5 Tips to Fix “Accessory May Not be Supported” Error on iPhone and iPad
Mar. 17, 2021The “accessory may not be supported” error on iPhone has existed for a long time. Most of us have encountered it at some point or the other. Now, as the name itself suggests, the problem here is related toiPhone accessories. However, there are times where this problem crops up out of the blue, making you wonder what has suddenly gone wrong. If you have run into the “Accessory may not be supported” error on your iPhone or iPad and are looking for a fix, this troubleshooting guide is what you need.
Fix “Accessory May Not Be Supported” Error on iPhone and iPad
So, what could be the reason for the “Accessory may not be supported” alert to appear repeatedly on the iPhone or iPad? From what I can tell, based on my several encounters with the problem, it usually occurs due to an ill-functioning charger. Yeah, you read that right! A fake or faulty charger is the main culprit that often triggers this error.
But what if your charger doesn’t seem to have any fault? Well, this is where the unsupported accessory alert on iOS tends to leave us completely perplexed. Thankfully, some reliable solutions often work in fixing the popup, so let’s talk about them without further ado!
To troubleshoot the annoying “Accessory may not be supported” error iniOS 14, first ensure thatyour accessory is MFi (aka Made for iPhone and iPad) certified. If your accessory is not MFi certified, chances are pretty high that it is causing the problem.
What if you are dealing with the USB-C port on youriPad Pro or Air? Well, you should ensure that the accessories are fully compatible with the iPad. The best way to avoid falling prey to fake accessories is to buy them only from well-known brands like Anker and Belkin. Instead of going for cheap knock-offs and endangering the device, it’s always better to buy certified chargers and steer clear of slow-charging speeds and unsupported accessory pop-ups.
So, be sure your charger is designed for the iPhone and iPad to ward off charging issues.
Another thing to check right off the bat is the cleanliness of your iPhone’s Lightning port. Believe it or not, tiny particles of dust and pollen tend to sneak in and clog the ports. Andif you don’t clean the ports frequently, gunk pile-up can start creating problems. It may prevent accessories from making a stable connection, resulting in the “Accessory may not be supported” error.
So, make sure to clean the charging port. Toothpicks are prettyhelpful in cleaning the portand help you get rid of the gunks that may have clogged up the port. Be sure to remove the piled-up gunk gently.
Toothpicks are less likely to cause any damage to your charging port. Still, I would recommend you to use flat toothpicks with rounded tips as they have no sharpness. Besides, it would also be a good idea to have the tiniest bit of cotton on the tip of the toothpick to add a little cushion to the cleaning process.
Damaged accessories are equally responsible for the “Accessory may not be supported” issue to crop up on iOS devices. Therefore,make sure your accessories are in good conditionand take a close look at the connectors since they play a vital role in establishing a stable connection.
Try to charge your device using another accessory. If your device starts charging, the problem is with your existing accessory and not the device itself. Now, either you canbuy a new chargeror use the workaround listed below to get rid of the popup.
If the “Accessory may not be supported” alert still pops up on your iPhone or iPad, force restart your device. It often sorts out common or miscellaneous issues, so give it a shot without fail.
Once your iOS/ iPadOS device has rebooted, plug in the charger to see if you have finally solved the “Accessory may not be supported” error.
Though faulty or damaged accessories are the chief culprits for the “Accessory may not be supported” alert, software bugs could also be responsible for the issue. Notably,some accessories might require the latest version of iOS. Therefore, update the software on your device to thelatest versionto eliminate the problem.
To get it done, launch the Settings app on your iOS/ iPadOS device,go to General -> Software Update. If there is any update available, make sure to download and install it. Keep in mind that your device needs to have around 50% battery to perform the software update.
Hopefully, one of these tips will help you move past the ‘Accessory may not be supported’ error and see your iPhone charge as usual. As outlined above, the problem usually occurs due to faulty accessories. However, in some rare cases, it can crop up due to a clogged charging port. Besides, software bugs might also be behind the problem, given their history of triggering common issues likerapid battery drain,unexpected cellular data consumption, andunstable Wi-Fi connection. That’s why it’s better to look into each aspect.
By the way, which one of these solutions helped you fix the unsupported accessory error on your iOS device? Do let us know in the comments section below.
An old school bibliophile who turned a tech nerd out of obsession. When he is not digging into hacks and tracking down stories that are breaking the internet, you may find him reciting poems.
