If you're a fellow Apple enthusiast, chances are, you have encountered the hideous tearing of a lightning cable that you use to charge your phone every night. Or at least, you start to see bumps and creases forming on your cable, and are worried that you might be out of a charger. Don't pout so soon, for here are some ways to prevent that damage from going any further, or salvage the last remains of an obliterated cord.
1. Tape it
I know this sounds obvious and simple, but an Apple charger will hold up well and stay sturdy with enough tape to keep the charger from bending any further and promoting breaking of the cable. Any typical tape works fine, including typical Scotch tape or another house tape. Just make sure it isn't conductive tape, or you might get shocked.
2. Put a pen spring around it
Got a useless pen lying around? Disassemble it and take the spring! Then, stretch the spring out a little bit to cover more area, and slip the spring on to your cable at the common breaking point and rotate the cable around the spring so that the cable goes into each of the gaps on the spring. Voila! You know have a sturdy solution to you unstable cord problem.
3. Add a cable protector/saver around it
If you have a good friend who has a 3-D printer, you hit the jackpot. If possible, ask them to print you protective clips designed to fit around your cable at the point where it breaks. The design for these clips is available on the internet, including designs on thingiverse.com. Or if you do not have a 3-D printing friend, you can find them for sale on retail sites.
4. Ask Apple for a new one
Yes, you can simply ask them to replace the cable, at no added cost. Apple prefers that you call one of their stores ahead of time and tell them you are coming. Make sure that you bring the broken cable and an Apple device, for evidence to make sure you aren't some guy trying to take their cables. Don't abuse this opportunity though, as Apple only offers one cable replacement per device.
5. Order a better one
If you've given up on Apple at this point, just find an alternative cable online. Amazon offers a very sturdy cable option, from their Amazon Basics department, and there are hundreds of other off-brand cables on the internet, some of which are longer than the traditional cable, have cooler cables, and much more. Just make sure to look for good ratings and reviews before ordering, as sometimes off-brand cables can be faulty and a waste of money.
