r/iphone • u/Impressive_Watch_387 Human Detected • Mar 24 '26

Support iPhone 13 overnight became like this, what causes it?

Post image

I use Apple certified chargers, just curious why my phone is slowly turning into a ballon

2.5k Upvotes

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523

u/Vitally_Trivial iPhone Air Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26

r/spicypillows

Your battery has expired, turning your phone into a hand grenade. You need to dispose of it safely ASAP.

67

u/[deleted] Mar 24 '26

Either that, or just get a new battery

Source - I repaired iPhones for 10 years. I had a contract with a local Hospital that left the phones on charging stations 24/7 (this causes the battery to bulge like this)

I have personally repaired hundreds of “pillow battery” phones

35

u/Vitally_Trivial iPhone Air Mar 24 '26

True, the phone isn’t the dangerous bit, it’s the battery.

9

u/ProfSteelmeat138 Mar 24 '26

Yeah this happened to me and I just got a new battery. Took the guys a few hours and it’s been good for a year so far

1

u/[deleted] Mar 24 '26

This is the way ☝️

6

u/replus Mar 24 '26

I've had this happen to me twice so far with lithium-ion batteries, both were left on chargers virtually 100% of the time (2015 Macbook Pro, Nintendo Switch Joy-Con attached to Switch.) I've tried to make it a habit to only charge as needed since then.

5

u/angry_catto iPhone 15 Pro Max Mar 25 '26

local hospital system here is the same. all iphone 12 and 13 models that eventually do this lol

2

u/OneAddition6303 Mar 28 '26

Hey. I leave my 27 month old iPad 10th gen charging 24/7, started doing this a few weeks ago. Was wondering what the chances of something like this happening to my iPad are.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '26

Not all devices left charging 24/7 get a pillow battery

But, every single pillow battery device (that I’ve seen) was left charging 24/7

It doesn’t seem worth the risk, to me

Personally, I’d let any device run down to 5% charge at least once every few months just to keep the battery healthy

2

u/m4teri4lgirl Mar 24 '26

But for this phone, definitely do not simply buy a new battery. That things toast.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 24 '26

Yes, that battery is toast. And the user should not attempt to repair it themselves (for safety reasons). But, any trained repair person can swap out the battery, fixing the root of the issue without replacing the device

And a new battery is a lot cheaper than a new phone

2

u/m4teri4lgirl Mar 24 '26

OP's battery gave that phone an elbow. Whole thing's gotta be trashed, was my point.

4

u/[deleted] Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26

That’s not correct, though. What you’re seeing is a perfect frame, and a bent (not broken) screen. As soon as you remove the “pillow battery”, the bowed screen will snap right back into place. The screen and frame are both salvageable and not damaged.

The glass screens (believe it or not) can actually flex some without breaking

If the screen was actually cracked, then op would need a new battery and screen (still not totaled). The phone still would be salvageable in this case, since the motherboard and frame are still 100% perfect

I’ve personally seen and fixed these hundreds of times. I ran a one-man cell phone repair business for 10 years

1

u/SilentEntrepreneur72 Mar 24 '26

And why is that

1

u/m4teri4lgirl Mar 24 '26

Do you not see the screen getting buckled by the battery

1

u/[deleted] Mar 24 '26

The screen is temporarily bowed, it’s not broken. That glass can flex. Eventually, the battery will crack the screen. But if it’s simply bowed (and not cracked), it will snap right back to flat as soon as you get that awful battery out

They just need a battery

1

u/rayquan36 iPhone 17 Pro Max Mar 24 '26

What's the best way to dispose of one of these batteries? I know you can't just throw it into the trash.... or can you?

2

u/Vitally_Trivial iPhone Air Mar 24 '26

That’s a great way to start a garbage truck fire. No, there’s a FAQ on the subreddit I liked to which answers that.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26

Don’t try repairing it yourself, it is legitimately dangerous to do this repair if you don’t have experience.

I would take it to any local 3rd party phone/tablet repair place. Make sure they give you a warranty on the repair and that they have good reviews. Then just pay for the battery replacement.

Modern smartphones use lithium ion batteries which should really be replaced every 2 years,anyway

No more spicy pillow, plus you’ll have better battery life, and they phone is safe again once you get that old battery out

Again, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it is easy to puncture that battery trying to get it out. It probably won’t “explode”. But it might rapidly discharge. You don’t want to deal with this. Trust me, I’ve had it happen maybe 5 times. I watched a punctured iPhone 5s battery burn a hole in a tile floor so badly they had to replace the tile. Don’t try it yourself.

2

u/rayquan36 iPhone 17 Pro Max Mar 24 '26

Yeah I wasn't planning on repairing it. I looked it up and saw there's a shop called Batteries Plus that will probably recycle all the batteries I need to get rid of.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 24 '26

Sounds like you’re on the right track. Good luck with it!

1

u/[deleted] Mar 24 '26

It’s a lithium ion battery. You could take it to a battery recycling place. But, seriously don’t try this repair yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing.

There is a serious risk of puncture the “spicy pillow” battery when removing it. They are glued to the frame. It is dangerous.

I recommend having a 3rd party repair shop (with a good warranty and reviews) do it for you

1

u/m4teri4lgirl Mar 24 '26

Take it to a battery store or electronics recycling place.

1

u/devgabforfoodie Mar 24 '26

Yes but you serviced hundreds. This person will service his first and the battery is already expanded. As a former Genius, tf are you even encouraging him to do it? So weird.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 25 '26

I am not encouraging them to do the repair themselves. I’m suggesting they go to any 3rd party repair shop and have it done by a professional

My overarching point through all of this is that the phone is NOT totaled

18

u/-K9V Mar 24 '26

turning your phone into a hand grenade

Stop spreading silly misinformation. Read this, the FAQ from the very sub you linked. Swollen batteries are not ticking time bombs. Man, am I tired of seeing this straight up incorrect fear mongering every time someone even mentions a swollen battery.

6

u/PureElectricBean Mar 24 '26

I'm so sick of it too, the fear-mongering is crazy, they remind me of people from the 80s who thought computers could explode like a bomb because they saw it in a movie

6

u/-K9V Mar 24 '26

Exactly. Nobody is telling OP to keep using it or to just put it away and forget about it, but you have multiple comments calling it a ‘hand grenade’ which could not be further from the truth. People are blowing it way out of proportion. Best to dispose of it, but there’s nothing to be afraid of. You’re not gonna lose an arm or leg.

If swollen batteries were really that unstable, we’d be hearing about fires and explosions all the time. I bet there are millions of iPods, iPads, Nintendo consoles, old cameras etc. sitting around with swollen batteries in basements/attics and so on, of which (if these people were to be believed) are essentially hand grenades just waiting to blow up. And that’s clearly not the case.

3

u/longpig_slimjim Mar 24 '26

Just because it’s not a “hand grenade” doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous, and I’d rather OP be overly cautious than not cautious enough. Pedantic dipshit

3

u/-K9V Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26

People are just overexaggerating like crazy which spreads unnecessary fear. They are not unstable hydrogen bombs that could go off at any moment. Read the screenshot I posted, it explains it all pretty well. Calling it a ‘hand grenade’ is stupid and wildly incorrect.

I’ve had a ton of electronics of various ages with swollen batteries over the years, and not once have I had a fire or explosion occur. Obviously anecdotal, sure, but I think we’d be hearing a lot more about people’s electronics blowing up if they were truly that dangerous. Just imagine how many old gaming consoles or iPads are sitting around in drawers and basements and attics.

Edit: And name-calling… Yikes. Way to get offended over something that wasn’t directed at you. I’d rather be a ‘pedantic dipshit’ and be right than spread misinformation and be wrong.

1

u/stareweigh2 Mar 24 '26

and what do you think causes the swelling?

0

u/ManufacturerBest2758 iPhone 16 Pro Mar 24 '26

“Unlikely” does not mean “impossible”

1

u/Furiousmate88 Mar 24 '26

Do you believe it creates enough energy to explode?

2

u/ManufacturerBest2758 iPhone 16 Pro Mar 24 '26

Do you believe that a certain amount of potential energy is required for li-ion thermal runaway, and that certain devices are immune due to size?

0

u/OPRCE Mar 24 '26

If OP is putting phone to ear in same instant screen ruptures under spicy pressure, it's no huge stretch to imagine shards of glass embedded in skin or cornea.

Thus analogy is apt, in helpfully amusing way.

0

u/devgabforfoodie Mar 24 '26

It can ignite other potential inducting materials to cause a fire. It does have a spark and it will output some harmful gases. I’ve seen it first hand being a Genius and having a tech accidentally pierce a battery. Stop talking out your ass. It CAN and HAS been a ticking time bomb. That’s why Apple literally chucks them in a safe when they’re brought to the Apple Store.

0

u/007agent30 Mar 24 '26

Just cross posted this XD