Power Bank Single Light Blinking
Power bank single LED blinking — what it means, whether it's charging or almost dead, and what to do next.
Slow Blink
white
Quick info
Visual description
Your power bank has a row of LED indicators (commonly 4 dot LEDs or a bar). Only the first or last LED is on, and it is blinking slowly — typically once every second or two. All other LEDs are off. This is distinct from all lights blinking (which usually means the power bank is charging itself or there's an error).
What it means
A single blinking LED on a power bank almost always means one of two things:
Low battery warning: The power bank has very little charge left — usually 10–15% or less. Most models flash the last remaining LED to warn you that it will soon stop outputting power. If you're charging a device, the device will get a partial charge before the bank depletes.
Trickle charge mode: Some power banks blink the first LED when detecting a low-power device (like AirPods or a smartwatch) that draws very little current. Standard power banks have a minimum load requirement; if the device draws less than ~100mA, the bank may blink and cycle on/off to protect its battery.
Brand & model variations
The same light pattern can mean different things across manufacturers.
| Brand / Model | What white slow blink means | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
Anker PowerCore series | Single blinking dot = power bank battery is below 25%. Anker's 4-dot system: 4 solid = 75–100%, 3 = 50–75%, 2 = 25–50%, 1 solid = 10–25%, 1 blinking = under 10%. | Recharge power bank via USB-C as soon as convenient. |
Mophie Powerstation series | Single amber LED blinking = critically low. Solid white LED = the segments of remaining charge. Mophie uses amber specifically for final warning state. | Connect USB-C input cable to recharge. |
RavPower PD Pioneer series | Same 4-LED system as Anker. Single blinking = under 10%. RavPower also uses a single blink if you're charging a device with less than 5V/0.1A draw — the bank is waiting for a bigger load. | Try pressing the power button once to force output. For low-draw devices, use adapter mode if supported. |
Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE series | Belkin uses a single LED (not a row). Blinking = battery below 20% and device is being charged. Solid = sufficient charge remaining. | Plug in to recharge via USB-C PD port. |
Diagnose your issue
Answer a few questions to narrow down the cause.
Is a device currently plugged into the power bank?
Safe next steps
Ordered from least to most involved. Check each step as you go.
Note how many LEDs are on — if only one is blinking, the power bank is nearly empty.
If you need to keep charging your device now: the bank has roughly 10–20% capacity left, which translates to about 10–30% charge on most smartphones.
To recharge the power bank: use its USB-C (or Micro-USB) input port and plug into a wall adapter. A 5W charger takes 6–10 hours; an 18W+ PD charger takes 2–4 hours.
If the bank blinks once then turns off without charging your device: press the power button to restart output.
For trickle-charge issues with small devices: plug a phone in at the same time to provide enough minimum load.
When it resolves on its own
Condition: Low battery blinking
Expected time: The power bank will keep blinking until fully depleted, then turn off completely. To resolve, recharge: most power banks reach 100% in 2–4 hours with a fast charger.
When to escalate
Stop troubleshooting and contact your ISP or manufacturer if:
- Power bank shows single blinking light even immediately after a full charge — battery cells may be degraded.
- Power bank cycles between 1 LED on and off rapidly without charging anything — internal protection circuit may have tripped.
- Power bank is physically warm to the touch while just sitting — abnormal heat is a safety concern, stop using it.