Your contacts, email, social media, and music—there’s a good chance that your whole life is stored in neat gigabytes inside your iPhone. Making sure that it always has enough juice to get through the day is priority number one for Apple customers. Despite all of the effort that the good folks in Cupertino have put into the software, hardware, and accessories that round out your smartphone experience, there are still a number of issues that you might run into; issues that frustrate even the most battle-hardened consumers.

Here are the two most common issues and what you could do to help get things working again.

Your device won’t charge

Plugging your Lightning cable in only to wait in vain for the symbol to show up is not a situation anyone wants to be in; unfortunately, it happens on a regular basis regardless of whether or not are using Apple-certified products. That being said, it isn’t too difficult to fix (assuming nothing is broken). It could be a fluke or it could be due to the port being damaged or dirty. Try:

● Unplugging and plugging it back in: The most basic of all fixes, it works more often than you might think. Try plugging the cable back in with the opposite side facing up and be a bit more firm with it. Don’t go too hard, just wiggle the head around.

● Cleaning your charging port: Your phone’s Lightning port is a haven for lint, dirt, and other debris. Use a wooden or nylon implement (such as a toothpick) to clean the inside. If you happen to have a miniature brush, that might do the trick too. Don’t use anything metal, though. You’ll risk electric shock or damage to your phone.

● Testing the cable for damage: Apple products are notorious for fraying at the point of stress and losing their ability to charge your phone (an issue that could be avoided with Cord Condom!). Try the cable with a different device and see if it works. If it doesn’t, you’ve got to the bottom of this mystery.

Your device is charging too slowly

When time is of the essence, you can’t wait around for your phone to charge. If you’ve waited for hours only to see your battery at 30%, there’s got to be an issue.

● Try your iPad adapter: The higher-watt power of the iPad adapter can charge your phone in an instant. The 10W version punches far above the average adapter that comes with iPhone 6

● Try a different USB port: Depending on your computer, its USB ports might be of varying strengths. A simple fix could be just to transfer the cable to a different port and see if that fixes the issue.

● Inspect the cable for damage: If your cable is damaged, it won’t be able to charge as potently as it did in its heyday. Again, test the cable with other devices or inspect it with your eyes for damage. If it isn’t the cable, then it could be your charge port.

Having a fully charged phone battery is the modern equivalent of a full tank of gas and the open road: There’s just nothing like it. In most instances, cable or phone damage is to blame. If your Apple accessories keep breaking too soon, practicing safe charging with a Cord Condom could help extend the life of your charging cables for months!