Chromebooks are simple and affordable laptops that work well for most tasks. Chromebooks range frombudget devicestopremium deviceswith a plethora of features. One benefit of Chromebooks is that they’re relatively simple and they work. That doesn’t mean they’re free of problems. One issue you may run into is that your device stops charging. Here are steps to solve the problem.

Make sure the charging cable works properly

It may sound obvious, but check that the charging cable is plugged in properly. Make sure the cable is plugged into the wall, that both pieces of your charging cable are plugged into each other, and that the outlet you’re plugged into works. If any of these are off, it may stop your Chromebook from charging. If everything is plugged in and working correctly, unplug it, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in.

Also, use the charger that came with your Chromebook. Even though third-party device makers have devices with better specs than the charger that comes with your device, it may not work correctly. If you’re using the original charger and have another one around, swap them out.

A Lenovo Flex 3i Chromebook (Gen 8) sitting closed on a wooden table outdoors

Lastly, leave your Chromebook plugged in for half an hour. Sometimes, a device may have such a low charge that it takes some time for it to have enough power to turn on again.

Check the charging indicator light

Most laptops come with a light to indicate the charging status of the device. Chromebooks are no different. This indicator light is often located next to the charging port but can be located in other spots on the device.

When you plug in your Chromebook, the indicator lights up orange until the device is charged and then turns white or green. If a Chromebook has a battery issue, a red light may appear. If you plug in your charger and don’t see a light, wait 30 minutes to verify your device has enough juice.

A screenshot of a Chromebook with the quick settings power menu open

Restart your Chromebook

Sometimes, computers have glitches. Your Chromebook not charging could be a glitch, which could be solved with a simple restart. To restart your device:

At this point, the indicator light turns on or a lightning bolt symbol appears on the battery icon on your screen if your device is charging.

The Lenovo Chromebook Plus Flex 5i’s keyboard in full light as the laptop is tent mode

Do a hard reset

If nothing worked, it may be time to reset your Chromebook hardware. Chromebooks allow users to do a hardware reset, which resets all hardware and may delete files in your Downloads folder.Back up your devicebefore you do a hard reset to avoid losing data or files.

Use the Diagnostics app to check your battery

Chromebooks have a handyDiagnostics appbuilt into the operating system. This app checks the health of the components in your Chromebook, including the battery. Checking the battery this way can determine if the battery is the issue.

If the test’s result is a fail, this could signify an issue with your battery.

Searching on a Chromebook for the Diagnostics app.

Factory reset your Chromebook

If all else fails, it’s time to reset your Chromebook. Resetting a Chromebook is also known asPowerwashingit. This process deletes all data and files on your device. It’s a good idea to back up your device before resetting it so that you don’t lose important data.

After your device restarts and finishes erasing the data, set it up again and plug in the charger.

The Chromebook Diagnostics app running a battery test

Get recharged

While Chromebooks don’t often have issues, you may run into an issue with charging. If the tips above don’t solve your issue, it may be time tocontact your Chromebook’s manufacturer. If you run into other issues, we havefixes for the common Chromebook errorsto get your Chromebook back in good working order.