Left Joy-Con Not Charging: How to Fix in Minutes

For users that love the Joy-Con alongside the Nintendo Switch, a fault could pose a serious problem to their gaming skills. The Joy-Con comes with all the features of any typical controller. There is a left and right Joy-Con as well as 4 standard action buttons that can be used in-game. The controller can be attached with a holder if you’re playing on a TV or directly to your Nintendo Switch.

left joycon not charging

 

Left Joy-Con Not Charging: How to Fix

If your left Joy-Con isn’t charging, then you’re just on the right page. Read on to learn some simple tips to help you fix the problem on your own – and within a few minutes.

1. Clean Ports

This is one of the main reasons why your left Joy-Con won’t charge. If you’re having charging issues or you’re unable to receive a charge from the Console, it could be due to the lack of a proper connection. Take note that this might not be the case for most of them clean folks. For other gamers, it could be that the ports are dirty due to a build-up of dust and other particles which was preventing a proper connection. If you’ve not been giving much attention to cleaning the ports of your Joy-Con, this could most likely be the problem.

This should be an easy fix and can be done with just about anything you have at home. You could make use of a cotton swab or tissue paper to gently remove the dirt from the ports. You’d have to be careful with this one, applying much pressure during the process can damage the connector pins on the device and lead to more problems. Once cleaned, you can reconnect the Joy-Con and check if it works.

2. Clean the Joy-Con and Switch with isopropyl alcohol

This tip should be followed as a last resort. However, you might want to consider it if you leave your Joy-Con lying around and gathering dust. It is just the same as cleaning the ports of the Joy-Con to get rid of debris but this time you will be cleaning the left side of the Joy-Con and the Switch. For this, you will need a clean Q-tip and some isopropyl alcohol. You could trim the tip of the Q-tip to the right size and shape.

Before you start cleaning, turn off your Switch. Go ahead to pour some isopropyl alcohol on the Q-tip and clean both the side of the left Joy-Con and the Switch. You might want to ensure that you’re cleaning every part of the connection for this to work. In addition, a high percentage of alcohol is recommended for this step. It will dry faster and allow you to get back to business in no time.

3. Sync the Joy-Con

If the problem still persists, then you might want to try re-syncing the controller with the console. To re-sync the Joy-Con to your console is a simple procedure. All you have to do is remove the controller from the console and press the sync button located on the side connected to your control. Ensure you shut down the Nintendo console after taking it out of the docking station. Wait for a few minutes, then turn the Nintendo Switch back on and return it to the docking station.

Re-attach the Joy-Con and leave it to charge for a few hours. Wait for about 4 hours before checking on the Joy-Con. By that time, it should be fully charged. If not, try removing and then connecting the Joy-Con to the console until you get the accurate battery status.

4. Update the Firmware

In some cases, you won’t have any problem with the console or controller but the reason why you can’t find the correct battery status could be due to a firmware issue. Even if the Joy-Con is able to achieve full charge the battery status will show that the battery is not fully charged in the controller. This might not be the problem for all users, but it won’t hurt to update the firmware of your console as well as the controller to see if it will solve the problem. To do this, go into the Console settings and check for updates.

Updating the software on your Nintendo Switch will require booting it up and checking for a software update in the system settings. Wait for the console to search for updates and if you find any, go ahead to install it on your console. You can also update the firmware of your controllers from the controller settings. Simply, check for updates as well.

5. Disconnect your Controllers and Power-Cycle your Switch

To do this,

  • Ensure both Joy-Con sides are slotted into your Nintendo Switch, go to System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Disconnect Controllers.
  • Press and hold the “X” button on the right Joy-Con till you get the confirmation that the controllers have been disconnected. Click OK.
  • Remove both Joy-Con sides from the Switch and power off the Nintendo Switch. Wait for about 60 seconds before turning the Switch back on. Go ahead to reconnect your Joy-Con and check if this fixes the problem.

6. Use the Joy-Con Grip

If the problem isn’t solved after applying all these fixes, then you might need to change the charging method to see if it will help your situation. This method is not for every issue but if you notice that you’re unable to charge the controller by connecting the Joy-Con to the Switch while it is on the docking station, then you might want to try it out. In this case, you will have to remove the Joy-Con and attach it to the grip connected to a power source. Leave it there for a couple of hours or just about 3 hours to see if it will get the Joy-Con working again.

If you’re going for this method, you should try changing your power adapter and the cable connected to the dock to see if it would help. Unplugging and replugging the power adapter could help in some cases.