Phone overheating? Here’s why and how to stop it

Warmer temperatures mean more outdoor activities. And chances are your phone is likely to be right beside you through all the fun, capturing photos or providing a soundtrack with your favorite Spotify™ playlist. While we’re careful to take precautions against the sun for ourselves when out in the heat (hello, SPF 50), are you also making sure that you protect your phone? If not, you’ll want to add that to your checklist. Asurion Experts share why and offer a few ways to keep your mobile phone from getting too hot—and how to cool down your phone quickly if it does overheat. 

Why is your phone getting hot? 

There are several things that could lead to your iPhone or Android™ device overheating. Leaving it in direct sunlight or an uncomfortably warm space, like your car, is one of the most common causes behind a phone’s internal temperature rising.  

Phone usage can also have an impact on your phone’s temperature. If you’re someone who is on your phone all day, that can lead to your phone battery working overtime and causing your phone to overheat. The same goes for having a lot of apps open at the same time—having too many working in the background can strain the battery and cause the phone to feel overly warm. 

Another potential cause? Overcharging, which happens when you leave your phone on the charger even after it’s reached 100% battery life.  

Whatever the reason behind your phone overheating, it’s best for your phone to stay at a lower temperature. If your phone gets too hot, it can experience problems like battery drain, forced shutdown, and even a total meltdown (no joke, your phone’s Central Processing Unit is capable of melting if it reaches extreme temperatures). There’s also the chance that your phone will not restart if it was forced to shut down due to overheating. Here’s what to do to help cool things down. 

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5 tips to stop your phone from overheating 

1. Avoid direct sunlight on your phone

The easiest way to prevent overheating is to keep your phone out of the sun for extended periods. Your phone catches light and heat from the sun and retains it, getting hotter the longer it remains in sunlight and heat. 

2. Lower your screen brightness

Turning your screen brightness up will force your battery to work harder and create more heat. Lower your screen brightness and consider shortening the screen timeout duration to keep your screen from being on for unnecessarily long periods of time. Also, look into an antiglare screen protector—it can help you see your phone’s screen in the sun so you won’t have to turn the brightness up higher. 

3. Use a manufacturer-approved charger

Not all phone chargers are created equally. To be on the safe side, use a charger from a reputable manufacturer that is compatible with your device. Also, ensure that there is no damage to the charger itself or to your cell phone’s charging port as these are also issues that can lead to overheating. 

4. Turn off unused apps on your phone

Too many open apps running in the background cause your phone to work harder, which in turn causes it to heat up. The solution is super simple: On an iPhone®, slowly swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see all apps that are open and swipe to close the ones you don’t need (if your iPhone still has a home button, double-tap that to see open apps). On an Android™, you can tap the menu icon in the lower-left corner of the screen (it will look like either three vertical dots or three vertical lines, depending on your phone model). If you don’t have this option, try swiping up from the bottom of the screen to see open apps and swiping away the ones you want to close. 

5. Keep your apps up to date

Many app updates include bug fixes that can improve your mobile device's efficiency, meaning they’ll use up less of your device’s energy. 

Now that we've covered ways to prevent your phone from overheating, here are a few ways to safely cool down a hot phone.

6 ways to cool down your phone 

1. Fan your phone, or blow on it

It may sound silly, but fanning or blowing on it can help phone heating. Just as fanning keeps a body cool, a breeze can help cool off your phone when it’s getting a bit too toasty. 

2. Avoid sudden changes in temperature

Can you put your phone in the freezer or fridge to cool it off? We wouldn't recommend it. Exposing your phone to excessive heat or cold strains the components and also puts it at risk of collecting moisture, a surefire way to break your device.

3. Take it off—the case, that is 

If your phone is overheating, your phone case isn’t helping. Phones are built with dissipating heat in mind, but cases can hold it in. So, take that case off to help your phone cool down more quickly. 

4. Turn off Bluetooth

If Bluetooth® is on but the phone isn’t connected to a device, it will constantly scan for something to connect to. This can cause the phone to warm up. 

5. Turn on Airplane Mode

If your phone has low or no signal, it may be working overtime searching for a connection, which can lead to your phone warming up. Turn on Airplane Mode until you’re back in an area with coverage. 

6. Separate your phone from your other tech

Stacking your phone, tablet, and computer together in a bag makes them more susceptible to overheating. Keep them separated, preferably on a flat surface, to help them keep their cool.