5 signs your phone battery needs replacing

Every phone battery wears out. Lithium-ion cells lose capacity a little with every charge cycle, so a phone that lasted all day when it was new might struggle to make it to the afternoon two or three years later. The good news: a worn battery is usually one of the quickest and most affordable repairs there is.

1. It drains much faster than it used to

If you're charging at lunchtime when you never used to, and your usage hasn't changed, the battery is the most likely cause.

2. It shuts down with charge still showing

A phone that dies at 15% or 20% — especially in cold weather or when you open the camera — is a classic sign of an aged battery that can no longer deliver power when the phone asks for it.

3. The percentage jumps around

Dropping from 40% to 10% in a few minutes, or sitting at the same number for an hour, means the phone can no longer read the battery accurately.

4. It gets hot while charging or doing simple things

Some warmth is normal, but a phone that gets noticeably hot doing very little is worth having looked at.

5. The screen is lifting or the back is bulging

This one is urgent. A swollen battery can push the screen away from the frame or bend the back panel. Stop using the phone, don't charge it, and bring it in. Swollen lithium batteries are a fire risk and shouldn't be left in use.

How to check your battery health

iPhone: go to Settings → Battery → Battery Health & Charging and look at Maximum Capacity. Apple treats a battery below about 80% as significantly worn.

Android: it varies by brand — many phones show battery information in Settings or in the manufacturer's support app.

Replace the battery, not the phone

If the rest of your phone is working well, a new battery can make it feel close to new again — for far less than a replacement handset. We handle battery fast drain, swollen batteries and poor charging capacity on phones, laptops, tablets and iPads, and we'll give you a price before any work starts.