Swollen battery or short battery life: signs it's time to replace it

If your phone drains in hours, shuts off with charge left or the screen or back cover is lifting, the battery has reached the end of its life. A swollen battery is urgent: stop charging it and bring it in. Battery replacement is an express repair we finish in under 1 hour.

Phone batteries don't last forever. Every charge cycle wears them down a little, and eventually the phone stops being reliable: it doesn't make it through the day, it dies at the worst moment or, worst case, it swells. At our kiosk in Plaza Carolina Mall we replace batteries every single day, and these are the signs we tell our customers not to ignore.

The signs your battery is done

You don't need to be a technician to notice. If you recognize two or more of these, the battery is the problem:

• It drains way too fast. You leave home at 100% and by mid-afternoon you're hunting for a charger.
• It shuts off with charge left. It reads 20% or 30% and suddenly dies like it was at 0.
• The percentage jumps. It drops from 60% to 40% in minutes, or leaps up the moment you plug it in.
• It runs hotter than normal, especially while charging or using the camera.
• It only works plugged in. The moment you unplug it, it shuts off.
• iPhone warns you. Settings > Battery > Battery Health shows a service message or maximum capacity is below 80%.

If on top of this the phone doesn't charge properly, there may be two problems at once. We help you tell them apart in my phone won't charge: when it's the port and when it's something else.

Swollen battery: why it's urgent

A swollen battery is different from a worn-out battery. When a lithium battery degrades badly, it generates gas internally and puffs up. From the outside you notice it because:

• The screen lifts on one side or you see a gap along the edge.
• The back cover separates or the phone no longer sits flat on a table.
• The device feels bulged in the middle.

This isn't just a battery problem: the pressure can crack the screen, warp the frame and, in extreme cases, cause a fire. So we'll be direct: stop charging it, don't squeeze it, don't try to open it, and bring it in today. At the kiosk we remove it safely and install a new battery.

What not to do with a swollen battery

• Don't puncture or bend it to "deflate" it.
• Don't leave it in a hot car.
• Don't keep using it "until it dies": the risk grows with every charge.

How we replace batteries at Fix On Wheels

Battery replacement is one of the express repairs we finish in under 1 hour, and it's part of our phone repair service. Here's how it works:

1. Free diagnostic on any device that powers on. We confirm the battery is the issue and not the port or software.
2. Price before we start, tax included. We never start a job until you approve the price.
3. Replace and test. We install the battery, seal the device and test charging and operation with you.
4. Written warranty. Most repairs come with a 60-day warranty, and your invoice shows the exact warranty. See the table in our store policies.

We work on iPhone, Samsung, LG, Motorola and more. It's the kind of quick repair that earns us a 4.9★ rating on Google with over 870 reviews from customers in Carolina, San Juan and Trujillo Alto.

Is it worth replacing the battery or buying a new phone?

Almost always worth it. A new battery gives the phone back the runtime it had on day one, and it's one of the most affordable repairs there is compared to a new device. We'd only think twice if the phone no longer gets software updates and has other damage on top. In that case we tell you straight during the diagnostic, no pressure.

Bring it to Plaza Carolina today

We're on the second level of Plaza Carolina Mall, across from Victoria's Secret, Journeys and Kokomo. Open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM and Sundays from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Walk in or book your appointment online.

If your battery is swollen, call us at (787) 717-7605 before heading out and we'll tell you how to transport it safely.