We are always on our smartphones for one reason or another. Thus, it is obvious that it heats up quickly.
For example, while swiping on any social media app, playing your favorite racing game, or having an hour-long conversation with your best friend, you may suddenly notice an increase in the temperature of your Android phone.
And let me tell you that an overheated phone is an unfortunate phone! So, as a user, you must know how to cool down your Android phone.
This article will help you deal with all the possible reasons why your Android phone is getting hot and 25 essential fixes you can use to prevent your Android phone from overheating.
So let’s get started without further ado.
Average Temperature for Android Phones
Experts suggest that the average smartphone temperature is between 32-95°F or 0-35°C. However, depending on the room temperature, there may be fluctuations in the ideal temperature.
But you may also experience a rise in temperature when using apps that use your phone’s processor heavily.
It is also expected that your Android device will experience a temperature spike when restoring backup files.
Why is my Android phone overheating?
Mobile phones overheating is normal. And this can be due to many reasons. Here is a list of possible reasons why your Android phone is overheating.
Overuse
One of the most common causes of mobile phones overheating is overuse, including running intense games, using the camera for long periods of time, using phones with high screen brightness, or playing HD videos.
Continuous use of phones generates a lot of heat as the processors have to work hard.
The generated heat is dissipated through the body of the phone. Every feature that consumes more than the required processing power of the phone results in heat generation.
Sometimes poor cellular conditions force phones to constantly search for signals, resulting in overwork and heat generation.
Bug software
Another notable cause of mobile phones overheating is buggy software. The error can cause the software to hang and therefore consume more CPU resources. Sometimes a bug can lead to excessive memory usage and overheating.
Either way, you need to cool down your Android phone.
Defective battery, cable or charger
Faulty batteries, cables and chargers are the most dangerous of all. They can cause mobile phones to overheat to dangerous levels.
Each charger and cable has a different design and quality. Thus, it would be helpful if you always use the original cable and chargers.
Physical damage to the battery can also cause unbearable stress, leading to overheating and explosion.
It’s not recommended to charge phones while you sleep as you won’t be able to detect overheating issues.
Note. Do not keep mobile phones under your pillow, especially while charging. This can create heat that could cause the pillow to catch fire.
Blocked ventilation
Mobile phones are designed to withstand the rigors of everyday life. But when the charging port is blocked, it leads to overheating.
This doesn’t happen with newer phones because they have high-end cooling systems, but it’s a problem with older models.
This is most likely to happen when the ambient temperature is very high or when the phone is exposed to sunlight. These things act as add-ons on top of the heat the processor has already produced.
Therefore, it is recommended that you do not expose your phone to direct sunlight or expose it directly to heating devices.
Poor quality phone cases can also cause overheating. They act as thermal insulators and thus do not allow the generated heat to dissipate, resulting in overheating.
Thick phone cases can protect your phone from physical damage, but may cause internal damage.
Internal damage
Internal damage cannot be excluded from the list of causes of overheating. In addition to the battery, other internal damage may include thermal paste falling out between the heatsink and the processor, which reduces the efficiency of the heatsink.
New Android phone models are equipped with advanced cooling mechanisms that can fail due to accidental drops.
Such physical damage can weaken components, resulting in short circuits and overheating.
Old equipment
Phone hardware starts to age and become inefficient, especially the processor. But you can deal with it by disabling all unnecessary features of your phone and limiting the use of heavy apps.
You left it in direct sunlight
Yes, environmental conditions can also affect your phone. You can expect overheating if you leave your phone in direct sunlight for too long.
Also, if your mobile phone is left on the car dashboard for too long, it may overheat.
You can deal with this by keeping the phone in the shade or by using the car’s air conditioning system to cool the phone down before use.
Malware
Malware or malware can also cause your phone to overheat. This software is extracting data from your phone, which causes processor overload and heat generation.
Scan and remove malware from your phone to improve its performance.
The impact of overheating on smartphones
Phone heating is standard when charging or overused. However, if your phone’s temperature rises constantly, it can damage its components.
For example, it negatively impacts your phone’s efficiency, battery life, and other features. The least that can happen is that your phone may turn off while in use.
You may have come across news like mobile phone exploding while charging due to overheating. Thus, an overheated smartphone can also be life-threatening.
Damage due to overheating may not be visible to the eye, but can cause serious damage to the battery and SoC.
And hence, you should know how to cool down your android phone. Let’s see how overheating affects your phone.
Battery
Lithium-ion batteries are the most popular batteries on the market. These are the best batteries. However, it also has some downsides.
These batteries degrade over time and age even when not in use. So your smartphone will be exposed to higher temperatures if you use this battery for a long time.
Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to heat. Thus, they heat up quickly in direct sunlight.
System on a chip (SoC)
The chip present in the phone can fail if the SoC is constantly overheating. This results in poor performance of the phone.
The reason for this may be an unstable Wi-Fi connection, excessive use of Bluetooth, binge watching Netflix, or playing graphic-heavy mobile games.
Where does heat come from?
You may wonder where the heat is coming from your phone. Right? The battery, processor and screen are the main reasons for this.
However, you cannot determine the exact cause of the heat buildup. However, you can guess based on where the heat is coming from. For example:
The back of the phone
If your phone gets warm from the back, it could be battery related. Most Android phones use lithium-ion batteries, which have a short lifespan and degrade over time.
The bottom of the phone
If your phone gets warm from the bottom while charging, the problem might be with the charger, cable, or charging port.
You can try switching to your phone’s original charger if you’re using duplicates.
Also make sure the charging port is clean and free of dust particles.
Above the battery, speaker or screen
If your phone gets hot during calls or while playing games, the processor may be under stress. Try to take breaks between long calls and games to prevent overheating.
How to cool down an Android phone at home?
Even though the latest Android smartphones are equipped with an advanced cooling system to maintain optimal temperatures, sometimes it does not work properly. And it is you who should do everything to cool down your Android phone.
Luckily, you don’t have to be a tech-savvy guy with deep technical knowledge to cool down your Android phone. Below are the top 25 ways to cool your phone at home.
- Put it next to a fan
- Buy a phone cooler
- Stop abusing your phone
- Check battery
- Use Cooling Master to Cool Down Your Android Phone
- Reduce screen resolution
- Background Application Management
- Scan for malware and viruses
- Remove/Replace Your Android Phone Case
- Clean charging port and headphone jack
- Do not place your phone on top of or under other devices
- Try not to call for more than an hour
- Free up space on your phone
- Turn off Bluetooth
- Turn on Airplane Mode
- Turn off your internet connection
- Don’t keep your phone in your pocket
- Do not use third party chargers and cables
- Disable fast charging
- Reduce camera usage
- Don’t charge your phone under your pillow
- Ensure proper network connection
- Heating while charging?
- Restore phone to factory settings
- Go to service center
Let’s discuss each of them in detail below.
1. Place it next to the fan
You can cool down your phone at home by placing it under a fan or next to one if it has been exposed to sunlight or in a warm environment. However, never put your phone in the fridge to cool down, as sudden changes in temperature from hot to cold can damage it.
Instead, keep it at medium room temperature and let it sit for a while. It will automatically cool down.
2. Buy a phone cooler
Phone coolers on the market keep your device cool even in warm environments. They are designed for people who use their devices for gaming or graphics-intensive activities. You can invest in a quality phone cooler if overheating is a common problem with your device.
3. Stop abusing your phone
There are many technological advancements going on in smartphones, but they are not designed for excessive and continuous use.
You can’t treat your smartphone like a PC or laptop with a different design than theirs.
Smartphones are compact devices and therefore have limited cooling capabilities, so they generate more heat. Playing fast-paced, graphic-intensive games for a long time can easily cause your phone to heat up.
Such heavy software forces your phone’s RAM, CPU, GPS, battery, and processor to work harder than they were designed for, resulting in heat generation.
I won’t recommend that you stop playing games, but maintaining a balance is also essential. After 1-2 hours of intensive use, it is recommended to take a break for 20-30 minutes.
4. Check the battery
Bad or defective batteries can be the main cause of overheating. Your smartphone may look good, but it’s a bad sign if your battery gets hot. You need to check the battery regularly by checking the back of the phone.
If the back of the phone becomes very hot, other areas may be affected. You can try taking the battery out for a while if it is very hot.
However, new Android phone models have built-in software to check and determine battery health and temperature. You can find this feature in our phone settings.
25-40°C is the ideal temperature for a battery. If it rises above 40°C or 50°C, this is a concern.
You can also install apps that will give you an idea of battery health and temperature if your phone doesn’t have such a built-in system.
5. Use Cooling Master to cool down Android phone
Cooling Master is a great Android app that provides the features you need to cool your Android phone worry-free.
It pinpoints overheating apps that often cause your phone to overheat.
This app automatically detects when your phone starts to heat up and notifies you to press a button to cool it down.
Moreover, it offers other unique features such as memory booster, antivirus, junk file cleaner, game booster, battery saver and charge controller.
Note. Various other apps are also available to help cool down your Android phone. You can download them from the Google Play Store.
6. Reduce your screen resolution
Are you using your phone in high definition? If yes, then you should know that high screen resolution puts excessive pressure on the phone, causing it to overheat. It is recommended to lower the screen resolution by lowering the pixel density and thus your phone will get less heat.
You can make changes to the screen resolution in the display settings available on your phone.
7. Manage background apps
Background apps that are running on your phone can also cause overheating. Many applications run in the background, providing certain advanced features. You can turn them off in your device settings to prevent your phone from overheating.
8. Scan for malware and viruses
Malware and viruses are too complex for phones and cause resource corruption which eventually leads to overheating.
You can prevent this by installing a virus detection app that scans your phone for any malware.
It finds and removes malware. The various antivirus software available detects and removes viruses, if any. You can scan and see for yourself if your phone is heating up or not.
9. Remove/Replace Your Android Phone Case
We all want the best for our phones and that’s why we invest in hard protective cases. How will you react if I tell you that this is one of the causes of overheating?
Phone cases protect your phone from physical damage that could lead to internal damage.
Complex enclosures act as insulators that prevent internal heat from dissipating, resulting in overheating. You can remove the phone cover if you experience overheating.
If the problem persists, you can replace the hard cover with a lighter one, especially on the back.
Also, you can modify the current case by drilling holes in it to make it less suffocating.
10. Clean the charging port and headphone jack.
Dirty charging ports will prevent the charger from properly connecting to the phone and thus lead to overheating. This can happen with headphones too. Thus, cleaning the connectors can solve the problem of overheating.
Here are a few steps to help you through the process.
- Turn off the device for a few minutes.
- Remove the battery if it is removable.
- Use a toothbrush or soft bristled brush for cleaning.
Note. Do not use sharp or pointed objects to clean ports as this may damage your device. Clean the speaker drill also with a soft brush.
11. Do not place your phone on or under other devices.
Thoughtlessly, we often keep phones and other gadgets on top of each other, which can lead to their overheating.
Each device generates its own heat, and stacking on top of each other can result in heat transfer from each other. Therefore, it is desirable to place each device separately and at a distance from each other.
12. Try not to call for more than an hour
Everyone loves to have long conversations with their loved ones. But you should be aware that it can harm your phone.
Long hours of phone calls can also lead to overheating. Calls drain your phone’s battery; thus, it is clear that the phone is heated.
In addition, the heat and moisture from your hands can contribute to overheating. It is recommended that your calls last less than an hour and, if possible, take breaks in between. You can use headphones or speakers to make calls instead of touching the phone directly. It will also help to cool down your android phone.
13. Free up space on your phone
We install several applications on our Android phones. While some are necessary, others are not. Every app on your mobile phone requires storage.
This can lead to overheating if your phone does not have enough free space.
Less memory leads to an increase in the load on RAM and processors, which leads to overheating of the equipment. It is recommended that you delete all unnecessary applications, photos, music and videos from your phone.
Keep your phone light, don’t use it as a storage device.
14. Disable Bluetooth
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, hotspot and all other features of the phone can cause overheating if turned on unnecessarily.
Thus, it is recommended to turn off Bluetooth when it is not connected to cool down your Android phone.
15. Turn on Airplane Mode
A low or no signal strength can cause the phone to work extra hard looking for a connection, resulting in heat. Turn on Airplane Mode when you’re out of a networked area to avoid overheating.
Airplane mode disconnects your Android phone from all data communication systems such as Bluetooth, Internet, Wi-Fi, and hotspot, which takes the load off the phone for a while.
16. Turn Off Your Internet Connection
The phone is nothing but a box with no internet connection. But keeping your data connection on all the time can quickly drain your battery. So, turn it off when you’re not using it.
17. Don’t keep your phone in your pocket.
Your phone absorbs your body heat when held close to your skin in your pocket. Always keep your phone in a case or bag.
Try to keep your phone away from you when you’re not using it, rather than holding it in your hands.
18. Do not use third party chargers and cables.
Every phone is made differently. However, most Android phones use the same chargers i.e. micro-USB cable.
But that doesn’t mean you can use any old cables and chargers for your phone.
In addition, chargers have different capacities and are optimized depending on the phone. It is always recommended to use first hand chargers and cables specifically designed for your phone. Do not use third party or local phone chargers.
19. Disable fast charging
Fast charging is a general advanced feature available on all new Android phones. It can also be one of the reasons for overheating.
The best part is that this is an optional feature and you can turn it off in your phone settings if your Android gets hot while charging.
20. Reduce Camera Usage
The camera is one of the characteristics that we all pay attention to when buying a smartphone. Using the camera function from time to time is normal.
But overusing it to record videos and photos can cause overheating.
Thus, it is recommended to limit the use of cameras or take breaks between them if the use lasts longer in order to cool down your Android phone.
21. Don’t charge your phone under your pillow.
An overheating Android phone can also be life-threatening. Never leave your phone under a pillow or blanket, as the heat generated by the phone cannot be effectively dissipated.
Always charge your phone in a fantastic open area or in the shade. Be sure to keep your phone on a hard surface while charging.
22. Make sure your network connection is correct
When the phone does not get access to a proper network connection, it can cause your Android phone to work overtime resulting in overheating.
Make sure your mobile phone has the right network. You can check this in the settings available on your phone.
23. Heating while charging?
Most phones get warm while charging because the device uses a lot of power at the same time. This usually happens with Android phones that have a fast charging feature.
In this case, you can remove the cover of the phone to remove the heat. You can also keep your phone in an air-conditioned room while charging. Also, never use your phone while charging; It may be dangerous.
According to a recent study, you shouldn’t charge your phone to 100% because constant charging can shorten battery life. It is advisable to charge it overnight and keep the charge up to 80%.
Note. Use the battery saver mode to prevent the battery from draining quickly.
24. Factory reset your phone
Factory reset is one way to fix Android phone overheating. This will return your phone to the original state it was in in the early days.
However, the worst part of this method is that you may lose all your existing apps and data. To prevent data loss, you need to make a full backup of your phone data.
You can try this method to cool down your Android phone if your phone keeps overheating.
25. Go to the service center
If none of these methods help to cool down your Android phone, you should contact a service center. They may ask you to replace the battery.
You can even get a free replacement if your phone is under warranty.
Note. Always visit genuine service centers, not local repair shops.
How not to cool down your Android phone?
Overheating Android phones is a serious problem, but it doesn’t necessarily mean using any cooling method.
You should only follow the steps that are reasonable and do not cause any harm to your phone.
You can turn off your phone if it’s too hot, or put it under a fan or in an air-conditioned room. Do not put your Android phone in a refrigerator or in water as this may cause permanent damage.
Also, placing your phone in a refrigerator or freezer can change the temperature dramatically and cause serious damage.
Last but not least, never force-cool your Android phone. Give it time to cool down. Rapid cooling is not the right solution. In this case, the slow and steady win the race.
5 tips to prevent your Android phone from overheating
Here are the best tips to help prevent your Android phone from overheating.
1. Avoid direct sunlight on your phone
Direct sunlight can damage your Android phone and catch fire easily if left in the sun for too long. Do not use or store your phone in direct sunlight.
2. Reduce screen brightness
Some people use phones at full brightness and keep them that way even when not in use. Excessive screen brightness makes your phone’s battery work harder and thus generate more heat.
Therefore, lowering the screen brightness and shortening the screen timeout can prevent overheating. You can also download an anti-glare screen protector app to protect your phone screen from sunlight.
3. Use manufacturer approved charger
Each charger and phone port is designed differently. Therefore, it is recommended to use an original charger that is compatible with your device. Third party chargers and cables can damage your phone and cause it to overheat.
4. Disable unused apps on your phone
We constantly use our mobile phones for different purposes. When too many apps are running in the background, it makes your Android work harder, which ends up generating heat.
You can simply disable unused applications and prevent them from running in the background.
5. Keep your apps up to date
Application bugs can affect the efficiency of the phone and thus make the phone work harder. Updating apps fixes the bug and improves phone performance.
Keep the apps on your phone up to date to improve its performance.
Not only applications, but also the system software of Android phones also require updates from time to time. You can check in the “About”section of your phone if a new update is available for your phone.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that overheating is a common problem for all electronic devices and compact gadgets.
This article is a complete guide about overheating Android phones and how to cool down Android phone at home.
This article discusses everything from the cause of overheating to the consequences of overheating, from preventive measures to precautionary methods. However, you don’t have to try all the methods mentioned.
Do not panic. Never follow the myths when your android phone gets hot. First, find out the cause of overheating, and then apply the necessary methods.
FAQ
What is the average temperature of Android phones?
The ideal temperature for an Android phone is between 0 and 35 degrees Celsius. However, it may fluctuate depending on environmental conditions.
Why is my Android phone overheating?
There are many reasons why an Android phone overheats. Here are some of them: Excessive use of the device. Bug software. Malware. Internal damage. Exposure to direct heat.
How to cool down my android phone?
You can cool down your Android phone by doing the following: Place it near a fan. Stop overuse. Use the Cooling Master app. Control background apps. Remove or replace the phone case. Free up space on your phone.