If you have a cell phone, you've probably noticed it's sometimes hot to the touch. There are many reasons why this happens—we’ve put together a guide to why phones get hot and how to protect it.
Cell phones heat up when the battery is working too hard. So ifyou find yourself constantly asking yourself, “why does my phone get so hot?”you might actually be doing long-term damage to yoursmartphone.
If you’ve been using your cell phone for a long time, a littleheat coming from the device is normal, but it shouldn’t be too hot for toolong. Learning why phones overheat and how to protect it can help you avoidsustained damage to your cell phone.
We’ve put together a guide to what makes phones overheat and howyou can be on the lookout.
Why does yourphone get hot?
Phones usually get hot because of an overworked battery. Alittle heat coming from the back of your phone is normal because modern phonebatteries emit heat while in use. But prolonged or extreme heat can signalsomething more serious, like outdated software or apps that cybercriminals canexploit.
Phones can get hot for a variety of reasons—most of which stemfrom overuse or prolonged use. A few common reasons for phones overheatinginclude:
- Streaming video content for prolonged periods of time
- Gaming
- High screen brightness
- Outdatedapps or software
- Exposure to hot conditions or direct sunlight
Android vs.iPhone overheating
Android devices have an additional factor to consider:overheating due tovirusesormalware. iPhones arerarely susceptible to malware or viruses, because Apple doesn’t allow anynon-Apple software on their devices. An Android, however, maybecome infectedwith a virusthat causes the phone to overheat.
To help keep your Android from overheating, consider installinga reliable antivirus software on your device.
How to keep yourphone from overheating
Keeping your phone from overheating means you're protecting yourit from damage. The following tips can help you keep your phone cool, safe, andsecure.
Keep your apps upto date
Bugs or older software may result in apps taking more energy torun and, therefore, making your phone overheat. Frequently updating your appshelps fix any of those bugs and keeps them from using extensive energy.
Avoid directsunlight exposure
Leaving your phone in hot conditions or direct sunlight for asignificant amount of time can heat up the inside of the phone to extremelevels. If you’re outdoors with your cell phone, leave it in a dark, coolerplace like a bag or loose pocket.
Charge your phoneon a cool, flat surface
If you charge your phone on a bed, blanket, pillow, or othercushioned surface, it may be trapping heat. Heat needs to be able to escape thephone while it’s charging. So, when you plug your phone in to charge, be sureyou place it on a cool, flat, hard surface. You may also want to replace thecharging cable.
Close apps youaren’t using
Background apps can still take up energy while not in use. If you don’t close an app, it will remain open in the background and continue toconsume your phone’s energy—making it work harder than necessary. When you’renot using an app, don’t just exit the app—ensure it’s fully closed.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can evendelete apps that you don’t use.
Leave your screenbrightness on low
Though it might not seem significant, your phone’s brightnesscan have an impact on your energy usage. And the more energy you use, thehotter your phone gets. Turn your screen brightness down a notch to conserveenergy, while also reducing the strain on your eyes that comes with staring atthe bright light.
Install antivirussoftware
For Androids, viruses can cause issues with your phone’ssoftware that can result in overheating. Antivirus software can block malwarefrom infecting your phone whilesecuring your Android device.
Turn on airplanemode
If you only need limited functionality like checking the time orsetting an alarm, turn your phone on its airplane mode setting. This can keepyour phone from continuing to work hard when you aren’t using it.
How to cool downyour phone
An occasionally overheated phone is inevitable. If your phoneever feels too hot to the touch or you get an error message that it’s too hotto use, you should know the steps to cool it down.
Get the phone outof sunlight or heat
If your phone has overheated from exposure to sunlight, removeit from the heat and store it in a dry, cooler place. Do not put your phone inthe refrigerator or the freezer, as this can harm it. Put it in a loose pocket,bag, under a beach towel, or in another shady area.
Fan or blow onyour phone
Placing your phone near moving air can help it cool downquicker. If you can’t place it near an actual fan, you can mimic its effects byusing your hands or blowing on your phone.
Separate yourphone from other devices
All devices may get hot or release hot air. So if you havemultiple devices like phones,tablets, or computers in
the same bag, they are more likely to overheat. Keep your devices as separateas possible.
Take the phoneout of its case
Phone cases can trap heat in your already-overheated phone. Ifyou notice your phone is hot when you touch it—especially through the case—orif you’ve received a temperature warning message, remove the case until yourphone returns to a normal temperature.
Turn the phoneoff
Turning your phone completely off can help stop the softwarefrom running while the phone cools down. Leave it off until your phone stopsfeeling hot to the touch.
Close your apps
As overuse often heats up your phone, closing running apps canhelp bring the temperature back down to normal. Don’t just exit out of yourapps—make sure they’re closed.
- To close apps on an iPhone,depending onyour iPhone model, push the home screen button twice or swipe up from thebottom of your home screen, then swipe up on each app you want to close.
- To close apps on an Android, swipe up fromthe bottom of your screen, hold your finger down, then let go. Then, swipe upon each app you want to close.
Like any othermobile device securityor functionalityissue, an overheated phone can be overwhelming. But with the proper care, itshould be an uncommon occurrence with an easy solution. iPhone and Androidusers can keep their phones from overheating by regularly updating the phone,closing unused apps, deleting apps you don’t use, and making sure to charge andstore it properly.
Phone overheating FAQs
If you're wondering "why does my phone get hot," youmay have more questions surrounding overheating phones. We have answers.
Is it bad if yourphone gets hot?
Yes, a phone that is hot to the touch could become a problemdown the line. Phones will naturally emit heat—so if your phone feels mildlyhot, there’s no need to sound the alarm. But if the heat is intense orprolonged, it could signify a deeper problem with your phone that needs to beaddressed.
What happens when a phone overheats?
Excessive temperatures can have a long-term impact on yourphone. A few ways heat impacts your cell phone include:
- Battery degradation
- Slower software
- Internal melting
- Decreased lifespan of the device
How hot is too hot for a phone?
You shouldn’t use your phone if it's over 95 degrees Fahrenheit.It is recommended that your phone temperature stays between 32 and 95 degreesFahrenheit—or 0 and 35 degrees Celsius. You also should take care not to storeit anywhere that is hotter than 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
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