Is Your Smartphone Battery Always Drained? 7 Signs It Needs Replacing

Not everything lasts forever— even your mobile phone battery. Small lithium-ion powerhouses that run your iPhone or Android phone are all consumables, meaning they have a limited life span.

So why buy mobile phone batteries? Using devices for long periods of time degrade phone battery life, and eventually, you’ll have to replace them. These times where technology runs the world, smartphones that won’t hold a charge long enough can’t get you through hectic days.

How will you know if your battery needs replacing? Here are the signs.

1. Overheating

Take note that the average healthy temperature range for phone batteries is around 68-86 degrees Fahrenheit. Although your battery can handle above this level, it’ll have a negative impact on its overall life and performance.

If your device is hot to the touch, this can be hazardous and is also another sign that your battery capacity is on its last leg.

2. You can’t turn on your phone

This is the most obvious way to determine if when your battery is on the verge of dying. However, if you still hear notifications coming from your device or experience any signs of power but there’s no display, then you most likely have display issues and not with the battery.

Another probable reason maybe your charger. Try to plug in your device using another charger to confirm whether it’s a battery problem.

3. Only show signs of life when charging

If your Samsung Galaxy phone or Apple iPhone is completely dead and you’ve ruled out all possibilities of the screen being damaged, then you need to move to the next step. Try to connect your charger and observe it for a few minutes.

If your device turns on and begins to work, then that’s great. Next, remove the charger, and if it cuts off as soon as you remove it, then your battery’s definitely dead. You can determine this by the fact that the phone only works when it draws power from the charger.

4. Dies fast even after full charge

On average, a modern smartphone like Samsung Galaxy or 2015 models onwards can last anywhere from 5-8 hours. However, this can still vary depending on a lot of factors, such as if you use your device frequently, use battery-draining apps, or forget to close apps that can shorten your battery hour range to 3-4 hours.

But if you have fully charged your device, but the battery life seems to run out fast, like 2 hours or less, or if it shuts down randomly, then this is another sign that your battery capacity is at its limit.

5. Charging doesn’t fully recharge the phone

Another telltale sign that your battery needs replacing is its inability to reach a full charge on a standard charging cycle. Most phones require at least 4-6 hours to go from drained to full battery.

You can test this by letting your phone’s battery run out (below 5% battery life left). Then, plug your device into a charger based on the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer. Power it on and check how full the battery is. If it’s below 100%, then it’s unable to hold a full charge.

6. Bulging battery

If your phone screen starts to unbuckle itself from the frame, this is most likely the cause of a bulging battery pushing it upwards. Battery bulging is actually caused by overcharging the battery’s cells. This is as hazardous as overheating, and at this point, you have no choice but to replace your batteries before it cracks your screen.

7. Your phone is old

Can you still figure out how many times you’ve charged your device since your first purchase? If you most likely charge once a day, then every year would be about 350 charging cycles.

Phone batteries, on average, are designed to last from 300-500 charging cycles. If you’re around the 18 – 24 month mark since you bought your iPhone or Android, then the battery’s likely worn out.

Disposing of Old Batteries

Remember, you can’t just toss out damaged or batteries that aren’t working with all of your other garbage. Batteries can leak out hazardous chemicals as they decompose and must be responsibly discarded.

Check battery disposal regulations in your area. Depending on where you live in, it can even be illegal to throw your batteries in the trash.

Get Replacement ASAP

Are you chaining yourself and your iPhone to a plug, so you don’t “die”? Or maybe not, because you have wireless charging. Whatever’s the case, if you don’t have the best battery in your arsenal, it can affect your day-to-day activities.

Fortunately, it’s easy to get smartphone batteries replaced, and with power banks as backup, you can ensure your device doesn’t “die.” If your only problem with your phone is the battery, replacing it is going less expensive than getting a new smartphone.