why does my iphone buzz/vibrate in the cradle EVERY 20 SECONDS?

July 3, 2008 12:28 AM

why does my iphone buzz/vibrate in the cradle EVERY 20 SECONDS?

sometimes when I plug in my iphone to charge it gives the usual 2-buzz when it receives power, and then KEEPS doing it over and over. it is SO annoying. it's usually every 20 seconds or so, sometimes more rapidly, sometimes it does three buzzes in a row, every like ten seconds or so. unless you've experienced this, you have no idea how annoying it is.

so... why? and what can i do?

posted by tremspeed to computers & internet (7 comments total)

Flaky power? Does it do this no matter which power outlet you use?
posted by rokusan at 12:57 AM on July 3, 2008

This happened to me on holiday, the power adapter I was using was broken.
posted by twistedonion at 1:24 AM on July 3, 2008

Switch it off silent. Now see what noises it makes. If it makes the "connected to power!"/"disconnected from power!" noises it's a flaky power adaptor or cradle. Check the connectors for dust and try a different outlet.

Do you get the same if you plug the cord in rather than docking? Your iPhone may not be docking properly. Is it in a case?
posted by subbes at 4:59 AM on July 3, 2008

I had a crap USB hub that I plugged my iPhone into, and it did this... it's super annoying, I agree. Most likely it's a bad hub or power supply.
posted by cebailey at 5:24 AM on July 3, 2008

thanks for the suggestions.

i thought of that and realized i was also using a keyboard, mouse, printer and external HD all off USB at the time. BUT, all of the above is running off a hub on the right side usb port, the iphone alone on the left side. the hub itself is unpowered. i guess maybe even though there's two ports on the macbook it's still just one bus?

i'll try switching off silent next time it's driving me crazy, thanks.
posted by tremspeed at 7:29 PM on July 3, 2008

i should have mentioned this was docking to the computer, not the wall outlet.

iphone not in a case.

i wouldn't be surprised if the hub sucked, it was one of those sub-$10 impulse buys.
posted by tremspeed at 7:31 PM on July 3, 2008

Oh, definitely overloaded bus, then. Try it as the only item plugged in (no hub), and if the condition stops, that's your ticket.
posted by rokusan at 10:55 PM on July 3, 2008