6 Tell Tale Signs You Need iPhone Battery Replacement

Have you noticed your iPhone running slower? Has restarting your crashed phone become a daily ritual? Does the battery life always run out in a matter of hours—no matter how many times you charge it?

The problem might be located in your iPhone’s battery.

In 2017, Apple found itself in the centre of a controversy when it was revealed that developers were deliberately slowing down older devices in order to encourage users to buy new ones. By shortening the battery life of older iPhones, Apple could throttle the performance as soon as the phone was showing signs of wear.

But you don’t have to give in to these demands. By staying ahead of the curve and keeping an eye on your device’s battery life, you can replace the battery long before your phone starts showing signs of wear.

Here are six signs that it might be time to get a battery replacement—so you can extend your phone’s life and keep it in peak condition.

How to Check Your Phone’s Battery

Before we get into some indicators that it’s time to update your battery, it’s important that you know how to check your battery performance.

As a response to the PR crisis in 2017, Apple released a new iOS software update which allows you to see the health of your iPhone battery. Accessing this indicator is simple. Just go to Settings, tap on Battery, and then tap on Battery Health.

With this feature, you can see for yourself if the battery life is the reason behind the poor performance of your phone. It can also give a warning that it might be time to get the battery replaced—which means your phone is no longer running at peak performance.

Making your Battery Last

Before you look into getting a new phone battery—and after you’ve replaced the battery—you’ll need to know the top strategies for making your battery last. You don’t want habits to be unknowingly contributing to the short life of your phone.

First, check your screen’s brightness. If you’re keeping it at top brightness all the time, go to the settings and lower it.

Next, take a look at the apps that you use on a daily basis. Some apps use more energy than others—and some might even be draining battery life when you’re not using it.

Delete apps that you don’t need and make sure to close out of apps when you’re done using them. You can do this by double-tapping the home screen and then swiping up on the app you want to close.

When your battery is below 50%, be sure to put your phone in low power mode.

If you’re in an area where you don’t need Wi-Fi or there isn’t a strong connection, go ahead and turn off Wi-Fi on your phone. Even when you’re not actively connecting to a Wi-Fi network, your phone is still searching for a network to use—which drains the battery.

Do the same thing with your cellular data. Go ahead and turn it off when you don’t need it. You can even put your phone on airplane mode to automatically disable these automatic connections.

If you’ve tried everything to keep your battery strong but you’re still running into issues, it might be time for a replacement.

Signs You’re Ready for an iPhone Battery Replacement

No matter how careful you are with your phone’s battery, you’re going to need to replace your battery at some point. Adding a new battery will help boost your phone’s battery life, performance, and durability—without having to buy a new one.

Here are a few signs to look out for in your iPhone.

1. Your Phone Shuts Down Constantly

Does your phone go black for no reason at all? If you notice that your phone shuts down frequently—without any clear reason—your battery could be the culprit.

Here is an easy way to determine if your battery is at fault for the regular shut-downs. In some cases, your phone just needs to be calibrated to show the correct battery amount. Here’s how you can recalibrate:

1. Use your iPhone as normal, but don’t charge until it shuts itself down due to low battery
2. Then, plug in your phone into a charger and let it charge uninterrupted until the battery is at 100%
3. Once it’s charged, hold down your sleep/wake button and your home button (sleep/wake button and one of the volume buttons for the iPhone X)
4. Hold these buttons down until the Apple logo becomes visible

Now, continue using your iPhone as usual. If your phone continues to shut down without reason, it might be time to replace your battery.

2. Your Phone is Getting Overheated

Does your phone feel like it’s burning up? Even when it’s just sitting in a neutral temperature? Your battery could be overheating your phone.

The lithium-ion batteries inside your iPhone are designed to lock in the heat and protect other parts of your phone from the heat generated when it recharges.

So if your phone is feeling hot to the touch—and you haven’t been leaving it in the sun—it might be time to consider replacing the battery.

3. Your Phone Battery is Starting to Swell

This might seem self-explanatory, but if you notice your battery has become misshapen, it’s definitely time to replace it.

Even if it’s not swelling too badly, if you notice that the battery is outgrowing its case, you need to remove it as soon as possible. Early signs of a swollen battery can include a white tint to your screen, a noticeable divide between your screen and phone body, or the screen feeling soft or malleable when you touch it.

Be sure to get your battery replaced by a professional. If you puncture the pack too soon, you could end up exposing yourself to the toxic contents. 

4. Your Phone Only Works When It's Plugged In

As long as your phone isn’t completely dead, it should still charge when plugged in. But, if the phone only powers up and functions when it’s plugged in, either the charger or the battery could be at fault.

Try using a different charger or outlet to confirm that the problem lies with your phone—not with an outside charging source. Then, try this test to see if your battery could be behind it.

1. Open Settings and select the Battery option
2. Write down the numbers listed next to Usage and Standby
3. Then, press the power button to turn your phone off and let it sit for 10 minutes
4. If you receive a text or call, you’ll have to start over—try turning your notifications off
5. After 10 minutes, turn your phone back on and check the numbers next to Usage and Standby

The standby time should have gone up by 10 minutes, but the Usage time shouldn’t have increased much—only one to two minutes at the most. If this is the case, it’s time to look for a battery replacement.

5. Your Phone is Getting Older

The performance of most iPhones (past iPhone 6) is being throttled by Apple, so you’ll naturally see a decrease in battery health over time. A battery replacement can help get your performance back where it should be.

Whether or not your phone is being limited by Apple, age can be a significant factor in how healthy your battery is. Your iPhone will perform at its best for about 18 months. So if you’ve owned the same phone—with the same battery—for more than 18 months, there’s a good chance it’s time for a replacement.

Is It Time to Replace Your iPhone Battery? 

Don’t surrender to Apple’s limitations on your phone’s battery life. Just because your phone’s performance is starting to go down doesn’t mean that you need to spend over $500 on a new phone.

Breathe new life into your phone with an iPhone battery replacement. You can boost the speed, performance, and battery life of your phone for a fraction of the price.

Looking for a new battery to take your iPhone to the next level? Only hand over your phone to professionals you can trust—we can replace your battery, fix shattered screens, replace cameras, and more. Take a look at the services we offer to get your phone back to where it should be—working smoothly and seamlessly.