There’s nothing more annoying than having a smartphone that’s designed for portability but needs to stay close to a wall socket.

You bought a feature-packed smartphone you can take anywhere with you but years — sometimes even months later, you notice that there are more times you keep it plugged in than not.

You look back and realize, “Are these smartphones really built to act like this?”

The answer is yes. Batteries aren’t supposed to last forever. They’re meant to decay in health due to use. And we also can’t deny that most of us are heavy users. We don’t even care if we’re using our phone while it’s plugged in, right?

But if you’re trying to look for explicit signs that’ll tell you about your smartphone battery’s decaying state, I compiled a list of signs you should be on the lookout for.

1. Your phone always dies on you

Imagine being outdoors with your friends and you want to play some music and take pictures. About 15 minutes later while the phone is connected to a Bluetooth speaker, the music stops.

You run to where your phone is. It’s dead. Again.

You know you just fully charged the thing, but why did it die this early? Well, you’re definitely looking at a case of a decayed smartphone battery that needs replacement.

This is the number one sign that your phone’s battery needs to be switched up, or you might have to change the way you use your phone if you don’t want to get a smartphone battery replacement just yet.

You always have to carry around a power bank with you if you want to remain away from the wall socket most of the time.

If this situation persists, the best decision is to get your phone checked at a reliable cell phone repair store that will give you good estimates for quality battery replacement services.

2. Your smartphone is old

Another sign that your battery isn’t good anymore is when your phone is 5-10 years old. Say, you’re using a phone that came out 8 years ago and you’re wondering why its battery won’t last you more than an hour.

Even if you took care of your 8-year old phone like a baby, batteries don’t last forever. You might have kept it stored somewhere and didn’t use it for years, but it’ll still decay. It probably might not turn on again unless you get a new battery.

So yes, your phone’s age is a factor to consider when assessing its battery health. Just because a phone is free of scratches and you’re a careful user, doesn’t mean it’ll work as if it’s new.

Get a new one. It doesn’t have to be the iPhone 13, but you can check out other models that are still very useful based on today’s tech needs. Just make sure you’re transacting with reputable stores as you browse.

3. Your phone never gets 100% charged

I’ve gone through this myself, and I admit it’s very confusing and stressful. When charging your phone, you’d expect the battery percentage to go up as time passes. But when your battery is nearing its last days on earth, the percentage decreases even when it’s plugged in!

That’s pretty mind-boggling, especially when you see it for the first time.

This occurrence is a big “GET YOUR PHONE FIXED” sign to us users because our battery isn’t even acting the way it’s supposed to. Something must be really wrong with it, right?

There are also instances wherein phones get charged to 100% but once you unplug it and use it for 10 minutes, the battery goes down to 10%. Yikes.

So get it fixed before your battery bloats and explodes (yes, that happens).

You don’t even have to wait for this to happen. Most of today’s smartphones have a feature in the settings where you can check battery health. It should tell you when the health is dangerously low and you need a replacement.

4. Things get hot

Don’t get me wrong, there are many things that cause phones to heat up. It could be the weather, the app you’re running, your phone case, and sometimes, your battery.

This is a serious implication that your battery is dying. When you’re charging your phone, it shouldn’t run hot when the battery is healthy.

It also shouldn’t be hot when you’re only running your messages app, for example. Because they’re not very demanding on hardware, your phone shouldn’t be hot on your hands when you’re running just that.

It’s even worse if your phone gets hot while you’re not using it! But if you left it somewhere hot, like on top of your car that’s parked under the sun, it should be hot (please don’t do that).

If these things happen to you, it’s definitely time to get your smartphone battery checked out and replaced by a professional.

5. It looks deformed

Smartphone batteries get bloated due to many factors. Damage, overcharging, overuse, and many others are just one of the few. Fortunately, today’s smartphone batteries are built to withstand most things users overlook.

If the back or front of your phone rises up or takes a weird shape, your battery is bloated and you need to get it replaced as soon as possible. I even strongly advise you to stop using it until you get it repaired.

If not, you’ll risk damaging other components in your smartphone, or worse, your battery might explode. Whatever’s inside your smartphone battery is toxic, and manufacturers are always sure to include that in the battery and phone’s packaging to tell you.

Check if your phone has light leaking in weird places or if it feels weird in your hands. You’ll know it because you always have your phone in your hands. Put it flat on the table and spin it around. If it spins full circle, then something’s wrong. It should be flat and shouldn’t spin around.

All in all, if your phone looks AND feels different, you should 100% get it checked out by a professional. Since most diagnostics are free, you don’t have to worry about paying for a phone check-up.

But if something needs urgent fixing (like your battery), then it’s always a good measure to prepare for getting some cash out for service.

What should you do?

Aside from getting a new battery or a new smartphone, there’s nothing you can really do. You can’t save something that’s dying and is meant to go that way in the first place.

The only thing you can do that’s close to saving yourself from smartphone battery problems is to practice proper phone usage when it comes to charging.

Today’s phones are built to avoid overcharging, so you don’t have to worry about it. But they’re not built for using off-brand chargers that run hot and sometimes catch fire.

Since most batteries are made for extreme use, just make sure you’re using authentic charges that won’t endanger you or your phone.

I know there are a lot of attractive offers on smartphone chargers, but it wouldn’t hurt to get one from your phone’s manufacturer.

When the time comes that you need to get a new battery, just call up your trusted cell phone repair store and let them do the work for you!