How to cool down your phone

How to cool down your phone

It’s common for smartphones to feel warm after prolonged use, but a device that is hot to the touch could mean a deeper issue. Any signs of your phone overheating require immediate attention to avoid long-term damage, so it’s important to get to the root of the cause.

To help you figure out why your phone might be getting hot and how to cool it down safely, we’ve outlined the most important tips to remember when your phone is burning up.

If you want to change your phone after several years of use, check out our contract and SIM-free offers.

Why is my phone hot?

Smartphones can overheat for several reasons, gradually impacting their performance and lifespan. Simply placing your phone in direct sunlight can increase your device’s temperature, as can leaving it in a warm environment such as a car.

Battery life can be an overheating factor, too. Charging your phone for too long has the potential to increase its internal temperature, so make sure to disconnect your phone just before it reaches 100%. Running apps that are demanding on the processor, or having too many apps open at the same time, are also common causes of an overheating phone.

iPhone-app-close-1.jpg

How to prevent your phone from overheating

Take it out of the sun

Minimising the time your phone spends in direct sunlight is an effective way to prevent it from overheating. Keep your device in the shade or tucked away in a pocket, so it’s not subject to the intense heat. Likewise, try not to leave your phone on the dashboard while driving; this is a sure-fire way to overheat it and potentially damage the lithium-ion battery.

Employ smart battery habits

As we mentioned earlier, one of the most common reasons why phones overheat is to do with battery usage, so practicing habits that conserve battery life can help keep its temperature down.

An easy first step is to use Battery Saver Mode. This feature will deactivate non-essential background processes on your phone to reduce the battery’s workload; this in return contributes to keeping the device cool.

Most apps remain open in the background, which can continuously drain the battery even when you’re not using them. Getting into the habit of closing apps once you’re done will prevent them from overworking your phone.

battery saver.jpg

Keep the brightness down

Bright backlights can consume a significant amount of battery life, due to being one of the main components that quickly heat up. Keeping your screen brightness at a low level can help conserve battery life and lower your phone’s temperature; some phones even include an adaptive brightness mode, such as the Samsung Galaxy S24.

Use the correct charger

When you recharge your phone, make sure to use a manufacturer-approved charger. If you use one that isn’t compatible with your handset, this can risk overloading the battery and drive its temperature up.

Tips for cooling down your phone

Place it on a cool surface

One of the most important things to remember when cooling down a smartphone is to avoid sudden changes in temperature. Don’t put your phone in the fridge to cool it off, as this can be damaging to the hardware and risk moisture getting into the device.

Instead, cool your device down slowly. One way to do this is by placing it on a cool surface, such as a kitchen countertop, to let the temperature drop gradually. You could also place your phone near a fan to gently blow it with cold air.

le-buzz-studio-aM9sj98dI2A-unsplash(1).jpg

Avoid using a phone case in hot temperatures

Phone cases can prevent air from flowing through your device to cool it down. Removing the case when it’s hot is a simple but effective way to keep the temperature down, allowing heat to escape through the vents.

If your phone is hot, keeping it in close vicinity to other devices will only make it worse. Make sure you keep your phone separate from items such as tablets and laptops, so the heat can’t transfer between them.

Those are our expert tips for cooling down your phone. Knowing how to do so, alongside general care and maintenance, can help prevent any unnecessary damage to your device in the long term. If you want your phone to live a long life, our phone cleaning tips can help keep it in top condition.