Here's Why Your Apple USB Charging Cables Are Turning Yellow

If you're a longtime Apple user, one thing you might have noticed is the yellowing that you sometimes see on older Lightning cables, as well as other official Apple charging cables. This phenomenon has become a surprisingly common problem. Questions about this issue have surfaced across social media and on several online discussion forums for years now, including threads on Apple's own official discussion site. So why does this occur? Is it a user issue? The answer is both yes and no.

The main reason why you may have noticed some of your Apple cables turn yellow comes down to heat. Oftentimes, our devices overheat during the charging process. When heat builds up in a cable, it degrades the insulation inside of it, especially around connection points. This, in turn, wears down the cable and impacts its functionality. This damage tends to show up as a yellowish color, and Apple itself acknowledges the potential for this discoloration problem on the official Apple support website.

If you own an Apple charging cable with yellowish discoloration, replace the cable as soon as possible to prevent damage to your device — the cable could potentially become a fire hazard. Some users on the /MacOS subreddit have stated that Apple has replaced cables for affected users in the past, but it's unclear if this is an option for older cables or for those who don't have an AppleCare subscription.

Heat might not be the only reason for discoloration, either. Charging cables can also yellow due to everyday handling, namely from oils transferred through the skin. Environmental factors, such as UV exposure, can also play a role in the problem.

PVC is often used to strengthen cables, but when Apple stopped using it in 2007 in favor of rubber sleeves, it led to weaker and more failure-prone cables. While Apple has improved the design and strength of its modern cables over the years, as well as ditched the Lightning port standard, little can be done to prevent yellowing issues on older cables. The only alternative is to purchase high-quality cables from a reputable manufacturer.