PhoneSoap Wireless troubleshooting: Qi charging and bulbs.

Three things cause nearly all of it:

• The phone. Confirm the handset actually supports wireless charging — not every phone does.
• The case. Thick, metal-backed, wallet, or magnetic-ring cases block Qi. Take the case off to charge. You can leave it on when you are only sanitizing.
• Alignment. Lay the phone face-up and centered on the pad. Off to one edge and it will not couple.
• Power. A 5W adapter is not enough. Use 15W or better.

If a bare, centered phone on a strong adapter still will not charge, try a second phone to rule out the handset, then contact us.

Usually alignment drift or an underpowered adapter. Recenter the phone, upgrade the adapter, and keep the bay clear of keys, cards, or coins — metal objects on the pad interrupt charging and get warm.

Yes, through the USB port inside the bay. Run your own cable from that port and route it so the lid still closes flat.

A bolt that stays dark is a bulb or power problem, not a charging one — a phone that will not charge on the pad is covered above.

1. Wake the bulbs. Open the unit to natural light for 10 minutes, or shine a flashlight on the bulbs for 2–3 minutes, then close the lid and let the 10-minute cycle run. The video below shows how to do this.
2. Rule out power. Another outlet, another adapter (15W or better), a second cable.
3. Inspect both tubes. Silver or grey ends mean burnout, which is covered; a crack or chip is not covered. A bubble in the glass is normal.
4. Let it cool for 20 minutes with the lid open after back-to-back cycles.

If it stays dark after two or three attempts, a bulb has failed. Burnt-out bulbs are covered for life; cracked or chipped ones are not. Contact us with the order and serial numbers.

PhoneSoap products run upon closure to ensure the internal sanitizing bay is always sanitized and ready for future use.

There is no heat involved and the power draw is negligible, so an empty cycle costs you nothing and there is no need to unplug it.

The lightning bolt on the top of the unit is a safe window onto the UV-C light inside. If the bolt does not light up, the most likely cause is a burnt-out bulb — but wake the bulbs before you assume that.

1. Wake them first. Open the unit to natural light for 10 minutes, or shine a flashlight on the bulbs for 2–3 minutes. Bulbs can go dormant without use and need reactivating. The video below shows how to do this.
2. Silver or grey shading at either end of a bulb points to burnout. Burnt-out bulbs are covered by our bulb warranty.
3. A crack or a chip will also stop the unit working, but cracked and chipped bulbs are not covered by the bulb warranty.
4. A bubble in the glass is normal. Almost every bulb has one and it does not affect performance.

Bulbs are wired into the housing, so there is no at-home fix and we do not sell them loose. If your bulb is covered, you ship the unit to us for repair — start that through our warranty system with your order number, serial number, and a photo of the bulbs.

A Wireless unit that shows nothing at all is a power-path problem, separate from the Qi pad:

• Is the socket live? Test the outlet with a lamp or another device.
• Is it in the right port? Power goes into the port marked Power on the back. The USB port inside the bay is for charging accessories.
• Is it in the right mode? Confirm a cycle should be starting on its own rather than waiting on a button press.
• GFCI outlet? On a bathroom, kitchen, or garage outlet, press Reset on the outlet itself and test again. A tripped GFCI is a common false alarm.
• Adapter and cable. Swap in a wall adapter and cable you know work.

If none of that brings it up, the unit needs service. Contact us and we will troubleshoot it with you and set up a return if we need to.

We always attempt a repair first. If we cannot repair the unit, we send a replacement. Bulb replacements and repairs are handled in house. Burnt-out bulbs carry a lifetime bulb warranty; cracked or broken bulbs are not covered.