Swollen battery: how to spot it and why it can't wait
The back cover is lifting, the display is separating from the frame, or the phone rocks on a flat table. That isn't a drop or bad glue — it's a battery that is swelling. Here is how to recognise it, what to do right away, and what price to expect.
Updated 12 Sep 2026
How to spot a swollen battery
The back cover is lifting or bulging
The most common sign. The cover peels away on one side first, the gap grows, and the phone rocks when laid on a table. The battery inside is expanding and pushing the cover out. The fix is a battery replacement — and the sooner, the better the odds the cover survives intact.
The display is separating from the frame or rippling
On phones with a glued back glass, a swollen battery finds its way towards the display instead. The picture may show bright patches where it's being pressed, and touch may respond on its own. This is still the battery, not the display — but if the replacement is put off, the panel gets damaged for good and a display replacement is added to the bill — what that looks like is in Broken screen.
The phone gets warm even when it isn't charging
A warm phone at rest, battery life far shorter than before, plus a slightly domed cover: the battery is already breaking down chemically. Don't wait for the gap to grow. If the phone also charges slowly or only with the cable at an angle, see Phone won't charge.
The cover came loose after a drop, but nothing is bulging
That is usually not the battery. A drop cracks the adhesive or the glass and the cover lets go — a back glass replacement or a battery cover replacement fixes it. We check the battery during inspection anyway and let you know.
Not sure
Choose Diagnostics: we inspect the phone and send you the exact repair price within 24 hours of receiving it. You pay only after you approve. We check the battery on every phone that comes in for any repair — if it's swollen, we tell you.
What to do right now
- Switch the phone off and don't charge it. Charging heats a swollen battery further and expands it more.
- Don't press the cover back down, and don't try to puncture, remove or "deflate" the battery. A punctured cell can catch fire.
- Keep the phone out of the freezer, out of the sun and out of the car. Put it on a non-flammable surface, away from paper and fabric.
- If the phone still turns on and runs on battery, make a quick backup and switch it off straight away. If it won't turn on, your data stays on the phone — the battery is replaced without touching the storage.
- Contact us before ordering. We'll agree a safe way to get the phone to us — a damaged battery can't travel as an ordinary parcel.
What a battery replacement costs
The price depends on the model. The table shows where the replacement starts within each brand; you see the exact price for your phone once you pick the model.
| Brand | Battery replacement starts from |
|---|---|
| Apple | from €70 |
| Samsung | from €55 |
| Xiaomi | from €65 |
| Huawei | from €65 |
| Motorola | from €50 |
| Honor | from €70 |
| OPPO | from €45 |
For a swollen battery, contact us before ordering — we'll agree a safe hand-over.
The price you see for your model is final: part and labour, no hidden fees. It covers a new full-capacity battery, safe disposal of the swollen one, fresh adhesive for the cover, and a 12-month warranty on the battery and the work. If the swollen battery has already damaged the back glass or the display, we tell you after inspection, with a price — nothing extra is repaired without your approval.
Why not to wait
A swollen battery never shrinks back. Every day it presses on the display and the back glass until one of them cracks — and one of the cheapest repairs there is becomes a battery plus a display. In rare cases the cell heats up enough to catch fire. Replacing it in time costs a fraction of a damaged phone.
How the repair works
- Contact us before ordering. We'll agree a safe way to get the phone to us.
- As agreed, you complete the order online — pick the model and the repair. The price is final, return shipping is free.
- Within 24 hours of arriving at our workshop, the battery is replaced and the cover re-glued.
- We ship the phone back. Return shipping is free.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a battery swell?
Age and heat. After hundreds of charge cycles a lithium battery starts releasing gas inside; frequent overheating, charging overnight under a pillow or a cheap adapter speed it up. It isn't something you did wrong — it's how batteries age.
Can a swollen battery be repaired or "deflated"?
No. The gas inside is a product of the cell breaking down, and the battery is no longer safe. The only fix is a replacement.
Can I hand in a phone with a swollen battery at a Packeta point?
Not as an ordinary parcel — a damaged lithium battery can't be handed in at a Packeta point or sent with any parcel service. Contact us before ordering and we'll agree a safe way to get the phone to us.
Will I lose my data?
No. The battery is replaced without touching the phone's storage. If the phone still turns on, we recommend a backup before you send it anyway.
What if the battery has already damaged the display or back glass?
We write to you with what we found and a price for both repairs. The phone ships once and comes back with everything done.