If you’re getting an error that says “This accessory may not be supported” on your iPhone, try connecting your iPhone to the charging cable and check if the error message will disappear. You can also enable or disable the airplane mode on your device.
Is your iPhone still prompting you a warning message while charging? This post tackles one of the common messages prompting iPhone users that the accessory may not be supported. Read on to learn what it means and what must be done when you see this message.
Before anything else, if you are looking for a solution to a different problem, then drop in on our Apple iPhone Help Guides page for we have already solved some of the most common problems with this device. Try to find issues that are similar to yours and feel free to use our workarounds and solutions.
What does ‘This accessory may not be supported’ warning prompt mean?
When you attempt to charge your iPhone and it says that “This accessory may not be supported” it’s probably because something went wrong with the charging cable or charging port. This usually happens when using a non-Apple charger or charging accessory that is not MFI-certified. The Lightning connector used by the iOS devices is a proprietary connector created by Apple. Inside each lightning connector is a tiny authenticator chip that tells your device that the Lightning connector in use is Apple MFI certified or not. This is important to ensure safety while charging. The use of non-MFI-certified charging accessories with your iPhone or iPad is not recommended as they could result in the device getting extremely hot or damaging some components.
Why does your iPhone say ‘This accessory may not be supported’?
Often times, this warning typically shows up when using a non-Apple or third-party charging cable. But there are also some instances when some software factors trigger this warning message to appear. This is often the case if you’re certain that the charging cable you are using is the original Lightning cable or charging cable that came with your iPhone and that it doesn’t have any sort of physical or liquid damage.
To rule out software-related factors from the underlying cause, I’ve lined up a few suggested workarounds and possible solutions for you to try on. You can try applying these procedures before taking a trip to a service center.
Fixing iPhone with ‘This accessory may not be supported’ error
Before troubleshooting, make sure that both ends of the Lightning cable or charging cable are tightly plugged in. If either ends are loose, then that’s likely the main reason why your iPhone is prompting the message. That said, make sure the charger is tightly plugged into the charging port.
If everything is good with the connection and yet you’re still seeing the same warning message, try performing these workarounds.
First solution: Soft reset/reboot your iPhone.
Random glitches affecting the phone’s charging system are among the possible culprits. Thus they must be ruled out first. The easiest way to rule out minor software glitches is to perform a soft reset or reboot on the iPhone. The steps may vary depending on the device model in use.
If you’re using an iPhone X or later model, follow these steps to reboot or soft reset your iPhone:
- Press and hold the Side button and either Volume button until the Power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to power off your iPhone completely.
- Then after 30 seconds, press the Side button again to turn your iPhone back on.
If you’re using an iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or earlier model, refer to these steps to reboot or soft reset the device:
- Press and hold the Top or Side button until the Power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to power off the phone completely.
- After about 30 seconds, press and hold the Top or Side button again to turn the phone back on.
Performing a soft reset is also a way of clearing out temporary data and other cached files that might have caused conflicts and spoiled the normal charging routine. This does not affect any saved information on the internal memory so creating backups won’t be necessary.
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Second solution: Install pending iOS update.
If your iPhone still has enough power (at least 50 percent battery life) and has a stable Internet access, check for new iOS updates to download and install. Software updates may be the key to eliminating the error if it’s inflicted by some system bugs and errors. To check for iOS update on your iPhone, simply follow these steps:
- From your Home screen, tap Settings.
- Select General.
- Scroll down and tap Software Update.
If a new iOS update is available, back up all important files from your iPhone storage and then tap Download and Install whenever you’re all set to update your device.
You can also use iTunes to update your iPhone on a computer. This can be deemed an alternative solution if you wish to back up files to iTunes before updating. You can use a Mac or Windows computer for as long as it has the latest version of iTunes software installed. Then follow these steps whenever you’re ready to update your device:
- On your computer launch iTunes.
- Navigate to iTunes menu bar.
- Then click on the Help button.
- From the drop-down menu, click the option to Check For Updates.
Follow the rest of the onscreen commands to update your iPhone in iTunes.
Reboot the phone after updating to ensure that all new system changes are properly implemented. Then try charging your iPhone and see if the error shows up again or not anymore.
Third solution: Reset all settings.
Performing this reset is often recommended whenever a device encounters errors after installing updates. Some updates override existing settings and eventually result in some invalid settings and thereby inflicting adverse symptoms. To rule this out, reset all settings on your iPhone with these steps:
- Disconnect your iPhone from your computer.
- Then from the Home screen, tap on Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
- Choose the option to Reset all settings.
- Enter your device passcode when asked to continue.
- Confirm that you want to reset all settings on your iPhone.
The device should restart automatically when the reset is finished. To use features that are disabled by default, you need to re-enable them when your iPhone boots up.
Fourth solution: Restore your iPhone in iTunes, if possible.
This can be deemed among major system issues attributed to fatal errors on the phone’s charging system. To restore and repair any damaged system components, performing iOS restore can help. You can use iTunes to erase and restore your iPhone from a backup if necessary. Just refer to these subsequent procedures.
Connect your iPhone to the computer using the original USB cable or Lightning cable. Then refer to any of these steps to put your iPhone in recovery mode:
- On an iPhone 8, 8 Plus or later model, press and hold the Side button and either Volume buttons until the Power Off slider appears. Drag the slider to power off your device. While your phone is turned off, connect it to the computer via USB cable while holding the Side button. Keep holding the Side button until the Recovery Mode screen appears.
- On an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, press and hold the Side button until the Power off slider appears. Then drag the slider to power off your phone. While it’s turned off, connect it to the computer via USB cable while holding the Volume Down button. Keep holding down the Volume Down button until the Recovery Mode screen appears.
- On an iPhone 6s or earlier models, press and hold the Side/Top button until the Power off slider appears. Then drag the slider to power of the phone. Connect your phone to the computer via USB cable while holding the Home button. When the Recovery Mode screen appears, you can release the button.
When iTunes prompt you to either Restore or Update your device select the option to Restore so that iTunes will erase everything including fatal errors and then instigates downloading of the latest software for your iPhone. Then follow the rest of the onscreen instructions to restore your iPhone from the most recent iOS backup.
Do not disconnect your iPhone from the computer until the entire restore process is complete. Otherwise, you could end having an iOS that’s corrupted.
Repair options
If your iPhone still prompts the message that says, “This accessory may not be supported” after performing all the above procedures, then you’re more likely dealing with a hardware issue. It’s possible that the charging port or Lightning port on your iPhone damaged or clogged with something that could block the connection with the charger. To rule out hardware damage, take your iPhone to the nearest Apple-authorized service center along with its charger so that a technician can inspect them both. If your iPhone is still eligible for warranty, contact your iPhone provider/carrier to ask more details on how to avail for warranty either for service or new unit replacement.
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