Swollen iPhone battery: what to do right now

1. Unplug it and stop charging it.
2. Back up if the phone still turns on — iCloud or a computer.
3. Keep it out of a hot car and out of your pocket.
4. Bring it to an outlet or WhatsApp us a photo of the gap.

• Don't press the screen back down. You can crack the screen or puncture the cell.
• Don't try to open the phone at home to “let the air out”. The swelling is gas sealed inside the cell.
• Don't keep using it with a case squeezing it shut.

Lithium-ion cells slowly release gas as they age. Heat speeds that up: phones left on a dashboard, used for navigation while charging, or charged under a pillow. Cheap chargers that don't regulate voltage properly make it worse.

Swelling is also one of the two things our battery warranty covers. If a battery we fitted swells within its warranty period — 90 days for Standard, 180 days for Premium and Genuine — bring it back.

Usually yes. Once the battery is out, the screen settles back. If the swelling has already cracked the glass or bent the frame, the technician will show you before doing any extra work, and you decide.