A recent report online shows images of an immovable Galaxy Ring with a swollen battery, showcasing a nightmare scenario for a smart ring and causing both a missed flight and a hospital visit.
Batteries can expand when overcharged or as they age; that’s just the nature of lithium-ion cells. Swollen batteries, though, can be a serious problem. Samsung has… uh… had some experience with this issue in the past.
On Twitter/X, @ZONEofTECH posted a set of anxiety-inducing images. According to the post, a Samsung Galaxy Ring began swelling during a multi-day travel period. The swollen lithium-ion battery in the Galaxy Ring tightened on their finger, preventing it from sliding off.
Close-ups of the Galaxy Ring clearly show the inner portion of the ring where the battery sits, expanding and pushing material into the finger. The concave outer diameter certainly doesn’t give the battery any room to expand outward, and titanium isn’t going to give way easily.
Daniel notes that this happened before boarding a flight, and he was consequently denied boarding with a swollen lithium-ion battery. A hospital visit followed, with the Galaxy Ring successfully removed.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 is infamously banned on flights leaving and entering the US. The phone has a history of expanding and catching fire. The FAA banned the device from flights in 2016, and that ban is still in effect, nearly nine years later.
One other instance of the Galaxy Ring battery expanding was reported some time ago on social media. That report noted that the device was less than a month old, and it wasn’t seemingly due to overcharging. Daniel says that his Galaxy Ring has been in use since January 2025. The expansion pattern in that prior report was nearly identical to the latest instance. The portion of the inner ring opposite the sensors sharply peaks as if there’s extreme acute pressure in one concentrated area. This is unlike most phone batteries that tend to “pillow.”
Samsung was able to provide this response when we reached out for comment on the incident:
The safety of our customers is a top priority and we are in direct contact with this user to learn more about their concerns. While experiences like this are extremely rare, there are a few ways to attempt removing a stuck ring, including soap and water – or submerging your hand in cold water. If these methods do not work, additional information is provided on our Samsung Support page
The company has already reached out to the affected user over social media.
While all devices with batteries inside may run into this issue at some point or another – especially when there are thousands or even millions on the market – it’s particularly concerning to see this on a device that’s literally wrapped around your finger. Truly just nightmare fuel.
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