Common causes of overheating include leaving your phone in a car on a hot day, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, using resource-intensive apps in the heat, faulty batteries or chargers, or even malware, according to USA Today. Charging your phone, whether via a cable or wirelessly, can also cause it to heat up.
Both Samsung Galaxy phones and Apple iPhones are designed to function within a temperature range of 0-35°C. When temperatures exceed this range, phones will show warning messages and reduce performance, but still allow emergency calls.
Experts recommended avoiding high-graphic or processor-heavy apps while charging, such as demanding games or streaming apps, as reported by tech site CNET. Keeping your system and apps up-to-date is also essential, as outdated software can contribute to overheating. Users are also advised to avoid using low-quality third-party chargers, which can exacerbate the issue.
A person uses a phone in the sun. Illustration from Pexels
Kewin Charron, Senior Lead Refurbishment Operations Manager at Back Market, advised using a thinner, lighter phone case. “Thicker phone cases can increase the risk of your device overheating because they restrict airflow and trap heat, preventing the device from cooling down properly,” Charron explained to tech site T3.
If your device overheats, turn it off, move it to a cooler environment, and allow it to cool down, Apple said. Avoid direct sunlight and wait for the phone to return to a safe temperature.
Samsung offered several additional tips, including restarting the phone (as app conflicts can cause overheating), turning off Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth when not in use, closing battery-draining apps, lowering screen brightness, and reducing the refresh rate. It also recommended pausing usage and stopping charging if your phone becomes excessively hot.
James Brown, director at Protect Your Bubble insurance company, warned against quick fixes for cooling down your phone. “Even if your phone comes with the highest rating of water resistance, it’s a bad idea to submerge your phone in cold water to forcibly cool down,” he told The Sun.
He also cautioned against storing your device in places where temperatures fall below freezing, such as fridges, freezers, or water coolers. “Doing so will cause condensation to form inside your phone, which will damage the device in the long run.”