One of the serious problems of smartphones is overheating. Like any other electronic device, when you use smartphones continuously for a long time, they get hot and sometimes it feels like they are about to explode. It is no longer a myth that overheating problems can cause a smartphone to explode. Many examples have come up for this and you must have heard about them in the news as well.
Since a smartphone is an electronic device that is powered by a battery, it is perfectly fine if it gets a bit hot during hours of heavy use. However, if you are facing this problem more often even without heavy usage, then it is a serious matter that you need to look into immediately. In this article, we have discussed the reasons why your smartphone heats up and how you can cool it down instantly. Without further ado, let's get started!
Reasons why your Android phone is overheating
- Prolonged use - Your smartphone may get hot due to heavy usage. If you are using it for hours without rest, then you are most likely to face the problem of overheating.
- Heavy Usage Apps – Using heavy apps like games and social media can slow down the performance of your Android phone. Not only this, they also drain your battery and eat up unnecessary storage.
- Heavy Processing – If you have too many apps open in your phone, they will be running in the background and will overload the processor which can lead to heating issues. This usually happens in smartphones with less RAM memory.
- Overcharging – Overcharging can also be the reason for your Android phone to overheat. Some people keep their devices plugged into the charger for hours.
- Environmental conditions – If the temperature around you is too high, it can also cause overheating in your smartphone. You should keep it in a cool place and prevent it from exposure to direct sunlight.
1. Don't use too many apps
If you are using a lot of apps at the same time then obviously your phone will get hot. You should only use essential apps and close them as soon as you are done. If you don't close the apps from recent tab, they will be running in background and using your phone resources continuously. The amount of processing any phone can do depends on its RAM storage. You are more likely to face this issue on your phone if you have less RAM (let's say 2GB).
2. Delete heavy games and apps
Do you play heavy games like Free Fire, Asphalt, or Fortnite on your Android phone? If yes, then this is the biggest reason for your phone getting hot. Such games require very high graphics, heavy RAM usage and fast processing which can affect the performance of your phone's processor and cause problems like overheating. Your phone can only handle a limited amount of stress depending on its processing capabilities.
If you forcefully push the performance of your phone beyond its capabilities, you will definitely have to face the consequences. We recommend that you remove all such heavy apps and games from your phone which are very demanding in RAM usage and graphics. It will also fix other issues on your phone like slow processing, apps crashing or hanging, battery draining too fast, storage full, and more.
3. Give your phone some rest
Do you use your phone continuously for hours without stopping? How would you be if you kept running for hours without rest? You will get tired and possibly fall in the worst case. The same happens with smartphones. Your phone has a lot of hardware processing going on in the background and it can cause some components to overheat if they are used for too long.
4. Keep your phone in a cool place
External environmental factors also play an important role in the problem of overheating. Sometimes we put our phones in places like the dashboard of the car, where it is exposed to direct sunlight. If the temperature outside is much higher than average, it will overheat your phone. Always remember to keep your phone away from exposure to direct sunlight or any other heat source. When your phone gets too hot, keep it in a cool place like under a fan, cooler or AC and let it cool down to normal temperature before further use.
5. Don't Overcharge Your Phone
6. Do not use a local charger
You should always use the original charger provided by the manufacturer to charge your phone. If you'll be using a local charger or adapter, it could overheat your battery. Charging speed will be very slow and using local charger for too long can also cause other problems like fast battery draining, slow performance, touch screen not working, etc.
7. Do not use your phone while it is charging
Some of us cannot even leave our phone while it is charging. Doing so puts a lot of pressure on the battery which can lead to overheating. For this reason, it is generally advised not to use your phone while it is charging. Although there is no danger in doing so, it can definitely cause battery overheating problems. You will also notice your phone charging at a much lower speed than usual.
8. Free up space on your phone
If your storage is almost full and you do not have enough free space, then this could also be the reason for your phone overheating. All the applications you use use on demand storage and RAM for processing and doing their job. The low amount of storage will cause your processor to work under pressure which can cause some hardware components to overheat. To fix this problem, you can check out our guide on how to free up space on your phone, where we have shared some useful tips to help you delete unnecessary data.
9. Remove Phone Case
There is no doubt that using a phone cover protects your smartphone from damage but it also has its disadvantages. You might not be aware that using a phone cover traps all the heat and does not allow your phone to cool down, which increases the chances of your phone overheating. Whenever you feel that your smartphone is overheating, the first thing you should do is immediately remove the phone cover and keep your phone in a cool place.
10. Turn off Wireless Features
Wireless features like Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, mobile hotspot and mobile data should be turned off when not in use. If you keep them on, they will be running in the background and using unnecessary battery which can lead to overheating problem. For example, when Wi-Fi is on, it will search for nearby hotspots. To avoid unnecessary battery usage, go to your phone's settings and turn off all wireless features.
11. Keep Brightness Down
You might already be aware of the fact that even the brightness of the screen can eat up a lot of battery life when used continuously for a long time. Your screen brightness level plays a significant role in your battery usage and phone overheating. If you keep your brightness to the maximum and use your phone constantly, you are most likely going to have your phone overheating.
It is recommended that you just keep your brightness at a level at which you can see everything clearly without putting too much strain on your eyes. Nowadays, most Android smartphones have an Auto Adaptive Brightness feature that automatically adjusts your phone's brightness based on the amount of sunlight in your surroundings.
12. Switch off your phone
One of the quickest ways to cool down your phone when it is overheating is to turn it off for a while and put it in a cool place. This will stop all the processing going on in your phone thus preventing unnecessary battery usage. Once the phone reaches normal temperature again, you can turn it on.
13. Keep Apps and Software Updated
If your phone has outdated apps, then this can also be the reason for the overheating problem. Older apps may have compatible issues with your phone and the Android software version you are currently running. Due to these compatibility issues, apps will consume more resources and this can lead to overheating. It is always advisable to update all the apps to their latest version. Also make sure to keep your phone's software version up-to-date.
14. Factory reset your phone
Factory resetting your phone is another way you can get rid of overheating problem permanently. Your phone probably didn't overheat in the initial days when you bought it. Factory reset will take your phone back to its original state. However, the downside of this method is that you will lose all your apps and data. To prevent this, you have to take a complete backup of your phone which is a tedious task. If you regularly encounter overheating issue on your phone, then you should definitely try the factory reset method.
15. Visit the Service Center
If you have tried everything and still you are not able to fix the overheating problem on your Android phone then the last option is to have your battery replaced by visiting a service center. There might be some issue with your battery due to which it is heating up for no reason. You can also ask the service center to have your battery replaced free of charge if your phone is under warranty. Be sure to visit your manufacturer's authentic service center and not a local mobile repair shop.
