Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
Smart rings are small, discreet, and stay out of the way while logging heart rate, sleep patterns, and more. But when something goes wrong, that convenience can quickly turn into a liability. A Galaxy Ring user recently reported that his ring’s battery swelled while on his finger, making removal impossible without hospital intervention. More than just nightmare fuel, the incident highlights a design flaw across the entire industry. Smart rings, for all their promise, lack an emergency exit.
Trapped by my own tech
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
Unlike watches or bands, rings don’t unbuckle (or un-Velcro) for easy removal. They only come off the way they go on: sliding past knuckles. If a finger swells, whether from heat, hydration, or a malfunctioning battery, the device can quickly become a vise. In the case of one unlucky Galaxy Ring user, battery swelling turned a well-fitting device into a finger trap, grounding his flight plans and sending him to the ER.
The fear of having a ring of any kind stuck on my finger is very real.
That’s exactly what happened to tech creator Daniel (@ZONEofTECH). According to Daniel, after his Galaxy Ring’s battery failed, soap and hand cream only made things worse. Airport staff denied him boarding, and he ended up in a hospital, where doctors used ice and medical lubricant to slide the ring free.
While battery failure is rare, stuck rings are not. I experienced this myself while pregnant. None of my smart rings required cutting tools, but they did get painfully tight, and I resorted to cold water and old-fashioned dish soap just to slip them off. The panic of feeling trapped by your own tech is real, even without a swollen lithium-ion cell pressing against your skin. Call it finger-based claustrophobia. Add in everyday scenarios like swelling during workouts, and the situation is more common than users may realize.
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
As of now, smart rings offer no emergency removal features. There are no hinges, breakaway clasps, or expandable seams. The industry’s main safeguard is sizing kits, which aim to help buyers pick their perfect fit before purchase. That’s great for day one comfort, but less helpful when fingers inevitably fluctuate.
... continue reading