The smartphone battery swells for no reason other than that its battery has swollen. Even though the different safety precautions incorporated into their manufacture in most cases prevent the problem from worsening, an inflated phone battery is a risk to your safety.
Today’s cellphones don’t have a readily replaceable battery, so the most typical indication that the battery is swelling is when the screen or back of the phone separates. We’ll explain why mobile batteries expand and what you can do if yours swells.
Why does the battery of the mobile swell up?
Lithium batteries generate energy through a chemical reaction that over time can fail to complete properly. As a result, when you charge a defective lithium battery, the process generates gas as well as energy.
A gas forms as a result of the charge, accumulating with each charging cycle. Because the batteries are hermetically sealed, the gas generated is confined within them. The “good” news is that the batteries are to some extent flexible, swelling up like a balloon, and therefore give us some reaction time before things go wrong.
Overcharging, low-quality components, high temperatures, or faulty electrodes are all causes of a battery swell. Sometimes there seems to be no apparent reason other than the passage of time. A good way to reduce the risks is to always use the official phone charger.
What to do if the phone battery is swollen?
Is your phone’s battery swelling? Don’t ignore it or let it go. While the mobile will usually operate as if nothing happened for a time, the battery will not deflate on its own. It’s an irreversible procedure that causes the battery to expand and become increasingly dangerous.
However, there is always a danger of fire with an improperly inflated battery, therefore it is critical to solve the problem as soon as feasible and avoid using the device or leaving it unattended until then.
Switch off the phone
A mobile with a bloated battery is a mobile that is not safe, so the best thing you can do is turn it off. WhatsApp and Instagram notifications can wait and is that although the phone continues to work for the moment when we learn that the battery is inflated is when it has already acquired a certain critical mass.
It is impossible to know when the accumulation of gases will reach its limit or if in an oversight – for example, by forcing the mobile in a case that no longer fits – the pressure is going to be put on the battery. If the battery is punctured, the accumulated gas will be released in the best-case scenario or it will catch fire in the worst case.
Do not charge the phone
As we mentioned before, when the battery has reached a point where its charge releases and accumulates gases, there is no turning back. This means that the more it is used and the more it is charged, the more gases will be released and the more it will inflate.
While you should not panic, it is best to treat the situation with the gravity it deserves and treat the phone as if it is temporarily unavailable. Look for a replacement phone while you sort things out.
Don’t squeeze the phone
There are things we do without thinking, like checking that kitchen tongs are working or kicking a ball that is at foot level. Even if you have the urge to press the phone bulge, don’t do it.
Not only do you risk puncturing the battery and exhaling the accumulated gas, but there’s a chance it could catch fire or you could break some other component along the way – like the screen – that isn’t ready for pressure against a non-flat surface, such as the battery “ball”.
Consult with the technical service
When your mobile’s battery is charged, you have two alternatives: replace it or upgrade your phone. The good news is that the battery is one of the most readily available replacements, so it’s rarely too costly to replace.
Whether the phone is under warranty or not, contact the manufacturer’s official technical support to see how much it would cost to replace the battery. In certain cases, as with Huawei phones, you may get prices straight from the manufacturer’s official technical support app. Not only will you get a safer battery, but also a brand new one, and therefore with the same autonomy as when the phone was just purchased.
