Your iPhone battery might be at risk of swelling after users discover a new problem

Newer iPhone models might have a bit of a problem with how their batteries are assembled, if new reports coming in are to be believed. If this problem is more widespread than initially thought, then there could be many more iPhone models whose batteries are at risk of swelling, which can lead to electrical fires and worse.

iPhone battery swells during flight

According to a user report, the poster’s iPhone 16 Pro Max swelled during a flight, something which the user took a picture of mid-flight. What’s even more bizarre is that the phone returned to normal when the plane landed, but not before swelling enough to force the back panel to detach from the body.

Another user reported the same phenomenon in the comments, this time for an iPhone 15. This phone also swelled during two flights, returning to normal once the planes were back on the ground.

Why this might be happening

Some commenters chimed in with explanations for why this might be happening. The running theory seems to be that some iPhone batteries have gas in them that is unable to swell at normal atmospheric pressure. If someone travels in an older plane, which might not maintain cabin pressure all too well, then the gas is able to make the battery swell.

This would explain why the swelling went away after the planes landed. It would also explain why the second user’s phone didn’t see experience this problem again once they got their battery replaced: some batteries might not be as properly manufactured as others.

What you should do in such a situation

If you ever find yourself in the middle of a flight with a swollen iPhone — or any phone, really — alert the crew immediately. The risk of an electrical fire during a flight is too dangerous to simply ignore.

Also, remember to take pictures. The first time that the second user tried to get their phone’s battery replaced at an Apple Store, they were told that such a thing cannot happen. They had to provide photographic proof next time around to get a replacement. Such an event will also probably ruin your phone’s water and dust-resistant capabilities.

This seems like a very rare occurrence, but it only takes one bad phone to turn a routine flight into a terrifying experience for hundreds.

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