Is Your Meta Quest 3 Not Charging? (Fixes That Works!)

We understand that whenever your Meta Quest 3 is not charging you have a limited time for troubleshooting before the headset dies completely. 

So, this quick guide will walk you through several quick steps that will help you identify the source of the problem and easily fix it.

Here’s a quick list of everything that could be a potential culprit:

How to Know if Quest 3 is Charging?

If your Meta Quest 3 is charging, you should see an orange or amber light, which should turn green when the headset is fully charged.

Well, you should also consider a software bug!

Yes, that’s entirely possible. In some cases, the Quest 3 may be charging, but the LED indicator will not indicate the ongoing process.

To justify this, connect your VR headset to the charger and check the battery status and whether the percentage will go up from the “Quick Menu” settings.

If your headset battery percentage is not increasing, continue with the troubleshooting steps!

Meta Quest 3 Not Charging – 8 Quick Things to Try!

Note: Have you tried turning the headset off and on and then charging it?

1. Reconnect the USB-C Cable

If your Meta Quest 3 isn’t charging, try unplugging the USB-C cable from both ends and then reconnecting it securely.

Also, unplug the power adapter from the wall and then disconnect the cable from your headset before plugging everything back in.

In the meantime, check whether the ports or USB-C connectors of the cable are bent or faulty in some way.

Sometimes you may notice burnt or dark spots, meaning the cable has been fried.

If you don’t see the orange light, it means your Meta Quest 3 is not charging, so keep reading!

2. Test via Different Wall Outlets

Another fundamental step before digging into more complex troubleshooting is to try plugging the Quest 3 adapter into a different wall outlet. 

If you already tried this, skip this step, but if you haven’t, make sure to try at least one more wall outlet in your home to charge your Quest 3.

Two possible outcomes:

• If your Quest 3 is charging from a different outlet, there is no problem with your headset and you should inspect the socket.
• If your Quest 3 is not charging from multiple outlets in your home, the issue is definitely in your Quest 3 and/or equipment.

Note: After a recent power outage, the voltage in the outlets may still be weak or fluctuating!

3. Remove Third-Party Devices

One common mistake Meta Quest 3 users make is not plugging the power adapter directly into a wall outlet.

If you’re using third-party devices like smart plugs, power extenders, or anything that alters the voltage, they could be the cause of the charging issue.

So, connect the power adapter of your Quest 3 equipment directly to the electrical outlet and test whether your headset will start charging. 

If not, well, that’s another sign that the issue is not coming from the source, so keep reading!

4. Replace your Power Adapter

So, the power adapter can get quite hot while charging, and over time, excessive heat may damage its internal components.

Unfortunately, a faulty adapter isn’t always obvious just by looking at it, as it often shows no visible signs of damage.

• To rule this out as the issue, try using a different USB-C power adapter or test with a USB-C to USB-A cable connected to a USB-A power adapter.

The best way to exclude this possibility is to find another USB-C power adapter or use a USB-C to USB-A cable, to test via USB-A power adapter.

Note: USB-A power adapters are typically everywhere, so at least one of your devices such as smartwatches and smartphones uses such an adapter.

5. Clean Quest 3 Charging Port

Another possibility why the Meta Quest 3 won’t charge could be due to a clogged input or output port, whether it’s on the headset or power adapter. 

So, the next step we recommend is using a toothpick to reach within the port and try to remove as much dirt/dust as possible.

Sometimes there are clusters of hair stuck within the port, which prevents the contact pins from transferring electricity.

Note: Be gentle while cleaning the ports with the toothpick to avoid damaging the contact pins!

6. Try Charging from Safe Mode

If you’re dealing with a software problem that prevents your Quest 3 from charging, you must try whether the charging works under “Safe Mode”.

Also known as “USB Update Mode” or “Bootloader”, if you boot your headset in this mode, most features will be disabled, potentially eliminating software errors.

Here’s how to boot your Quest 3 in Safe Mode:

• Turn off your Meta Quest 3 by holding the Power button.
• Simultaneously press and hold the Power & Volume (-).
• Release whenever the Boot Menu appears on the screen.

Then, don’t select any of the options and connect your Quest 3 to the charger.

Wait like this for around 10–15 minutes and then select the “Boot device” option.

Your VR headset will now turn on normally, and when it does, check whether the battery percentage has changed increasingly.

Quick Tip: To move up and down in the Quest 3 boot screen, use the Volume buttons, and to select an option press the Power button.

7. Allow Battery to Acclimatize

Well, if you’re just unboxing your Meta Quest 3 headset and the device has been exposed to a very cold environment, you need to wait for the battery to acclimatize. 

This typically happens during the cold winter, especially if the battery of your Quest 3 headset has reached critically low temperatures.

If that’s the case, leave the headset to acclimatize for about 15–20 minutes (or more) in a room’s temperature, and then try charging the battery again.

Note: Similarly, if your Quest 3 is overheating, the battery may not charge until it cools down!

8. Reset your Quest 3 to Default

Well, if nothing works, and you still have some battery left on your Quest 3 headset, it’s worth performing a factory reset before the device dies completely.

If you’re dealing with a software problem a factory restoration would definitely address any system-related headset problems.

To factory reset your Meta Quest 3, follow the steps below:

1. Hold the power button to fully shut down your headset.
2. Hold the Power + Volume Down buttons simultaneously.
3. Whenever the Boot Menu appears, release the buttons.
4. Using the Volume buttons highlight the “Factory Reset”.
5. Finally, press the Power button to select it and confirm it.

If your Quest 3 headset is not charging even after performing the factory reset, it’s likely a HW problem that must be reviewed by a professional.

So, you should either contact Meta Customer Service or bring your VR headset back to your local merchant for a full warranty replacement.

Why is My Quest 3 Not Charging While Playing?

If your Quest 3 headset is not charging only while you’re playing games, this typically means that the battery is starting to wear out.

Yes, that’s correct, batteries are consumable products, which means that over time, their effectiveness starts to fade away.

Hence, if the battery is not moving up, even though your headset says that it’s charging, this means that the charge is being consumed faster than being delivered.

If your headset is entirely not charging, whether you’re playing or not, we recommend scrolling up and checking the solutions we’ve unwrapped.

Quick Tip: We recommend learning how to improve your Quest 3 battery-draining problem!

How to Fix When Meta Quest 3 Not Charging on Station?

If you are using a charging station, but your Meta Quest 3 is not charging, you must ensure that the headset is properly contacting the terminals.

In addition, your charging station may not have power due to a connection problem, so we recommend inspecting the link to the power source.

Here are a few things to try:

• Reconnect the cable from the charging station’s side.
• Unplug and reconnect the connector from the adapter.
• Disconnect and reconnect the adapter from the outlet.
• Switch to a different (proven-to-work) electrical socket.

Note: Try charging your Meta Quest 3 by directly plugging the USB-C connector into the port of the headset and then the adapter straight into the outlet.