The summers are in full swing and that means everything around you heats up considerably. You can cool your home and car with an air conditioner and even yourself with some chilled beer. But what about your precious smartphone?
That small slab of cutting-edge technology in your hand right now is probably toasty and you might be wondering how to keep it cool. Unlike laptops that feature big cooling fans to vent out hot air from within, smartphones usually have the entire motherboard and other technical bits secured in an air-tight package. This is the reason your phone starts overheating when exposed to strenuous tasks or the sun. This also explains why, when the room temperature gets too hot, your phone stops charging itself to avoid overheating.
How can you cool down your overheating phone?
While smartphone technology is yet to figure out a way to bypass the laws of thermodynamics, we have some simple tips that will help you keep your phone’s temperature down.
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1. Avoid keeping it in direct sunlight
While sunlight is a godsend for humans with its rich supply of Vitamin D, it’s not so beneficial for smartphones. Exposing your phone to the hot summer sun can heat up its insides, especially the battery. If you see your smartphone overheating when you’re outdoors, put it in a cooler, shadier area as soon as possible and avoid direct sunlight. You can even switch off the device for a while to let the hardware cool down.
2. Keep its display brightness low
The bright sunlight causes your phone’s auto brightness feature to max out the display’s brightness. Since the display hogs the most battery life, it ends up draining it a lot faster and warming it up substantially. The simple way to get around this issue is to manually lower the brightness and disable the auto-brightness feature for some time. Additionally, you can lock your phone for some time to help with its cooling. Doing so will help bring down the phone’s temperature.
3. Avoid playing games
The temptation to complete the next level of Candy Crush can be hard to resist but doing so can overheat your phone a lot faster in the sweltering heat. If you are outdoors, avoid running demanding apps and games. Even if you absolutely need to, ensure that the duration of use is short. Games often overwork the processor, leading to the generation of excessive heat.
4. Avoid usage while charging your phone
While charging your phone, it is advisable to not use the handset at all. Not only does it put you at risk of an electric shock but it also heats up the battery, which ends up overheating the phone. In some extreme cases, severe overheating during charging can also cause battery explosions.
5. Uninstall buggy/malware apps
Sometimes, one of your installed apps can drain the battery more than usual and overheat the phone. Some apps even send data in the background to malicious sources, which also compromises your data privacy. Head into the Settings app and look for apps that drain a lot of battery or engage in high background usage of data. It is wise to delete these apps and report them to the app store, especially if they are not from reliable publishers.
6. Avoid outdoor videography for prolonged periods
Just like the display, the camera system on your smartphone chugs at its battery life like there’s no tomorrow. This happens more when you are recording a video. Other than draining the battery, image processing is a resource-intensive task and therefore, overheats the chipset. As such, it is advisable to use the camera for a short duration while outdoors, especially under the sun. If the phone overheats a lot, simply close the camera app or shut down the phone for a while to let it cool down.
7. Put it on Airplane mode
If you can’t figure out the reason for your phone overheating even when you’re indoors, the simplest thing to do is turn off the phone or put it in Airplane Mode. Smartphones often update apps or download a system update in the background, which leads to rigorous processes, thereby generating heat. Cutting off the data connectivity stops those background processes which automatically stops the heating.
8. Remove your phone’s case
Your smartphone is designed in a way to transmit heat via its back and sides, making its body warm but keeping its insides cool. Putting a case on it blocks the natural heat transmission, eventually overheating your phone.
In case you feel your phone has gone toasty, simply remove your phone’s protection case and let it breathe in some cool air. If possible, try going without a case in the summer as much as possible (you can still use a screen guard to protect the display).
9. Dunk it into the water if the phone has an IP rating
It sounds crazy but dunking your phone into a water bucket is the quickest way to dismiss all of its overheating issues. Even tap water will do. No kidding here! The only thing you have to ensure is that your smartphone carries an IP rating of IP67 or higher. All iPhone models sold today, including the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13, can survive a bucket of water easily. The same goes for Samsung’s Galaxy S series, Google’s Pixel 7 series and a few flagship phones from other manufacturers.
Pro tip: Avoid salt water
(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Pexels/Screen Post)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: There are many reasons for a phone overheating quickly. The most prominent are gaming, photography and usage while it's charging.
Answer: There are several ways to cool down your phone. The easiest way is to shut it down briefly and let it cool.
Answer: There are several ways to prevent overheating of your phone, including avoiding exposure to the sun, not using it while it's charging and keeping its display brightness low.
Answer: You should try to reduce usage in hot outdoor settings. Don’t play games or use the camera for extended sessions when outdoors in the sun.
Answer: You can simply shut down an overheated Android phone to bring things to normalcy.
