3DS - no power/ won't charge - EASY FIX

Have a 3DS or other handheld system that won't charge and/ or won't power on? Most often this is caused by tripping on the power cord while the system is charging.
Solution #0:
Be epic lazy and buy a Nyko Power Pak+ for 3DS.
This bypasses the need for a functioning charging port, since you can charge up this attachment by simply laying your system on the included charging dock.
Solution #1
Plug in your charging cable and angle it with not too much force. If the orange charging light on your system suddenly turns on, then you may be able to fix this in under 60 seconds. Look closely inside your charging port to see if the two tiny metal wires are mashed down into the plastic. If so, then take a sewing needle and gently pry them up a little one at a time.
Solution #2:
If the needle trick doesn't work then likely the charging port has been partly loosed from the motherboard. Take off the battery cover, the battery, and then the bottom plastic piece. (I recommend watching a 3DS disassembly video on KZbin) Unfasten the cables connected to the L and R buttons. Then all you do is use a cheap soldering iron with a pointy tip to reflow any broken leads connecting the charging port the motherboard. Usually it will look like the solder is cracked on one of the leads near the middle. Touch it with the soldering iron for no more than 2 seconds, et voila!
Charging cord insanely hard to pull out?
Try a different charger and ensure it is official Nintendo. Sometimes tripping on the power cable will also damage the connector on its cord as well, making it deformed and difficult to remove from your 3DS. Generic chargers are almost always death-traps. Power surges and lightning strikes are seldom by cheap, generic charges so the power surge goes to your hands. Save money on about any thing, except AC adapters.

[@sh1bes]

My 3ds wont charge, and right at this time, where we’re on quarantine. Nice.

[@vashe6226]

Ikr

[@carport5814]

Same I just got one from GameStop and it won’t charge

[@zade8726]

Same

[@ichbindu333]

azukii same

[@braveheartshiloh4590]

Same

[@Norbertmoe]

Thanks a lot man for your precious hint with the needle!!! You saved me a bunch of nerves and money - and my 7yr son now thinks, daddy is the hero of the day :-) Best greetings from Austria!

[@supra5555]

Norbert Mößlacher :D

[@yasr5931]

Wholesome

[@izzy6696]

thats wholesome asf

[@christopherposada5487]

Aww

[@Kris-wy1lc]

bruh that's so wholesome

[@HezrouDhiaga]

I just want to thank you. I haven't played my 3ds in ages but when I went to pick it up again when Sun/Moon came out it wasn't charging at all! D: Then I came across this video and it helped me so much! It's charging now and in a few minutes is the moment of truth!

[@joelgarcia925]

It works thank you thank you you're so great and marvelous thank you so much

[@whoshotjj]

Joel Garcia Congrats dude! I’m attempting this atm

[@SuperstarSyrum]

Lmao I attempted this and it did nothing, the pin is up but it stays as usual, I'm starting to think my 3DS' battery is no more

[@KatjeSabin]

Thank you! You saved me about $20 for a charging cradle or $85 for a Nintendo repair! You're AWESOME. Got a tip jar somewhere?

[@coolbluereview]

This video is 10 years old but you’ve helped me today friend. Thanks.

[@nfmeyer1352]

Nice video, thank you. For people like me, it would be helpful to note that it requires a Phillips #000 driver to remove the case screws (#00 is too big and #0000 is too small, either will strip out the screw heads). Also, there are 9 black screws under the battery cover and 1 short silver screw at the game cartridge slot that secure the lower case. Thanks again for the repair video!

[@delicious1525]

anything with screws, if I don't have a screw driver, I'll just use tweezers stick the flat end in and turn like a screw driver. its janky and can be a bit frustrating, but it is what it is😅

[@heatwole]

@@delicious1525 not with 3ds screws they’re always really soft and strip way easier than you’d think

[@lukeramos2963]

Dude. This was EXACTLY what I needed! Thank you so much for the tips! I didn't even think to look at the little prongs in the charging port.. That was the issue and it was an insanely easy fix! I was tripping earlier cause I had one of my 3ds plugged in all day and didn't even notice that the charging light didn't turn on so when I went to unplug and turn it on it was just as dead as before. Glad I clicked on your video right away instead of searching through websites on Google.

[@gbot5437]

I was charging my 3ds and it starts charging for 8 seconds and it turns off

[@gbot5437]

Someone plz help me

[@aboameir]

Dear furqan mahood​ ...it seems like *_ur 3 ds_* does not like U *_-any😉more-_* ...lol😂

[@Warhawk778]

aymen mussa Why do you talk with all this weird shit?

[@aboameir]

Brian Uceta Me *_talking😎weird....?_* ........ *_-prove 😉it-_*.......

[@nosebleed3260]

means battery is fried

[@bartymatrix7]

1st Problem: It doesn't want to turn on without a charger. 2nd Problem: It works. A little. If I move it too much it will stop working.

[@EasyFunAITraining]

if you try to turn the system off, then does it instead just restart itself?

[@reviewglitchfest]

We have the same problem

[@bartymatrix7]

+MiniGameTech No. Basically If I take off the charger all by itself, it shuts off entirely. Idk what I did. I tried the needle thing.

[@CoolVids19]

+bartymatrix7 It's probably the battery, try replacing the battery.

[@tyronehodges1544]

I dropped my 3ds in water it charging but won't turn on

[@sssslst]

Thank you for posting this video! I just had the same "angle" issue and it was bugging me a lot. I just used a sewing pin and now my 3DS is charging normally. Again, thanks a lot!

[@blooze2423]

Thank you so much! I've been trying to ignore this annoying problem for months and I finally came here to try and fix it. It was way easier than I had thought it would be. I wish I had come here earlier.

[@isoluniv_714z7]

Oh my god. I’ve been trying to fix this for months, and I’m so glad I came across your video. I’m not experienced in fixing tech or anything like that, so I’ve never heard about the needle trick. I’ve tried replacing the battery, angling the charger, and I couldn’t fix it. In the end, I thought I would have to sent it into a professional. But coming across your video and trying the needle trick actually worked! I am so happy. Thank you so much

[@bluex44x44]

Awesome, two minutes and a safety pin saved me 85 bucks. much appreciated

[@gelmir7322]

+Blue x44x (Bluex44xpumas) do you still have to apply pressure after the needle trick? how far do you to raise the pins for it to work properly?

[@bluex44x44]

Only my one pin was bent down so I raised it to the height of the other pin. And no I do not still have to apply pressure

[@gelmir7322]

Blue x44x can you point out the correct height/what is bent down/what is raised... (i mean what is down and what is up relative to the 3ds face up position) should the pins protrude above the black casing things level? the video didt demonstrate it clearly.

[@bluex44x44]

if the 3ds is upsidown meaning that the bumper buttons on the back are on the top now, that is the direction in which you need to bend the pins up and yes they should protrude above the black casing

[@miklomartinez8188]

Blue x44x At the most it would've cost 20 or so bucks. A soldering iron and a new port would run you about that much.

[@jrdavis1992]

Thanks for the tips. The needle trick worked. Point of advice to avoid further breakage: use a longer charger cable, and be careful, or get a charge dock.

[@keve1212]

Turns out the simple fix was all mine needed. Thanks so much for sharing this!

[@nyonsmith6621]

I just gotta say, my 3DS has had charging problems for YEARS. I spend two minutes watching this and I fix it was a NEEDLE. THANK YOU!

[@flashdemon4607]

thanks so much mate, instead of a sewing needle I used my sim card key and it worked! time to play pokemon sun again!

[@theboltonking4204]

I play moon

[@halcyon-cg2eb]

Thank you so much for your help. I was able to fix the problem with a sewing needle and my 8 year old son is very impressed with his mother : )

[@MyloSkeng]

2022 and you just saved me a bunch of hassle, thanks for clearly showing the port in the first part, took only a minute or so to fix 🙏🏻

[@vwoomy]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH CHARGING FOR ALMOST 7 YEARS AND THE SIMPLE SOLUTION WAS RIGHT HERE THE WHOLE TIME! YOU'RE A TRUE LIFE SAVER! I COULD CRY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I'M SO HAPPY!!!

[@EasyFunAITraining]

Two things seem likely to be the cause: 1.) The two metal pins inside the charging port need lifted up just a bit from the black, plastic piece. 2.) The plug on the charger itself is damaged. Try charging it with a different charger to see.

[@super_tyty8467]

Pib

[@blazi2396]

I only have one charger xD

[@TaberIV]

It took me like 15 minutes but I used the needle to fix my issue and it's working fine now, so thanks a ton!

[@alexzheng1689]

you're my savior, the first trick worked instantly. ive struggled with this for a while and it literally took me a minute to do this.... NICE

[@standreamcatcher544]

I recently found my old 3Ds and the charger port was not working so I came across this video and omg this is the first time a yt video like this has worked!! Thank you so much hope you have a wonderful day!!

[@FakeTsuki]

Wish I could just mail my 3ds to you. XD

[@maniac06]

Same

[@gustavoespindola]

Thank you so much for the hint with the needle! I was about to send mine to repair, but it is charging now! Thanks man, you are the real MVP!

[@Gutslove]

Bless your heart!! My 3DS hasn't been charging that well lately and I thought it had something to do with the charger until it just didn't want to charge anymore just a few nights ago. Your video helped me with just the needle recommendation, holy cripes, I wasn't expecting it to work XD Thank you so much!

[@headhunter9934]

Thanks ! The pin trick worked well for me , got my little sister's old 3DS for my son. Wouldn't charge , the needle did the trick thanks you so much !!

[@EasyFunAITraining]

You might have to take off the bottom plastic shell of the 3DS and pull up the two pins from the inside. While you have it apart it wouldn't hurt to reflow the solder too. In fact, I usually add extra solder just to reinforce it even better than Nintendo originally did.

[@femack2857]

Thanks so much I haven't used my Nintendo 3days over a year just because of a simple promlem if I didn't come across this video I would have thrown it away.

[@DeAnimeJ]

Dude, thanks so much! Saved me time and money worrying about something so simple to fix!

[@rabittkid]

Thanks man! That pin thing with the needle really helped me out! Thumbs up for you :)

[@AsaMarshall]

I think I may need to buy a new one because I was going through some personal family stuff and I left my original charger and I'm not allowed to get it but I bought a replacement charger. it was working well until I got it taken away for like 2 or 3 years and I just got it back. I tried to charge it but it would only work if I angled it. now it won't work and I thought it was the charger but I just got a new charger and it won't work! I tried the pin trick and it didn't work. I tried to use the charger base to charge it but it wouldn't work and I looked at my port and it seemed that a part of it is chipped off or something... because it looks like the wire is exposed. if my battery is fried then where can I get a replacement or should I just get a new 3ds? I need help and my situation is special because I can't seem to get help from Nintendo's help page. Please someone help me!

[@mccoygibson]

OMG. I just did this with adjusting the port with the pins and my daughter's DS is ON. I'm hoping it will take and hold a charge now. You're my hero. Thanks for the info.

[@sunnyballs]

10 years later. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I've had this problem since I was 10 and now I'm 18. Bless your soul!

[@sunnychi7406]

Wow. Honestly I was not expecting much initially, but this solved my issue perfectly! Thanks so much!

[@oneboredgirl9322]

Just about to buy a new one out of frustration, then I saw this video and I was saved! Thank you SO much!

[@Cuddly2]

It took a few seconds to fix a problem which broke my heart for many minutes. Thank you, sir.

[@lavendermilk9049]

THANK YOU, I’ve been trying to fix it for months and this is the only thing that has worked

[@Isaac-iu6bx]

Mine was the first fix...literally thank you so much, I got a grain of rice stuck in the port after I spilled ginger ale on it. Im glad it was such a physical problem, not an electrical problem with the liquid lol. Thanks!!

[@iantuck123]

Worked perfectly for me. Thanks a lot man!

[@chrisshelby2]

Thanks! It has been broke a year and I just fixed it with a needle in about 1 min.

[@thisberandom]

I was just about to buy a new charging port and am glad I saw this beforehand. Thank you!

[@mjoshg._8660]

Thank you so much I've been charging my ds with the other chargers because I thought that there were no tutorials like this but finally after months I finally got it fixed with just adjusting the two pins

[@EasyFunAITraining]

nope, you can't swap 3DS XL batteries with regular 3DS batteries. Also, the Nyko Power Pak+ and Nyko charging dock are only for regular 3DS.

[@christinegrunert168]

I wanna die

[@mia-pi6ne]

Christine Grunert mood

[@dragonsbreath389]

Me too man ....me too

[@memezabelle]

Same

[@huskysharky9025]

Nah man dying is lame be yourself and outlive the pain were all worth something

[@beefjerkyfan1014]

bro same

[@musicfan12395]

Thank you so much! I tried the first technique and my 3ds is charging again! You're a life saver! :)

[@zikkthegreat]

my cat knocked my 2ds down while the charger was plugged in and it stopped charging. after seeing this i tried prying those two pins back up (after fully taking the backing off to check the connectors weren’t severed from the board) and that fixed me. thank you SO much!

[@spinosaurusdex]

This was a great trick, thanks! I fixed up my charger port that's been broken for months.

[@MelvinArthurMurray]

Worked like a charm thanks so much :))

[@joethelumberjak2714]

Thanks, dude! I did the sewing needle trick with mine and it worked like a charm. For anyone wanting to try this but can't find a sewing needle, you might also try a safety pin or a very small paper clip. I used a safety pin and it worked just fine. However, I tried a toothpick and the ends of it would bend too easily and wouldn't work.

[@adeebr6639]

Worked like a charm, you made my little brother unbelievable happy! Thanks!

[@danielbradley7295]

Please help my 3ds has one of the wires In the right place but the other is snapped off for some reason will I be able to charge it again please reply

[@EasyFunAITraining]

Try the Nintendo Charging Cradle, but I wouldn't recommend buying it. If you have to buy it, then I would instead recommend going for the Nyko product in my other video. It gives you a new way to charge and doubles your battery life. Plus, the Nyko product almost always costs less than the simple Nintendo Charging Cradle. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKvMoIN8bcqlmJI

[@danielbradley7295]

Thanks I will try it

[@kishimu7524]

What if the charging light turns on when I plug it in but the 3DS doesn't charge?

[@alexandercaedmonbranum8801]

Maybe a bad batery

[@ems1013]

Virilem I have the same problem and It still won't work

[@ScottCyclops]

Virilem same.Bought a new battery and it still does the same

[@moonlightcresselia2397]

Scott Summers might be a glitch in the system take it in to a game stop or any videogame store and ask if they can fix it or if u should get a new one

[@DTG4844]

your charging pins have broken

[@fentagon1]

I have never seen a tutorial that has actually worked for me until now, thanks.

[@Reddum990]

friend gave me an old 3ds he had and it wouldnt turn on. Touched up the soldering points and bent those little things inside the charger port and it's taking a charge and works now!! Thanks for the help 6yrs later 😁👍

[@yungmatt009]

Wish I saw this first. I saw my port was raised up and had the bright idea to use super glue.

[@FireJBlackBeltDemigod]

My port was raised and I completely pulled it out

[@yungmatt009]

Fire J. I bought the Nyko battery pack and just charge it off the base. Don't really play my 3ds but it's good I can if I want to.

[@dancordell1832]

So I was prying up my pins and one of them snapped off and now it won’t charge at all. Now what

[@xlfredo]

now what? now you’re screwed.

[@nico4849]

NeonNetwork You could replace it, which should be easy. there should be other videos on it. I’m pretty sure one of the charging ports cost about 3-5$. Good luck!

[@MadnessOpus]

Thanks a lot dude, this saved my butt hard, even if my problem was that the orange light was constantly blinking instead of being lit all the time when the (original!) charger was in. I was dead afraid that I’d need to replace the entire battery. Just prying the pins did the job. I owe you one.

[@superfirebro64]

holy shit! thanks so much, i was afraid i was going to have to buy a new system but you helped me fix the pin in a few seconds! thanks!

[@zevsharma9325]

I have to press down on the charger to get it to work. I kept on trying to get the pins up but when I do, I put the charger in, and they bend back down. Today, one broke. Help! What do I do!

[@grahamhornecker395]

Same for me. Please make the solution.

[@EasyFunAITraining]

Zev Sharma Nintendo charging cradle or the thing in my Nyko video.

[@grahamhornecker395]

I'm ordering mine.

[@zevsharma9325]

Jacob Monday Yeah I think I know that, and you don't have to use a bad word

[@CaminhoParaOBrilho]

Hirrei ,

[@baymahardhika8563]

Nintendo hardware problem since late '80. I still remember blowing my cartridge with hope, 25 years ago.

[@rosstrent1877]

Reset the solder joints on the charging port, now it's charging fine! Thanks man!

[@316Jack619]

Omg thank you bro, I was about to send my 3ds to Nintendo but you saved me the wait, money, and hassle for that I must like and sub and give you a big grand thanks

[@SilentShurikenSS]

YOU LEGEND !!!! managed to fix a 3DS that i got for £25 :D

[@JillWilliamson]

It worked! Thanks so much. My son is ecstatic. :-)

[@Telos954x]

Thanks. I suspected this was the issue and solution, but I wanted to find confirmation before doing anything myself. Used a sewing pin to bend them up slightly and my problem was solved.

[@Sani2-21]

Thank you so much my 3ds is finally charging i hope you channel grows

[@KlaviceGavin]

Um... I did what the video told me, and now the charging light flickers on and off. I pried the pins all the way up, and now when I plug in my charger, it won't charge. Sometimes if I jiggle the cord to the left or right and hold it there, it'll charge a little bit, but it mostly just flickers on and off without charging. I dropped my 3DS a few times from maybe two to three feet and it was working fine until just recently. I also don't know what type of screwdriver the 3DS screws use, so I can't just go buy a screwdriver.

[@EasyFunAITraining]

See if it charges with a Nintendo 3DS charging cradle.

[@ky-gp4sz]

The 3DS uses a #000 Philips head screwdriver

[@UnDeaDAmP]

PhillipsHead #000 Screwdriver. Mine's having the same issue. I opened mine up and sure enough my port is becoming desoldered. The pins are coming loose. Most likely need to solder them back on.

[@uusagh5927]

Same problem :(

[@luisantoniotapiaromero9674]

I should of left it as is, this just ruined my 3ds

[@hugenuuts8069]

Same broke the pins instead 👎🏽

[@RedPariah]

The needle trick worked for me. Thanks a lot. Also if anyone is reading this and it doesn't work, you can use the charging cradle that came with the 3DS.

[@eon37]

The fact it works amazes me, also the fact that I used a thumb tack amazes me even more.

[@r6igtgash375]

Please help i messed up on of the needles and now nothing will charge PLEASE HEELP

[@EasyFunAITraining]

so many comments. o_o

[@beautylicious143]

+FredsterMck Jones same here

[@FredJonesy]

Emmy Sauce you need to buy a new 3DS battery

[@EasyFunAITraining]

Emmy Sauce hm... sounds like one of the tiny SMD fuses might be blown. If you're lucky it could instead be a battery issue. I would remove the battery and then put it back in (reseating the battery). If that doesn't work I would see if a friend would be willing to let you temporarily put their good, charged up DS Lite battery in your DS Lite. If your DS Lite turns on with their good, charged up battery, then great - you might just need a new battery. if your DS Lite does not turn on with their good, charged up battery, then the issue is likely a blown SMD fuse, an issue which can be quite tricky to repair. Does either of your screens flash like a camera when you try to turn on your DS Lite?

[@reshiereshiram3795]

I may have a bigger problem... I wasn't doing anything major i just just trying to plug in my charger (I originally used your first tip to fix my 3ds XL) And when I went to plug it in it was not charging, so I tilted it down slightly and the small piece inside the charging port popped out.. I'm sure there is no easy way to fix it but do you have any ideas on a solution? EDIT: Currently while trying to find a place to put the small part a small part of the wire has broken off, I am certain i will need a replacement for sure, any ideas where to get one? Or do i need a entirely new 3DS XL?

[@kibi8311]

MiniGameTech man i need a sauder iron sigh..........😔

[@pommesfraj515]

IT WOOORKED!!! At first I thought that my 3DS Xl was doomed but then I found this video, did that bending thing with the needle, plugged the charger back in (expecting nothing cause I'm usually not a lucky person) but BAM the light that shows if it's charging is glowing 😭 thank you so much dude for this tutorial AAAH

[@wishingstar9085]

OMG, dude, you are amazing. I did the needle thing and it worked like a charm! You just just saved my 3ds.

[@isaacwilson5749]

+MiniGameTech nvm I had a game in my 3ds And I had to take it out then turn it on but thnks for the help! 😃😊

[@OldschoolCasey]

OMG THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!! My charger on my 3DS has been broken for a year, until now. Thanks man!!

[@johannliebert2870]

My old turquoise 3DS from 2012 had the issue with charging for years, since about 2013 or so. Always had to move the charger at an angle for it to charge. Was always scared to do this fearing I'd make it stop charging permanently, but I finally went ahead with it. It really was as easy as pushing the charging pins upwards..... Thanks!

[@elifk035]

Wow thank you for this video i never really knew the problem of my 3ds why it wasnt charging but after i watched this video i saw that i had the same problem! Got a new subscriber.

[@TheBlinger9]

Hey, your video saved me alot of heartache and money. Thanks and good luck, friend.

[@jakkmakesart3662]

omg thank you so much I was SO worried that it broke! I subscribed and liked cuz you helped me so much. thank you.

[@jjrex1639]

Hey, your video worked great, I didn't even get to do the method before it started charging , thank you so much for your incredible magic powers

[@GhostofMozart]

I'm a repair tech at a phone/tablet repair shop, and I didn't even think of trying this first. I was given a 3ds XL months ago technically and I put it off to the side not thinking anything of it until finally today I took it half way apart and even ordered a new LCD to replace before I decided to backtrack and try turning the thing on first to see how bad the LCD really was. found out it didn't charge. Sure enough just bent the pins back and the LCD is FLAWLESS thanks for saving me labor and money so I can return the LCD now.

[@drakkenmensch]

Thanks! You found the reason why my 3DS was seeing the charger but refusing to charge. Saved me a service call to Nintendo!!!

[@dreafamily1101]

Thank you thank you, I thought it was the charger, but the sewing needle tip worked a treat.

[@NoiseCommander3DS]

Yes! The needle trick worked for me, thank you so much!

[@Celtion]

Thank you so much! My ds would only charge if I bent the cord upwards, and I followed your tutorial and just barely bended those pins and now it charges perfectly!

[@sonicaspeed1237]

I just bought Pokemon Sun and got ready to charge my 3ds after a few months of not using it at all- when the charger light didn't turn on, I panicked, but I tried the needle trick and it works again! Thanks so much for this video, if I hadn't found it, I'd probably be buying an entire new 3ds when the fix was this easy!

[@FreyjmaeSeesyou]

Thank you so much the first method worked for me so pleased I was getting nervous!!

[@majorfrozen]

You're still the man 9 years later, thanks!

[@kristinaallen4574]

The needle trick worked perfectly! Thank you so much for your helpful video!!

[@BlackCatFantasia]

Thank you so so much for this! The dude at the store said I'd need a new DS, but i just fixed mine for the low, low price of Free! You're a Godsend

[@princessallen93]

Needle trick worked for me! Thanks!

[@richardpowell5653]

You da man! Nice and simple fix...Just gave me the confidence to get in there and bend stuff!

[@tengma8]

I saw so many videos of "easy fix" for electronics that don't work I don't even know why I think this one will work..... BUT IT DID WORK! thanks! :D

[@theratpackvlogsgamingandmo9126]

Thanks so much! I couldn't find a sewing needle so used this miniature flat head screwdriver I had! Thanks so much!

[@DeanAgacy]

Hitting you up from 2024 to tell you this worked for me! Thank you sir!

[@Aryaxox]

omg dude thank you so much, the sewing needle trick fixed it :)

[@lookitskazzy]

Thanks for this! Issue for me ended up being 4 cracked solder joints. Reflowing them with fresh solder fixed it right up.