Xbox 360 Controller Not Charging? – Complete Fix Guide!

Whenever the Xbox 360 controller not charging there are quite a few components that have to be inspected in order for the problem to be localized.

The charging components of your Xbox 360 controller consist of a cable, charging adapter, and the charging port on your controller.

When one of these instances is not working, the controller won’t be able to charge until further notice.

When the Xbox 360 controller is not charging users should test with every charging port available on the controller and then with an alternative power source. In case that doesn’t help, some cleaning on the charging entries should be able to solve the problem.

Let’s learn more about what the solutions include.

How To Know If Xbox Controller Is Charging?

An important thing that you should know before we begin with the troubleshooting is when exactly is your controller charging.

Since you will be testing your controller’s charging throughout this entire post, it’s important to know when the device is receiving a charge.

There are wired and wireless versions of the Xbox 360 controller:

• Wired – The green LED on the front of the controller will be lit during the entire session of charging.

• Wireless – On your Xbox, go to Profile & System > Settings > Devices & Connections > Accessories > “More options”.

The battery indicator is there. If there’s a little “charging” icon near the battery bar, the controller is receiving a charge.

Knowing this, here’s how to fix it when the Xbox 360 controller is not charging:

How To Fix When Xbox 360 Controller Not Charging?

Your Xbox 360 wireless controller’s charging ability may be disrupted due to many factors.

However, there are certain delicate situations where your controller will not charge due to certain reasons.

The problem could be related to:

• The charging port
• The controller
• The adapter
• The power source/cable

We’ll begin by excluding the possibilities one by one by applying some easy-to-follow solutions that are recommended by users with the same issue as yours.

Let’s jump right in!

Solution #1 Use Different Charging Sources

Your 360 controller can be charged in many instances. It can either charge from the Xbox 360 console itself, a computer, or directly from a power adapter.

In this solution, you should test charging your controller from different sources to determine where the problem is.

Charging Sources on Xbox 360

On your Xbox 360 controller, there are three 2.0 USB ports in total.

If you were charging your controller from a single USB all the time until now, the port could have gone faulty.

Make sure to plug your controller’s charger into each of the USB ports and test for the charging.

It’s important to note that in order for the Xbox to charge your controller, the console must be running.

Directly From a Power Source

Using a standard adapter, you can charge your 360 controllers directly from a power source.

All you have to do is connect the charging cable to the USB adapter and then connect the adapter to your controller.

Charge From Another Device

You can charge your controller from a PC or laptop that supports a USB port.

The controller won’t transmit data to the device (be able to control the laptop or computer), only charge.

Tip: Make sure to secure the connection when plugging in your Xbox controller to the power.

Solution #2 Use Different Charging Cable

As all cables and wires come to an end-life, the same thing could have happened to the cable you use for charging your controller.

Keeping the cable in unnatural positions or twisting it for a longer time can cause the body to rip, preventing the controller from charging.

In that regard, acquire a brand new charging cable for your Xbox 360 controller (9’ USB-C cable) and connect it to a power adapter.

Next, plug your controller with the cable and check if the device is receiving charge (use the methods in the previous solution).

Note: Using a second-hand charging cable may reduce the electricity that goes into your controller, thus charging slower.

Solution #3 Connect To An Alternative Adapter

If you’re using an adapter to charge your controller (directly into a power source), the problem may also be with the adapter.

For this solution, you should disconnect your functional charging cable from its current adapter and find a new adapter unit.

Nowadays almost any device contains a cable and an adapter that can be separated.

Connect your working charging cable to the replacement adapter and then hook up the adapter with a power source.

Test whether your Xbox 360 controller is now charging.

If your controller is still not charging, proceed with the next solution to resolve the problem.

Tip: Inspect the USB ports on the adapter for any abnormalities.

Solution #4 Clean The Charging Port

If you’ve tried everything regarding the charging equipment, you should also verify that the charging port on your 360 controllers is free of any dirt.

If there’s something inside that port, it could prevent the charging cable from going all the way in and disrupt the charging.

For cleaning the port, you will need:

• An ear stick.
• A toothpick (to break up solid formations)
• A vacuum cleaner.

How To Clean The Charging Port On Xbox 360 Controller?

1. Use the toothpick and stick it inside the charging port.
2. Carefully start scratching all debris off.
3. Use the ear stick to collect and take out all of the dust
4. Finally, suck the debris out using the vacuum cleaner.

Tip: A can of compressed air will do the best job at cleaning the charging ports!

Solution #5 Reset The Controller

If the charging is still not successful, you should perform a reset on your 360 controllers.

That will refresh the device’s software and resolve any charging-related issues there based on a software level.

You will only need access to your Xbox 360 console and the controller!

Here’s how to perform a reset on your Xbox 360 controller:

1. Disconnect the controller from the Xbox 360 console.
2. Next, press and hold the Start button, next to the Xbox logo.
3. While holding the Start button down, reconnect the controller to the console.
4. Keep holding the button until the Xbox logo on the controller starts flashing.
5. Once the flashing stops, let go of the Start button.
6. Your controller should now be reset.

Once the controller has been reset, you should test whether your controller can be charged by attempting several different ways. Find the different methods of charging in solution #1.

Note: Once you’ve connected the controller after the reset, don’t unplug it until the Xbox logo goes off.

How To Fix When Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Not Charging?

Unlike wired Xbox 360 controllers, a wireless 360 controller has rechargeable batteries.

The controller can both be used with the rechargeable battery pack by Microsoft, or have two AA batteries inside that must be replaced every now and then.

Here’s what to do if your Xbox 360 wireless controller isn’t charging:

1. Charge The Battery Pack

Your wireless controller will not charge if the battery pack has no electricity. Connect the battery pack to a charger for around an hour and test.

2. Replace The Batteries

If you’re using regular AA batteries rather than a rechargeable battery pack, replace the batteries and your controller should start charging.

3. Clean Charging Slot

Open the compartment where the batteries/battery pack are situated. Disconnect the batteries and clean the compartment using a dry cloth.

Once all the dust and debris have been removed, reinsert the batteries and test.

Tip: Observe the 360 controller’s charging indicator in the console settings after applying each of these solutions.

Why Is My Xbox 360 Controller Charger Not Working?

If your 360 controller charger has stopped working, it’s probably due to the fact that it has come to end life.

Charger devices would rarely stop working and bump back into action again after a while, so you should consider the cable dead.

In rare cases, you can connect and disconnect the controller from the adapter several times to check if it would do anything.

If you can barely see the charging LED become active, there’s an interruption somewhere across the hardware or cable body that needs fixing.

If the LED doesn’t become active at all, your charger is most likely to be dead.

Quick Recap:

Hence, when the Xbox 360 controller is not charging, users need to clean the entry ports and test with an alternative power adapter and power source.

In case the issue is persistent, for users to conclude, the cable and power adapter has to be replaced.

Read Next: Xbox 360 DVD Drive Keeps Ejecting? – Fixed!

Last Thoughts:

Now that we know why the Xbox 360 controller not charging and what the solution includes, it should be easy to solve the problem at home.

It’s important to remember that charging components get worn out after a few years and sometimes a replacement is necessary.

We hope that this post was enough to help you solve the charging problem with the Xbox 360 controller and for more relevant topics, don’t forget to check our blog!