How To Fix A Swollen Phone Battery

What to Do If Your Smartphone's Bombardment Is Bloated

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I take pretty skilful care of my smartphone, a Moto Z2 Play, so when I noticed a little loose agglutinative between the screen and the housing last month, I didn't think too much of it. That phone has been with me all around the world, and I've subjected it to the rigors of city life on a daily basis. A little wearable and tear is expected after two years; a pristine telephone is a phone that hasn't been used.

Simply then, the Z2's screen entirely pulled away from the housing, exposing the phone's innards to the elements. My instincts, honed by many years of experience every bit a tech journalist, suggested that, perhaps, there was something wrong.

The culprit will exist familiar to anyone who'south spent some time around old phones: a swollen bombardment. Lithium-ion batteries are first-class for storing juice and powering modernistic tech (they're a far sight better than the nickel-cadmium batteries of yesteryear), but they come with their ain set of drawbacks, too. If yous suspect that your smartphone's battery has expanded beyond its intended dimensions, you demand to act chop-chop. Non only is your tech at risk, your health might be, too.

Why do telephone batteries peachy?

Like a lot of things in life, the reason why phone batteries corking comes down to chemical science. Tech repair site iFixit provides a smart overview, but information technology basically boils downwards to stoichiometry. Lithium-ion batteries rely on a chemical reaction to charge. Every bit yous may think from high school chemistry, if a chemical reaction does not fully eat all available reagents, it will create byproducts instead — and sometimes those byproducts are undesirable.

As such, if you charge a faulty lithium-ion battery, the process generates gas rather than simply charging. This gas builds up over fourth dimension, and since batteries are hermetically sealed, they expand rather than vent.

Perform this process over and over on a faulty battery, and y'all'll get more and more gas. That'southward why my phone went from a hairline crevice to pushing the screen right out of the housing. And if yous go on charging and charging, the battery will eventually burst — and potentially explode. That's what happened with the Samsung Galaxy Notation 7, if y'all recollect that whole debacle, in 2016.

I don't desire to requite the impression that a phone with a swollen battery is a ticking time flop. In fact, the odds are against it on a charge-past-charge basis. But if you go along using that damaged device indefinitely, you're looking at a burst bombardment venting some very unpleasant gases, at all-time — and, at worst, if y'all keep your telephone in your pocket, a minor fire right next to body parts that don't react well to flames.

How to handle a swollen battery

The start affair you lot should practice with a bloated battery is to run your phone'southward charge down (keeping an center on the device the whole time), then put it in a cool, dry place while you evaluate your next options.

By manner of disclaimer, I can but speak from my own experience as the owner of a Motorola phone with a Verizon Wireless plan. But whatsoever manufacturer and wireless carrier should provide similar services to what'south described below, so you should take most of the same options at your disposal.

The first thing I did was to see whether my phone's manufacturer could solve the problem. I tweeted at the Motorola back up account, where a client-service rep gave me some practiced communication. My product was out of warranty, but Motorola could still potentially prepare it for a cost. I filled out a few forms on the website, and learned that Motorola could indeed fix or replace the phone for a $120 fee. Information technology seemed a niggling steep, since y'all tin can get a perfectly skillful new phone for about $200. Simply the visitor could take just washed its easily of an out-of-warranty device entirely — your telephone manufacturer'south approach may vary.

Separately, I contacted Motorola's corporate role to meet whether this issue happens ofttimes, and what course of action the company recommends when it does occur. We will update this slice one time nosotros hear back from them.

Call a repair store

From the Motorola website, I also learned that the company has dozens of authorized repair shops all across the country. While just virtually whatsoever phone repair shop can swap out a battery, I felt a footling better about entrusting my device to a repairman who had Motorola's approval.

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Unfortunately, New York Urban center is a bit of a dead-zone for Motorola repair shops, so I had to telephone call a technician in Springfield, NJ. He said that he could perform the repair inside about an hour, and it'd toll $100. Not a bad price — although it'd cost some fourth dimension and money to go out in that location. This won't exist a problem if your telephone manufacturer offers something similar close to where you alive, though.

Finally, a coworker recommended a general repair shop near where I live; I figured it was worth calling for an gauge. While this facility didn't take Motorola'southward official stamp of approval, the technician promised that he would get an official original-equipment manufacturer battery and repair the device in three to five business days for $lxxx. So far, it's the all-time offer I've had — but ultimately, not the cheapest.

Do information technology yourself

An official battery for the Z2 play costs about $thirty; a new set of adhesive costs near $5. With shipping, I could conceivably effect repairs on my phone for about $xl. Notwithstanding, as with a lot of DIY repairs, there are hidden costs, too. In addition to my time (the procedure takes between one and two hours), I'd also need a scattering of tools that I don't have handy, similar a heat gun, a stiff plastic carte du jour (old credit cards bend likewise easily to pry anything), and a spudger.

I'm of two minds about DIY battery repairs. On the i manus, everyone should have a crude thought of how his or her phone works, and replacing a battery is a pretty simple fix, fifty-fifty for a layperson. On the other hand, once y'all take tools and labor costs into consideration, you're not really saving that much money, and it'southward not a "fun" procedure, by any means.

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To split the difference, I'll say this: If you lot desire to replace a battery yourself, there's no reason why you can't practice so — especially on older devices, where voiding the warranty is not an result. And if yous don't desire to make your own repairs, there's no compelling reason why you lot should. If you decide to go the DIY route, though, be very careful when yous remove the battery. Just articulate the area right away if you lot odour anything foul, or if the bombardment starts to get hot. Having a metal saucepan handy in example the device emits smoke isn't the worst idea, either.

Bottom line

To summarize: If your battery is swollen, cease using your phone ASAP. Let the charge run downwards, and so investigate your repair options. You can contact your manufacturer, utilise a local repair shop, or replace the battery yourself. Expect to spend somewhere between $50 and $150, depending on how much shopping effectually you plan to exercise.

A bloated battery is a major inconvenience, and a potential health hazard. But yous simply can't fight chemistry. Metallic oxidizes, and when it does, it creates a gaseous byproduct. You tin take the proper precautions — or yous can get burned.

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom'southward Guide, overseeing the site'southward coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you can detect him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on archetype sci-fi.