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Is your phone getting too hot? We discuss our top tips to help your device cool down and prevent it from overheating again.

An overheated phone is a common issue that has no single solution. Perhaps you’ve been playing video games for a good while or have left your phone outside in direct sunlight, you go to pick it up and it feels extremely hot. What should you do now?

Although there’s no one easy answer on how to reduce the temperature of a device that’s got too hot, there are a few things you can try to help cool your phone down, and fast. In this article, we round up our top tips on how to cool your phone down and steps you can take to prevent it from happening again.

Why does my phone get hot?

There are several reasons why your phone may get hot. Today’s phones pack a great deal of battery, powerful processors and super-bright screens, as well as other features such as fast and wireless charging.

Each of these components can generate heat and cause your phone to heat up. You may come across one or a collection of common causes for your phone overheating:

  • Intensive camera use
  • Malware virus
  • Trapped heat from a phone case
  • Damaged battery
  • Poor-quality charging cable
  • Streaming content
  • Gaming for long periods of time

Although a lot of the time it can just be down to overuse or direct exposure to sunlight.

Is your phone hot or just warm?

Before we continue, it’s important to investigate what is just warm and what is classed as hot. If your mobile phone is feeling hot, it’s crucial you follow the below tips.

However, be careful not to mistake the slightly warm temperature your phone is producing after 10 minutes of streaming Netflix, for your phone overheating. As it’s an electronic device it’s expected to get warm from time to time, but if your phone is uncomfortably hot, then it’s time to note that there might be a more serious problem.

Tips to cool your phone down: 

Avoid direct sunlight: Leaving your phone placed in direct sunlight will cause it to catch warmth from the suns ray allowing it to heat up. Try to avoid placing it in areas that can catch the sun, like on the table when you’re sat outside or on your car dashboard.

Unplug your device once it’s charged: Leaving your phone plugged into the charger when it is fully charged, will generate trickle-charging. Ultimately, trickle-charging will add juice to your phone every time it drops below 99%. The constant power supply could cause your phone to create an excessive build-up of heat. Learn how to charge your smartphone properly.

Let your phone cool down: This one is simple. If you feel like your phone is getting hot, give it time to cool down. Whether your phone has heated up from charging it, playing games or streaming content, then you should let it cool down before you continue to use it. If your phone has exceeded a certain temperature, most phones have a safety feature, cautioning you to cool the phone down, this will shut off the device until it has recovered.

Take your phone case off: If your phone has got too hot, we recommend first removing your phone’s case. Although the case itself isn’t causing your phone to heat up, by removing the case you can help to quickly lower the temperature of your device and get rid of any trapped heat.

When charging, make sure your phone is in a secure place: By this we mean, charge your phone on a flat, secure surface. Make sure you don’t leave your phone charging underneath your pillow or on top of a blanket – this will just generate more heat and cause a potential fire hazard.

Turn off any apps that aren’t being used: Any apps that are running in the background still contribute to battery drainage, which in turn, increases the temperature of your phone. Make sure you close any apps down that you aren’t using. To do this on an iPhone, simply double-tap your home button and swipe the apps up or away.

If you are not using your phone, turn it off or to airplane mode: A lot of people (we included), have been under the impression that never turning your phone off doesn’t matter. Well, it does. Turning your phone off from time to time can help to preserve the battery and keep it cool when not in use. On the other hand, turning your phone to airplane mode will allow you to still use your phone for basic functions, with the removal of any connectivity.

Warning: If your phone has overheated, you must make sure you never put it in the fridge or freezer. This may sound like the most rational thing to do, however, exposing your phone to even further extreme temperatures could cause irreversible damage.

How do I prevent my phone from overheating?

Once you’ve followed the above tips and brought your phone back down to regular temperature, try our top suggestions to prevent your phone from overheating again:

  • Update your apps in case they have caught a malware virus
  • Charge your phone correctly
  • Don’t place it in direct sunlight
  • Switch to low power mode
  • Dim your screen brightness or use a glare screen
  • Turn off any battery-draining features like Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth
  • Keep your phone separated from other gadgets

Extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold, can have a big impact on your device and its capabilities. With the arrival of summer, make sure you keep these tips in mind if you ever find your phone getting too hot.

Head to our website now to discover the best mobile phone accessories

Editor’s Note: Originally published 13 June 2019 at 15:11 PM, updated 25 June 2020 at 16:45 PM

Anya Beuzeval

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