Official Apple warning for BILLIONS over iPhone battery safety – is your device putting you at risk?

APPLE has issued a warning to billions of customers over battery safety fears.

Most people have had to get their iPhone's battery serviced or changed at some point.

After all, it is much cheaper than getting an entirely new device – especially when the price of a new iPhone nears four digits.

But if your iPhone is operating with a nongenuine battery, you may be at risk, Apple has warned.

The tech giant is warning consumers to make sure they're going to a certified technician for their iPhone's servicing needs.

"Visiting a professional repair provider with certified technicians who use genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair," the tech giant said in a .

Certified providers include Apple and "Apple Authorized Service Providers, and Independent Repair Providers, who have access to genuine Apple parts."

What are Lithium-ion batteries?

All iPhones use lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion), which are lighter, smaller, and more powerful than predecessors like Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH).

And because Li-ion batteries come equipped with sensitive components, they should be serviced with care.

"To avoid damage that could cause overheating, fire, or injury, only a trained technician should replace an iPhone battery," Apple said.

"Repairs performed by untrained individuals using nongenuine parts might affect the safety of the device or might cause improper function."

There are several ways an uncertified service provider can mess up a battery change.

For instance, they might input a poorly designed or manufactured battery, a previously used or damaged battery, or an incorrect battery for your iPhone model.

Any one of these scenarios could lead to insufficient battery capacity, improper fit, or performance issues.

"Using nongenuine batteries might also result in unexpected behavior after installation, device software updates, or while charging," Apple said. 

They also emphasized that using nongenuine batteries might lead to safety issues.

How to check if your iPhone has nongenuine parts

iPhones running on iOS 15.2 and later and iPhone XR and iPhone XS models can notify you if a nongenuine part is present.

You can simply go to Settings > General > About.

Once there, you can see the history of your phone's parts and service. You can also find out if the battery has been replaced.

If the replacement was done using genuine Apple parts and processes, "Genuine Apple Part" will appear next to Battery.

However, if it's an unknown part, a message will appear alerting you to one of the following:

• Was replaced with a nongenuine battery
• Was already used or installed in another iPhone
• Isn't functioning as expected

"Genuine batteries are designed to work with iOS to function properly, including to report charge levels and battery health," Apple said.

"Therefore, nongenuine batteries or repairs won't have the ability to obtain battery health information."