Phone overheating is caused by a variety of factors, from high ambient temperatures to hardware problems. It’s a serious issue that needs to be addressed quickly, as it can lead to impairing battery life, forced reboots, and even screen damage. With that said, here are a few tips to protect your phone from overheating:
Keep your phone away from direct sunlight
Sunlight won’t directly damage your smartphone, but it certainly doesn’t do your device any favors either. Even when turned off, phones can still overheat with prolonged exposure to sunlight — and you lose precious battery capacity in the process. This is because your phone’s battery capacity is heavily affected by temperature. As such, avoid leaving your smartphone on the car dashboard or on exposed outdoor surfaces, and keep it in your bag or pocket instead.
Switch your phone casing
Plastic phone cases help keep your phone warm in cold weather. However, they’re unsuitable during the hot summer months since the plastic insulates all that heat inside the casing. When you feel your phone overheating, it might be a sign to take the casing off. Alternatively, you can also use a breathable case if you’re scared of leaving your phone vulnerable to scratches. Aside from increasing airflow thanks to their cellular hole design, these heat dissipation cases are made with special materials like thermaphene, which moves heat away from the phone. Overall, these accessories are great for cooling your phone.
Ensure you’re using the right phone model
Different phone models serve different needs. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is top-tier when it comes to mobile photography. But if you’re a hardcore mobile gamer, you’ll need a device that is built to handle heavy graphics and deliver high performance. Gaming phones like the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel are designed with temperature control — like liquid cooling systems and heat-resistant PCBs to allow hours of play.
If you don’t know what a PCB is? Think of it as your phone’s brain — housing all the main components that allow the device to run efficiently and smoothly. But chances are, if your phone is older or on the lower-end, its PCBs cannot provide the processing power needed to deliver smooth gameplay. When this happens, the phone ends up overworking itself, leading to overheating. Because of this, it’s best to find a phone with specifications that suit your particular needs.
Close background apps
Tapping on the “Home” button doesn’t mean you’ve closed all the apps you’ve been using. Usually, they continue to run in the background, bringing you updates and push notifications. While this shouldn’t be a problem for one or two apps, too many will eat up your phone’s RAM and can cause overheating. You can avoid this by simply bringing up your phone’s task manager and clearing any unneeded apps on the list. Doing so is good practice before opening graphic-heavy games like Grand Theft Auto or Fortnite.
Turn down your screen brightness
Like idle apps, a brighter screen forces your phone’s battery to expend more energy, creating more heat. Some phones have an automatic dimming feature in case of such situations, but it’s best to just keep your screen at a moderate brightness at all times. This not only protects your phone but also your eyes.
Overheating will damage your phone if ignored for too long. Fortunately, there are easy solutions to prevent it and prolong your phone’s life.