How to Fix Meta Quest 3 Orange Light? (5 Easy Fix!)

The Meta Quest 3 orange light indicates that the VR headset is charging.

However, the real hurdle comes when the orange light starts blinking, which means the battery fails to charge. 

This could be due to many things, some of which include a boot loop, overheating, or even a hardware defect with the battery.

Don’t worry, in 99% of the cases, this is solvable. Here’s what you can try:

How To Fix Meta Quest 3 Orange Light? – Working Methods

Before you start: If you’re seeing a blinking orange light, keep the headset plugged in for a few minutes and check whether the light will turn solid.

1. Don’t Move the Charging Cable

As weird as this sounds, moving the charging cable, even touching it can cause the orange light to start blinking and halt the charging process.

The majority of Quest 3 users believe that this is a software issue, but this can also be related to a defect in the charging port or charging cable.

Here’s exactly what to do:

1. Unplug the VR headset.
2. Wait for 15–20 seconds. 
3. Plug the charging cable.
4. Wait and don’t touch it.

If your VR headset is now charging (solid orange light), try to move and touch the cable to justify whether that’s causing the problem.

If yes, then you’re not alone. 

You either have to adapt to this charging ritual or justify further whether the port or cable is bad. 

Cleaning Port & Inspecting Cable:

If you notice any dust or debris inside the charging port of your Quest 3, clean it via toothpick.

If you have a replacement charging cable, test whether your Meta Quest 3 will charge sufficiently.

2. Check and Prevent Overheating

To be as concise as possible, if your VR headset is overheating, the battery won’t charge, and you will see your Meta Quest 3 flashing orange light.

So, one way to bypass this problem is to simply unplug your Meta Quest 3 for 10–15 minutes and wait for the battery to cool down a bit.

However, this may happen again! 

• We strongly recommend avoiding playing games before or during the charging process. 

Also, if you have any accessories that may be covering the ventilation openings of the headset, it’s crucial to remove them.

This will unclog the ventilation flow of your headset and will hopefully reduce the hardware temperatures. 

Important: Cleaning Your Meta Quest 3

To further avoid overheating while gaming or charging your VR headset, we advise inspecting the shafts all around the front-facing panel of the device.

Vacuum any dust/debris if needed and remove any objects that may be clogging the airflow.

Note: Playing or heavily utilizing your Meta Quest 3 in a warm environment can also contribute to a high battery temperature and trigger the orange blinking light.

3. Replace Equipment One-By-One

If the orange light on your Meta Quest 3 is flashing, it often indicates that the charging process starts and stops continuously.

This may be caused by several things, including the power cable, the electrical outlet, and any third-party devices that may be interfering with the power delivery.

So, do the following to narrow down the defective component:

• Power Outlet: Connect your Meta Quest 3 to a different outlet in your home to identify whether the power interruptions come from the power source.
• Connection: Connect your Meta Quest 3 directly to the outlet, without any third-party devices such as extenders, dividers, or smart plugs.
• Equipment: If you have a spare double-sided USB-C cable as well as a USB-C power adapter, replace them one by one to identify the culprit.

If the Meta Quest 3 starts charging and the light turns to solid orange, identify the faulty piece of equipment in your setup and get a replacement as soon as possible.

4. Allow the Battery to Acclimatize

In some rare cases, especially if you’ve just got your Meta Quest 3 delivered, cold temperatures may be the reason for the charging problem.

If your Meta Quest 3 headset has been exposed to the cold during the winter seasons, you must wait for the battery to acclimatize before charging.

To achieve this, avoid using or charging your Meta Quest 3 headset for about 30–45 minutes and wait until the device’s hardware reaches the room’s temperature.

Then, try charging the battery again. If this doesn’t work, continue with the next solution step…

5. Factory Reset the Meta Quest 3

If your Meta Quest 3 battery is not completely dead (red light), this means you still have time to perform a factory reset of the entire system. 

This may sound like a harsh approach, but if you cannot fix the blinking orange light (charging issue), this will soon render your device unusable.

Warning: The factory reset will erase everything from your Meta Quest 3 permanently!

How to Reset Meta Quest 3 via App?

1. Open the Meta Horizon app on your phone.
2. Tap the feed from the top of the application.
3. Select “Devices”, and choose your headset.
4. Navigate to Settings → Advanced Settings.
5. Finally, choose Factory Reset and “Reset”.

How to Reset Meta Quest 3 (No App)?

If you don’t have the Meta Horizon app or can’t connect your headset, to perform a factory reset you need to enter the USB Mode Menu.

To do so, power off your headset and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons until the device turns on.

Use the Volume buttons to navigate the USB Mode Menu and select Factory Reset → Yes.

Quick Tip: One last thing to attempt is charging your headset overnight, and checking whether the light is green (fully charged) in the morning.

Meta Quest 3 Orange Light Still There! – What’s Next?

If the Meta Quest 3 orange light is still blinking, and the VR headset is not charging regardless of what you try, this may be a battery-related defect. 

Hence, your best course of action would be to seek professional assistance or contact the local merchant in an attempt to claim your warranty.