The most alarming and hazardous of the various indicators that your battery is malfunctioning is a bloated battery. Outgassing, a phenomenon that happens when a battery is overloaded, damaged, or just old, is what causes battery swelling.
When that happens, the chemical reaction that powers your battery malfunctions and releases gas, as the name implies. The battery shell bloats up because it is designed to hold back that unpleasant gas.
In the sections below, learn what to do if your iPhone battery starts swelling.
Factors Leading to Battery Swelling
Even though they are uncommon, swollen batteries pose a serious threat. They develop as a result of an excess of current flowing through a battery cell, which results in a buildup of heat and gas.
Deep discharge, manufacturer flaw, overcharging, or battery failure are all potential causes of this. If you have recently taken a commercial aircraft, you are probably already aware of the advice to notify the cabin crew if you drop your phone so they may retrieve it for you.
They’re not just being polite, even if it’s a very good gesture. If you change your seat, the phone can be crushed if it falls inside the seat’s mechanism. This could harm the lithium-ion battery, causing it to malfunction, overheat, and catch fire.
How to Identify Swollen Batteries
A bloated battery may seem like a hazy white screen from the outside due to pressure on the display. The screen’s squishiness or separation from the phone’s body may also be noticeable. There’s no separation between the phone and the screen, but your screen moves a bit when you pinch the edges of your phone.
You may also smell your phone to check for a swollen battery. However, do not hold the device close to your face like a flower because the toxic fumes are much worse than allergies, in our opinion. Instead, use a wafting motion from a safe distance.
If you want to double-check everything, you can open your phone and inspect the battery to see whether the packaging is wrinkled, loose, or round and protruding from its compartment.
What to Do about a Swollen Battery
Don’t disregard a swollen battery. Both better and safer outcomes are improbable. You should immediately replace the battery even if your device is still operational. It can be risky to use the device or leave it powered on.
Be cautious because a bloated lithium-ion battery’s casing is stressed due to the accumulation of gases, making it vulnerable. Never try to liberate the vapours from a battery by puncturing it.
Remove the battery carefully if you can. If it isn’t removable or you run into resistance when attempting to remove it, give it up and take it to an authorised repair service. If you can get rid of it, store it in a container in a cool, secure location. While you figure out where to take it, this stops further damage.
Admire the versatility and power that lithium-ion batteries offer in your electronics, but keep in mind that they need to be treated with care and consideration. If not, it might require replacement of more than just the battery.
Conclusion
The possibility of your battery catching fire if it has already expanded must be understood. If your gadget is excessively hot, smells terrible, or is already on fire, do not attempt to change the battery.
It’s okay if all of this seems a little intimidating and you’re not completely certain about the fix because changing a bloated battery can be intimidating. Taking a deep breath, turning off your phone, putting it in a fire-resistant container, and taking it to a professional are all prudent steps to take.
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