Battery is swollen and the trackpad is lifting, is it dangerous to keep using?
Yes, a swollen battery is a safety risk, so stop using it. Unplug the charger, do not charge or power it on, leave it on a hard, non-flammable surface away from anything that burns, and arrange a replacement through the maker or a repair provider. Do not press on it, puncture it, or remove it yourself.
Cite
Geek With Laptop Forum, "Battery is swollen and the trackpad is lifting, is it dangerous to keep using?", https://geekwithlaptop.com/forum/thread/battery-is-swollen-and-the-trackpad-is-lifting-is-it-dangerous-to-keep/, accessed 2026-11-10.I hope someone here can help me, because I am a little frightened. My laptop is about five years old. This week I noticed that it no longer sits flat on the table and rocks slightly. This morning I saw that the trackpad has lifted at one edge, and the clicking part feels stiff and a bit spongy. There is also a thin gap along the bottom of the case that was not there before.
My son says it sounds like the battery has swollen. I read online that this can be dangerous, but I also read that people keep using theirs for months. I have not turned it on since I noticed the gap. It is plugged into the charger at the moment because I left it that way overnight, which now worries me.
What should I do right now? Is it safe to leave it where it is? Can I unplug it? Should I try to take the battery out myself, or take it to a shop? I do not want to start a fire in the house. I can follow written steps well, but I would be grateful for plain advice, please.
- Accepted answerInes CalderStaffHardware and repairs editor ·
Yes, a swollen battery is a safety risk, so stop using it. Unplug the charger, do not charge or power it on, leave it on a hard, non-flammable surface away from anything that burns, and arrange a replacement through the maker or a repair provider. Do not press on it, puncture it, or remove it yourself.
Tyler's two ideas are the opposite of safe. Puncturing a lithium-ion battery can cause a fire, and leaving a swollen pack on a charger keeps feeding it. Please do not do either.
iFixit's guide to liquid damage is mainly about spills, but it states the battery rule plainly: any sign of bubbling, bulging, melting or discoloration on the battery means it is finished, and it should be disposed of only at a battery recycling facility, and it says that if you see or smell signs of a battery reacting, you should not touch it. That is the standard to apply here.
If your laptop is a Mac, Apple's page on a battery that needs service says that Mac laptops with built-in batteries should have the battery replaced only by an Apple Authorized Service Provider, an Apple Store, or an Independent Repair Provider using genuine Apple parts, and that repairs by untrained people could damage the equipment. That rule is Apple's, but the principle is sound for any thin laptop with a built-in battery. Check your maker's support page for the same instruction.
When you take it in, carry it in a hard bag or box, not in a pocket or soft bag, and tell the staff in advance that the battery is swollen so they handle it properly. Do not put it in the household bin or ordinary recycling. Ask the shop how they dispose of the old pack.
7 more replies
Most helpful first- Raul M.Member ·
Beth, this is worth taking seriously, but you have caught it early. Short steps:
- If you can do it without leaning over it, unplug the charger from the wall first, then from the laptop.
- Do not turn it on and do not charge it again.
- Move it onto a hard, non-flammable surface away from curtains, beds and sofas, with nothing on top.
- Do not press on the trackpad or try to flatten it.
Then contact the maker or a repair shop. A swollen battery needs replacing, not coaxing.
- Tyler B.Member ·
Swollen batteries are nothing to worry about if it is just the trackpad. Keep it on the charger and just use it plugged in, a lot of people do that. If you want, you can poke a tiny hole in the battery to let the gas out and it goes back to normal, that is what the gamers do.
- Owen P.Member ·
I see this a lot in refurb work. The giveaway is exactly what you describe, a laptop that rocks and a trackpad that has risen because the cell is pushing up from under it. Some models have the trackpad sitting directly on the battery. If it is a MacBook or a thin ultrabook with the battery glued in, definitely do not try to remove it yourself. Also, when the new battery is fitted, ask the shop to look at the charging circuit too if the battery was only a few years old.
- Hannah K.Member ·
A practical note from me: if you use the laptop with a screen reader or rely on the keyboard daily, tell the shop that when you hand it over. I once had a repair done where the replacement trackpad was fine but the keyboard connector was left slightly loose, and I only found out on the second day. Ask them to test every key before you leave.
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