Smartphones are an essential part of our daily lives, but can sometimes be frustrating and inconvenient when they overheat and slow down. This usually happens as you are enjoying playing your favourite mobile game or watching videos. An overheated phone can lead to decreased battery life, reduced performance, and even potential safety hazards. If you’re wondering why sometimes your phone gets too hot, here are 5 potential causes of phone overheating and what you can do to prevent it:
1. Intensive app usage
Running multiple apps or playing resource-intensive games for a prolonged period can cause your phone to get hot quickly. The excessive heat generated can damage internal components and affect performance. Consider limiting your usage of processor-intensive apps or games to shorter periods.
2. Background running apps and processes
Some apps and processes like backups, syncing, and updates may continue to run in the background, even when you are not using your phone. This may increase the workload on your phone’s processor and battery, leading to overheating. To prevent this, you can go into your phone’s settings and manage the apps allowed to run in the background. You can also try closing unused apps to reduce the load on your phone’s processor.
3. Malfunctioning battery
A malfunctioning battery is another potential cause of phone overheating. A faulty battery may not hold charge or struggle to keep up with power demands, leading to increased heat generation. If you suspect that your battery is the issue, consider replacing it with a new one.
4. High display brightness
Another possible cause of phone overheating is high display brightness, especially when combined with prolonged use. Brighter screens require more energy, which can lead to increased heat generation. To prevent this, lower your display brightness or use automatic brightness settings to adjust it based on ambient lighting conditions.
5. Network connectivity
Poor network connectivity or using data-intensive features such as video calls or streaming can also cause your phone to get hot quickly. When your phone struggles to maintain a stable network connection, it may work harder to find a signal, leading to increased heat generation. Ensure to turn off Wi-Fi or mobile data when not in use, especially in areas with poor network coverage.
What to do if your phone is overheating
If you notice your phone is overheating, the most basic thing you can do is stop using it immediately and let it cool down before using it again. Here are more tips that can help cool it down faster:
- Turn off the phone and let it cool down: This is the most basic and effective way to cool down an overheating phone. Turn off your phone and allow it to cool down naturally.
- Remove the phone case: Phone cases can trap heat and prevent proper airflow, leading to increased heat generation. Removing the case can help improve airflow and allow the phone to cool down faster.
- Avoid charging the phone: Charging your phone generates heat, which can increase the temperature of an already overheated phone. Do not connect your phone to the power outlet until it cools down.
- Place your phone on a cool surface to help dissipate heat faster. However, avoid putting it in an extremely cold area such as the freezer.
- Turn off features that are not in use e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile data.
