What is safe to do at home
Power the phone off, then look into the port with a bright light. Compacted grey fluff at the bottom is the usual culprit.
A wooden toothpick used gently, with the device off, can lift the top layer. Never use metal, never use compressed air at close range, and never use liquid cleaners — bent contacts turn a cleaning job into a port replacement.
When the port itself is worn
If the cable wiggles, charges only at one angle, or the phone chimes on and off, the port contacts are likely worn or the flex cable is damaged.
Port replacement is a bench job: we open the device, remove the old assembly, fit a new one, and test charge rate and data transfer before you pick it up.
Rule out the cheap causes first
Try a second cable and a second wall adapter. Cables fail internally far more often than phones do, and a $10 test can save you a repair bill.
