean us new, but totally borked.
[Hardware Hacking General] timmytutone:
I used the sewing needle with the battery out after the toothpick method still left some dust in there. It was nice getting the TONS of dust out of there, but it was still quite loose. One slight bite on the plug fixed it for good! Thanks again for this tip.
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
Sick1 - thanks for your feedback. I'm glad it helped.

LukeWebber - did you take out the battery before cleaning? did you used a toothpick or a needle? maybe some residual eletricity inside "fried" something.

timmytutone - sometimes it can be from the usb port being to much loose because the (not so good) way we connect the chargers or use the phone while it is charging :p

sorry some bad english :D
[Hardware Hacking General] pol098:
I have two identical telephones (obsolete Toshiba TG01, but they work fine for me) and several micro USB cables. I find the cables all work with phone A, but are all iffy with phone B, though I can always wiggle them and prop them up so that phone B charges if nobody looks at it too much. I didn't see any dirt on careful examination of B's socket, but after doing some Googling thought I'd better clean it as a precaution. My reason for posting this is to suggest a different tool: I've seen a flattened toothpick, a flattened pin, and a small needle recommended, but I found a brilliant one on a YouTube video that isn't mentioned here: take some thin, but not floppy, plastic packaging, e.g. from a bubble pack and cut out something a bit like a guitar plectrum. I modified it slightly, cut a piece about 3 cm x 1 cm (totally uncritical), and cut one end on a diagonal like a scalpel or model-makers cutting tool, with a sharp point. The video is at pains to insist on plastic thin enough that it can slide into the narrow gap in the socket behind the structure in the middle without bending the structure. No need to remove battery.

As expected, my socket was pretty clean, but I did get out a tiny dot of fluff. Expecting nothing I plugged in; the connection is now hugely better (you can look at the phone safely now, but it is possible to hand-wiggle the plug into a non-functioning position). I think in my case that the circuit board and casing of phone B are aligned so that the plug doesn't go in quite enough (the plastic housing of the plug is stopped by the edge on the phone case). I could cut or file a tiny bit of the plug(s), but I think I'll file down the phone casing by a twentieth of a mm so hopefully any plug will work (not yet done).

Added: I have now filed down the edge of the phone's casing, 5 gentle strokes of a miniature fine-tooth file (actually 3 side-by-side times 5, file is narrower then the plug housing) and flaky connection is now solid. Probably would have been fine even without cleaning the tiny bit of fluff. Tip: if you want to keep your special transparent plastic "micro USB tool" (it's trivially easy to make another of course), mark it; it's invisible otherwise.
[Hardware Hacking General] buten:
cool tutorial, thanks for it
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
Thank you for your suggestion. This way we all can use what we have easier access.
[Hardware Hacking General] kirt231:
This is what i did and it worked beautifully, I took a thread needle and my charger cable, looked at the end that plugs into the phone, looked for the metal prongs that help keep the charger plugged in (They line up with the red holes referenced in OP), stuck the needle in the tiny hole btween the top of the prong and the rest of the metal body and used the needle like a lever to lift the prong up a ways.

Now the prongs fit in the red holes much better.

WARNING

Don't use too much force, just enough to make it move, its a thin piece of metal it can break easy!
[Hardware Hacking General] jidanni:
Yes the female connectors eventually can only be charged at a certain angle ("everybody don't go near my cellphone, I've finally found the right angle for today") if any at all.
[Hardware Hacking General] al5mith:
I've got the same charging problem with my phone too. I don't know why they bothered with this micro connector- it's not very much smaller than the more reliable mini sized ones. I've tried the cleaning, and new cables. New cable fit varies between cables with all being slacker than the original part and all replacements either don't charge or need serious wiggling and positioning to get the phone to charge- none are as good as the original cable.

So, next stage- I bought a replacement charge board that has the connector on. Never fitted- the fit of the charge plugs is no better than the one already in the phone.

My conclusion is that it is a terrible connector.
[Hardware Hacking General] rehbstar:
I Found An Easier Way

http://goo.gl/kvM8wu
[Hardware Hacking General] jkg188:
Thanks!

Thanks a million! Well maybe repair charge of $125... I figured the impacted lint thing out for the headphone jack a while back, for some reason it never occured to me for the usb port. Worked like a charm to fix a problem that has plagued me for months, and predictably, was getting worse and worse. The diagrams are great, nice job.
[Hardware Hacking General] nortonnc:
Thank you pal works for me
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
Glad to see this topic keeps helping people :highfive:
[Hardware Hacking General] anono user:
This worked for me. Mine was bad, it would plug in but the slightest movement would pop it out! And I had tried cleaning it out a few weeks ago, but I used a fairly flexible plastic cleaning stick, i think it was for dental braces but Im not even sure, it cleaned out a lot, and helped a little bit for a few days and then it was just as bad as ever. It was the shaved-down toothpick that really did the trick, especially in that tighter area inside the microUSB port, and a flashlight is really helpful, or just being close to a light source so you can see what youre doing. And yeah, did this 2 or 3 days ago now and plugs in and holds it securely, just like when it was new! So if you kinda half-ass the clean-out, and it helps a little but not really, try using something better to clean with and use a flashlight, and have some patience!
[Hardware Hacking General] telmosousa:
Glad it worked for you.

Regards
[Hardware Hacking General] apoorv258:
Thanks! Its working like a new one now!

My Oneplus X was having a loose usb connector after 1 year. I tried cleaning it with toothpick and safety pin. A lot of dirt was removed and now its a snug fit. Thanks.