La battery It's the component of the mobile phone that suffers the most over time. Although technology has improved and we have increasingly more capacity and better energy management systems, Real autonomy does not grow at the same rate Furthermore, the battery begins to degrade from the very first day of use. This degradation can cause the phone to have a shorter battery life, to shut down unexpectedly, or even for the cell to swell and pose a safety risk.
To avoid surprises, it is essential monitor battery health and learn to interpret the signals that the device itself sends us. Next, we'll see 4 tricks to know the health of your battery combining visual methods, simple tests and software tools, plus tips on how to act safely if you notice something is wrong.
Analyze it visually
If you notice that your mobile phone's battery is getting too hot, that the battery life has plummeted, or that the percentage is dropping rapidly for no apparent reason, The first thing you should do is try to open the phone and physically check the condition of the power supply.provided the device design allows it and you have minimal experience handling electronics.
When a phone suffers a severe impact or has been subjected to extreme conditions, the damage is sometimes obvious to the naked eye. Something similar happens with the battery: A visual glance can reveal serious problems without needing to use advanced applications or menus.
If you have a smartphone where you can remove the battery, or if you can simply see it by removing the back cover, we recommend doing so carefully to check for any issues. In unibody models where the battery is sealed, it's preferable to... Do not force it to open on your own and leave this inspection to the technical service, but you can inspect the exterior looking for bulges or separation of the chassis.
Observe it and look for any signs that the battery is damagedPay attention to possible cover breaksCheck for deformations, swollen areas, or any irregularities in its shape. It's also important to inspect the condition of the connectors and contact pins for rust or corrosion.
If you find one greenish or whitish chemical substance If you see residue around the contacts or on the surface, you'll know the battery is nearing the end of its life. This type of residue usually indicates internal leaks or chemical reactions that shouldn't occur in a healthy battery.
In addition, a damaged battery can release a strange or metallic smellor cause abnormal heating even when the phone is turned off. Any of these signs is a reason to stop using it immediately.
All of this can be very dangerous. If this happens, go to the end of the article, where we explain. What should you do with a broken battery? to avoid risks to your health and the environment.
Spin it
It may sound like a joke, but the truth is that Rotating the battery outside the phone is a very simple way to detect deformations.If the power supply has been exposed to extreme heat or cold for an extended period, or has suffered an internal failure, the cells may be damaged, sometimes even deforming the battery. However, this is not always visible to the naked eye.
If you can remove the battery, handle it carefully by the edges and Place it on a completely flat table. to perform the test. Avoid soft surfaces such as thick tablecloths or mats, as they could skew the result.
If the battery spins like a topIf it's too loose, then it means it has a bump or bulge at the top or bottom. That means that is internally damaged and has lost its original flat shape. This swelling is usually related to gas accumulating in the cells, a clear symptom of advanced degradation.
A battery in perfect condition on a table should be in contact with the surface across its entire surface, so when trying to rotate it, it should stop very soon and almost without movingIf it spins easily, it's because it has a different point of support and balance than expected and has become deformed, although this may not always be obvious at first glance.
In these cases, the best thing to do is Change the battery and avoid using it again.A swollen battery can put pressure on the screen and other components, causing the glass to detach or, in the worst case, even become punctured and cause a fire.
Remember You must not puncture, bend, or crush a deformed battery. Trying to "deflate" it or return it to its original shape. The risk of explosion or leakage of toxic substances is very high, so always treat it as hazardous waste that must be managed properly.
Analyze loading and unloading jumps
One of the easiest signs to tell if a battery is damaged or severely degraded has to do with the sudden jumps in load percentageIf you've owned several smartphones, you've probably noticed that over time the battery's charge and discharge rates change. This irregular behavior can be a sign of a defect or significant wear and tear on the battery.
What should catch your attention? It's very easy: if while charging your phone you notice that the percentage It jumps from 12% to 21% all at onceIf there are no intermediate points, or if the opposite happens when the phone is being discharged (for example, it suddenly drops from 30% to 18% or the phone turns off while still showing battery), something is wrong.
That is to say, if the energy percentage changes consistently exceed two points And if there's no explanation (no restarts, no occasional fast charging), then it's very likely the battery is damaged and the software reading no longer reflects the actual remaining capacity. The system is making an estimate based on a cell that no longer behaves as it did when it was new.
Another way to check the status of your battery is Check the battery percentage of the phone when it turns off by itselfIf your smartphone repeatedly shuts down when it reaches, for example, 12% or even 20% battery, it means it's not in optimal condition. Some phones also freeze at 70% or even 100% charge for several minutes and then shut down on their own after only a short period of use.
These behaviors are related to the concept of charge cyclesEach time you charge the battery to approximately 100% capacity (for example, from 40% to 90% and then from 20% to 70%), you complete one cycle. After several hundred cycles, the battery's usable capacity begins to decrease, and the system has more difficulty accurately estimating the remaining percentage, resulting in jumps and inconsistencies.
In these cases you must understand that the battery is clearly damaged And the best thing you can do is replace it with a new one. Reducing the brightness, activating power saving mode, or closing background apps might help you last a little longer, but It will not solve the underlying problem, which is the physical loss of cell capacity.
It is advisable to spend a few days Note how the percentage behaves in different uses: playing games, browsing, in standby mode, with the screen off, etc. If the phone loses a lot of battery when almost not in use, or if it drops very quickly as soon as you demand some performance, the cell wear is very evident.
Your battery data and statistics
Modern batteries, or rather the software that manages themThey usually include diagnostic tools to keep track of your phone's charging and discharging statistics. Although Android doesn't always directly display battery health data, it does offer very useful information about consumption, screen-on time, and overall condition.
Accessing this data is easy through the settings themselves or using special codes and diagnostic applications. Furthermore, some custom interfaces, such as those from certain manufacturers, include additional options like... number of charge cycles or performance warnings when the battery is deteriorating.
First, check your Android settings
Before resorting to codes or apps, it's worth taking a look at what your mobile phone already offers:
- Sign in Settings > Battery or a menu with a similar name.
- Look for options like Battery usage, Battery status o Device maintenance.
- Some models display messages like "battery in good condition" or alerts if a noticeable wear.
Although most mobile phones only show battery consumption per app and current battery percentage, more and more manufacturers are adding basic health indicators to warn when the battery no longer delivers the expected performance.
Dialing the number *#*#4636#*#*
In addition to the settings, you can access the power source status of your mobile phone. by going to the phone app and pressing *#*#4636#*#* (As one user correctly points out, it doesn't work on all smartphones or tablets.) There's no need to press the call button: after dialing the last asterisk, a hidden menu will appear if your device supports it.
That menu displays several system testing and diagnostic sections, including the option to "Battery information"The availability and level of detail of this data depends on the manufacturer, but it usually includes several interesting parameters.
If you click on this option, You will find the battery temperature, voltage, and current level. (the remaining battery percentage) and the scalewhich is sometimes called something else. A healthy power supply usually operates within reasonable temperature ranges and maintains a stable reference scale.
On some devices, this scale is represented with a maximum value of 100, which corresponds to the total capacity when the battery is new. If the system indicates that the current capacity is around 70% or 50%, it means you've lost 30% or 50% of the battery and that the usable capacity is now half of the original. If you want to delve deeper into how Android interprets that... useful lifeWe recommend you read our article on battery life.
In addition to the generic code, certain manufacturers allow you to access specific information using other codes:
- On some mobile phones Xiaomi, POCO or Redmi The code can be used * # * # * # * # 6485 to see data such as load cycles, estimated current capacity or the general state of the cell.
- In other models, this data is integrated into service menus accessible only to technicians, so you will have to resort to third-party apps.
Using specific apps
On the other hand, You can also download and use applications to always keep in mind the health status of the energy sourceThey are a very useful tool if your mobile phone does not display this information natively or if you want a more detailed analysis.
There are free apps that allow you to access this data, as well as other data such as... precise battery percentages in 1% incrementsThis is useful for detecting the load jumps we mentioned earlier, as well as the time remaining to complete the actual loading and unloading.
Among the best known and most reliable on Android are:
- AccuBattery: specialized in batteries, monitors charging and discharging, estimates the actual capacity in mAh, calculates the battery health comparing that capacity with the manufacturer's theoretical capacity and shows usage and consumption graphsIt's ideal for seeing how your habits (charging to 80%, using fast charging, etc.) affect the cell's lifespan.
- CPU-Z: general hardware diagnostic app. In the section Battery, at the entrance Health, shows if the battery is in a state "Good" or if any problem is detected, based on the data provided by the system itself.
- Ampere: very popular for watching in real time charging and discharging currentvoltage, temperature, and a field of "Health" This indicates whether the battery is in good condition. It's useful for checking if the charger, cable, or USB port is working properly.
- AIDA64, Droid Info or Device InfoThey offer very detailed information about the phone's hardware, including battery type, condition, temperature, voltage, and theoretical capacityAccording to the model, they can show additional data on capacity losses.
Now that you know these tricks to know the health of your mobile battery, you can check if it has defects or not. If it has defects, you must change it for another one. But beware, What you should never do is throw the battery in the trashBelow we explain why and how to manage it safely.
What to do if my mobile battery is broken?
Mobile power supplies They are prone to explosion if overheated or damagedTherefore, you must be very careful if you expose it to extreme temperatures, if it suffers strong impacts, or if it short-circuits. the risk is highThere is a risk of poisoning, as the fumes are harmful to humans, and also a risk of fire, as the batteries, when they explode, can burn for hours.
Then, The first and most important thing you should do if you discover that your mobile phone battery is broken or defective is to turn off the phone.This will prevent possible internal short circuits and dangerous explosions, and will reduce the temperature if the device was overheating.
Of course, Do not try to charge your phone if the battery is damagedConnecting a swollen, cracked battery, or one that has already shown strange behavior (shutdowns, sparks, strange smell), to the power supply can aggravate the problem and trigger a serious incident.
If you can remove the battery from the mobile, Try to leave it in a safe place until you can take it to a recycling center.A well-ventilated area, away from flammable materials and out of reach of children and pets, is best. Avoid placing it in airtight containers that could accumulate gases in case of a leak.
You can also take these defective items to a electronics recycling center Use specific containers for batteries, available in many shops and specialty stores, to dispose of them safely. We've included a link to the OCU website for more information. see where the clean points closest to you are.
If you cannot remove the phone's battery, you will have to Contact the official technical service or a trusted repair technician.They will offer you a safe and professional solution to prevent any accidents, using the appropriate tools to open the device without damaging it and managing the damaged battery as hazardous waste.
Also, if you're going to change the battery, it's best to opt for spare parts of proven qualityUse batteries that are preferably original or from trusted manufacturers, and avoid very cheap batteries without certifications or clear warranties. A poor-quality cell can have a very short lifespan or even be less safe than the original once it's degraded.
Monitoring battery behavior, correctly interpreting percentage jumps, taking advantage of system diagnostic tools, and using specialized apps will help you decide with data when it's time to change it or by adjusting your charging habits. Taking care of this component not only improves daily battery life, but also extends the lifespan of the entire phone and reduces the environmental impact of having to replace the device prematurely.
