Your new TV is all plugged in and ready to go when you discover the remote has no batteries. Fitting your battery into the remote can seem like a puzzle, leaving you unsure of where each end of the battery goes. Fortunately, there are easy ways to remember where to insert a battery that work for all types of devices. In this article, we’ll show you where to find your device’s battery compartment and how to install AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt, and button batteries. If you’re ready to take on those fresh batteries, read on!

[Edit]things you should know

• For AA, AAA, C, and D batteries, slide the flat, negative end of the battery against the spring. Then, push the raised, positive end into the flat side of the compartment.
• For a 9-volt battery, hold it at a 30° angle to line it up with the connector snaps. Push it into the connectors and then push it into place.
• For coin or button batteries, keep the positive side facing up unless otherwise directed.

[Edit]step

[Edit]battery compartment detection

1. Check the device for a small battery symbol or plus and minus sign. Most battery compartments are on the back or bottom of the device, so check there first. Depending on the device, the compartment may be on the front, side, or top of the device. The compartment is usually marked with either a small battery-shaped symbol or a “+” or “-” sign, indicating battery polarity.^[1]
   
   • These marks may be on the top or side of the compartment door.
2. Look for a box that closes when there is no symbol. If you don’t see an icon, check the compartment icons on your device. On most devices, there is a piece that slides or pops off to open the compartment. Just look for lines on the device that don’t match other seams.
   
   • Some devices have a clasp or a lever that releases to open the compartment door.
   • The battery compartment may also be held closed by one or more small screws.
3. If you’re not sure where the compartment is, check the user manual. Your device’s instruction manual should have a diagram showing where the battery goes. If you can’t find your manual, search for your device online. Typically, the manufacturer will provide a copy of the manual on their website.
   
   • When searching for manuals online, include the brand name and model number, if you know it.
4. Remove any screws holding the compartment closed. The screws in the battery compartment are usually Phillips screws, meaning they have a cross-shaped dip in the head. To remove these screws, use a Phillips-head screwdriver with a cross-shaped tip.
   
   • If the screw is stuck, you may be able to remove it using a screw extractor.
   • When you’re changing a watch battery, you may need to use a special tool, such as a small flathead screwdriver, to remove the back of the watch.
5. Look at the compartment door to determine what size battery you need. Usually, the battery size will be printed on the outside of the compartment door. If it is not on your device, the information may be located inside the compartment. If it’s not listed, check the device’s manual. Or, estimate the size of the battery and try different sizes until you find one that fits.
   
   • AAA, AA, C, and D batteries are all 1.5V batteries, but different sizes produce different currents, or the amount of electricity the battery can draw at once. AAA is the smallest conventional 1.5V battery, and is commonly used to power small electronics. D is the largest 1.5V battery and usually charges larger items like flashlights.
   • A 9V battery looks like a small box with a snap on top, and is often used to power devices such as smoke detectors and walkie-talkies.^[2]
   • Coin and button batteries are small and round, and they are used to power very small devices such as watches, hearing aids, and computer components.^[3]

[Edit]Installing AA, AAA, C, and D Batteries

1. Look for the plus sign on your battery. The polarity of batteries is what helps them supply current to a device.^[4] The plus sign, or “+,” indicates the positive terminal. On AA, AAA, C, and D batteries, the positive end is slightly raised with a distinctive bump.^[5]
   
   • The negative end of the battery is completely flat. It may or may not be marked with a minus or “-” sign.
2. Find the positive and negative symbols on your device. Inside most devices, you’ll notice that one side of the compartment is springy, and the other side is flat. Many devices mark a plus and minus sign on each side, which tell you which direction the battery needs to go.^[6] The negative end is where the spring or small metal lever is located, while the positive end is completely flat.^[7]
   
   • If the polarity is not marked on your device, you may need to consult the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Match the polarity on the battery with the inside of the device. When inserting batteries, the positive end of the battery matches the positive terminal of the compartment, and vice versa. It is very important that each battery is properly aligned inside the device. If your battery is in the wrong direction, it may cause your device to malfunction, or it may leak and damage your device.^[8]
   
   • On devices with vertical compartments, such as flashlights, see if the bottom is flat or has a spring. If the spring is on the bottom, the flat or negative side of the battery goes first. If the bottom is flat, the raised or positive side of the battery goes in.^[9]
   • If there are symbols, just match the “+” on the battery to the “+” in the compartment and the “-” on the battery to the “-“.
4. Slide the flat, negative end of the battery inside the first compartment. Installing the negative end first allows the battery to slide more easily into the compartment. Simply press the flat end of the battery into the spring or lever, flattening it down. Then simply snap the positive, or raised end, against the flat side of the can.^[10]
   
   • Usually all you need is a little push to get the positive end of the battery in place.
5. Check alignment of compartment if more than 1 battery is inserted. If you have multiple batteries in the compartment of your device at once, they may alternate directions. This creates a chain of currents that amplifies the energy produced by the battery. Make sure that each battery faces the direction indicated on the battery compartment or in the user manual.^[11]
   
   • On some devices, such as flashlights, you’ll stack the batteries directly on top of each other. In such cases, the batteries face the same direction so opposite polarities touch. If the negative side of the battery went first, the positive end is facing up. So, put the next battery in with the negative side facing down.^[12]
   • Some devices that use multiple batteries may continue to operate if one battery is installed incorrectly, but you may damage the device or reduce the life of the battery by doing so. .

[Edit]9 volt battery installation

1. Look at the pictures above of the 9-volt battery. A 9V battery is small and square, with two snaps on top. One is the male connector, and the other is the female.^[13]
   
   • The smaller, circular snap is the male connector, while the hexagonal or octagonal snap is the female connector.
2. Line up the snap on battery with the inside of the device. Inside the battery compartment on the device, you’ll see two snaps that resemble the ones on top of the battery. The male connector on the battery aligns with the female connector on the battery compartment, and vice versa.
   
   • It’s obvious when you put a 9V battery in the wrong way, because the connectors will bump into each other and the battery won’t be in the right place.
3. Hold the battery at a 30° angle and slide it toward the first connector. Once you have the snaps lined up, tilt the 9V battery slightly. Push the top of the battery in until the snaps touch, then push down on the battery to snap it into place.^[14]
   
   • These types of batteries can sometimes be a bit difficult to install. If it doesn’t go in the first time, try again with a little more force.

[Edit]insert coin and button batteries

1. Check the face of the battery for a “+” symbol. Coin and button batteries are small, flat, and round. Coin batteries are flatter, while button batteries generally have a smaller circumference. The top of the battery is usually engraved with the shape of the battery.^[15]
   
   • Usually only the positive side of the battery is etched. There is usually no marking on the negative side.
   • In some button-style batteries, the positive side is raised slightly.
2. Check the device for a positive symbol. Your battery compartment may be marked with a positive symbol, especially if there is a door or slide-out mechanism where you put the battery. However, if you have to open a cover, there may not be a sign indicating which way the battery should go.^[16]
   
   • If you have inserted the battery backwards into a device with a battery door, such as a hearing aid, you may have difficulty closing the door.
3. Insert the battery with the positive side facing up. Most devices that use coin or button batteries install them with the positive side down, unless they state otherwise. If you don’t see any markings on your device, it’s generally safe to assume that the positive side of the battery goes face-up.^[17]
   
   • For example, if you’re installing a coin cell battery onto a computer’s motherboard, there may not be a mark to indicate which direction the battery should go, but the positive side should be facing up.
   • If you’re still unsure how to install the battery, consult your device’s user manual.

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Warning

• Always double check that your batteries are installed correctly. Improper battery installation may cause the battery to leak or explode, resulting in hazardous exposure to corrosive chemicals.
• Never carry batteries in your pocket or purse, as they can leak. Instead, store batteries in their original packaging or plastic containers at room temperature.

[Edit]Reference