8 Reasons Your Phone is Getting Hot and How to Fix It?
Whether you are using a new or refurbished phone, it is not uncommon for it to get hot at times. However, if your phone always feels hot, you may have to pay attention to it. Overheating can significantly damage your phone in the long run. It can affect battery life, slow down performance, and even cause apps to crash unexpectedly. If you do not take any steps to prevent it, it may cause permanent damage to your device. The good thing is that this problem can easily be prevented. We have listed a few top reasons why your phone might be overheating and how to fix them.
INDEX
Why is your Phone Overheating?
Heavy Usage for Long Hours
High Screen Brightness
Environmental Factors
Background Apps and Processes
Outdated Software
Faulty Battery or Hardware
Poor Ventilation
Overcharging
Frequently Asked Questions About Phone Overheating
How much temperature is normal for a phone?
How Can I Check My Mobile Temperature?
Why Does My Phone Get Hot When Charging?
Why is your Phone Overheating?
Heavy Usage for Long Hours
If you perform heavy activities like gaming and video streaming for long hours, your phone will heat up. This is because such activities put a significant load on the processor. Also, more power is generated during this time, which heats up the phone as well. There is a limit to how much the phone’s cooling system can handle. This is why the temperature rises significantly after a point in time.
How to Fix It: It is not difficult to prevent your phone from overheating. Just make sure you give your phone timely breaks during heavy usage. Also, all the background apps should remain closed when you are performing any heavy activities. If your phone is still overheating, you can reduce the resolution of your game or video. It will ease the strain on your phone.
High Screen Brightness
This may seem like a very simple thing but adjusting the screen brightness can reduce the risk of overheating. Your phone’s display is actually quite power-intensive. Setting the brightness to maximum can significantly increase your phone’s power consumption. As a result, your phone will get heated up. This can also shorten your battery’s lifespan over time.
How to Fix It: Setting your screen brightness to low is a simple but effective way to reduce heat. You can manually adjust the brightness or just enable auto-brightness. Also, you can consider using a dark theme or wallpaper to reduce the load on your screen. Darker colours require less energy to display.
Environmental Factors
The environment in which you are using the phone can also affect its temperature. For instance, if your phone stays exposed to direct sunlight, it will overheat. This is quite common in tropical countries where summers are hot.
How to Fix It: To ensure your phone does not get heated due to environmental factors, you just have to be a little vigilant. Avoid using it for a long time when exposed to direct sunlight. Similarly, avoid heavy tasks during peak hours. You should be careful about where you keep it as well. Places where the risk of overheating is high, like near a stove or in a hot car, should be avoided.
Background Apps and Processes
Even when you are not actively using your phone, many apps are running in the background. These background apps consume power and make the processor work harder. As a result, your phone heats up. They also drain your battery faster. These background processes include social media apps, location services, automatic updates, etc.
How to Fix It: After opening any app, we often just minimise it and not close it properly. These apps keep running in the background and heat up the phone. Make sure to close the apps after using them. Additionally, location, data, and other connectivity features should be kept on only when using. Most of us keep them on at all times.
Outdated Software
If you are using an old or outdated phone, there is a risk of overheating. Old tech cannot always support modern apps and software. Installing and using them can strain your phone’s processor. As a result, your phone can get overheated. Some may also have bugs or issues that can overheat the phone.
How to Fix It: If you are not using a very old phone, chances are that your phone will receive regular updates. However, it is still better to always check your phone for updates manually. If you ever notice any pending updates, never delay them as they often include bug fixes and performance improvements. In case your phone is too old to update, avoid activities that can heat up your mobile.
Faulty Battery or Hardware
Sometimes your phone can have faulty parts that result in overheating. If you notice that your phone is heating up excessively even during light use, it could be a sign of a hardware issue. For instance, a damaged battery can generate excess heat and overheat your mobile.
How to Fix It: If your phone is overheating without heavy use, visit a professional. Always take it to a nearby authorised service centre for a thorough inspection. If they find any hardware fault during the inspection, they will repair or replace the parts. You may or may not be charged for the service, depending on the warranty.
Poor Ventilation
When you are performing any heavy task or gaming, it is normal for your phone to heat. During these times, your phone also relies on proper ventilation to dissipate heat. If you are using a phone case that traps heat, your phone will overheat. This can cause your phone to lag.
How to Fix It: The best way to deal with this situation is to use a premium phone cover. It will keep the phone ventilated and prevent it from overheating during heavy tasks. If you cannot use a premium phone cover, just remove the case when performing heavy tasks or charging.
Overcharging
Most of us have the habit of leaving the phone on charge the entire night. While this may be convenient, it is quite bad for your phone. Leaving your phone plugged in for too long can cause overheating. Since overcharging stresses the battery, it starts generating excess heat. If you frequently overcharge your phone, it will potentially cause long-term damage to the battery’s capacity.
How to Fix It: To prevent overcharging, unplug your phone as soon as it reaches 100%. Also, avoid leaving the phone on charge overnight. If it is not possible, you can consider using a smart charger. Smart chargers automatically stop charging your phone once it is fully charged. Therefore, your phone will not overheat even if you forget to remove it from charging.
These are a few common and effective phone overheating solutions. If your phone continues to overheat despite trying all these fixes, it is a sign that you must change your phone. Persistent overheating can sometimes damage your phone beyond repair. In this case, the best option is to sell your used phone and buy a new or refurbished phone. At Mobilegoo, we make selling your phone easy, fast, and secure. Our doorstep pickup and quick payment make selling phones online very convenient. So, what are you waiting for? Sell your old phone today!
Frequently Asked Questions About Phone Overheating
How much temperature is normal for a phone?
A phone can function safely between 0°C and 35°C (32°F and 95°F). If you are not performing any heavy task or charging your phone, the temperature of your smartphone should not be more than 95°F or 35°C. During heavy activities like gaming or video streaming, your phone’s temperature can go up to 109.4°F or 43°C. If you notice high temperatures consistently, your phone requires the attention of an expert.
How Can I Check My Mobile Temperature?
On an iPhone:
There is no built-in feature in iPhones to display the device's temperature. However, when iPhones get hot, they show temperature-related warnings. This is a safety feature to prevent damage. You can check out a few third-party apps.
On an Android:
You can check the temperature of some Android phones without any additional apps. Just go to ‘Settings’ and select ‘Battery Performance’. Here, tap on ‘Battery’ and you will be able to check the temperature of your device. However, this feature is not available on all Android phones. On some phones, you will have to download third-party apps.
Why Does My Phone Get Hot When Charging?
You might have noticed that your phone gets hot when you charge it. There are three main reasons behind it.
- Electricity Flow: Since electricity flows into the battery, it naturally generates heat. In case of fast charging, more heat is produced. This is normal and will not damage your phone if it is not overcharged.
- Battery Chemistry: Various chemical reactions occur inside the battery when your phone is being charged. As a result, heat is produced. Phones with an old or damaged battery can easily overheat.
- Power Usage During Charging: If you perform any heavy task while charging, the processor also works harder and generates more heat. This causes the phone to heat even faster.