Overheating can lead to a triple threat for your device. It slows things down to a crawl, drains your battery faster, and in extreme cases, can even cause the battery to spark, posing a fire risk.
Unlike us, our devices can’t sweat! This means all the actions we take, from running apps to charging, generate heat that gets trapped inside. USA Today explains how this build-up can lead to overheating.
Summer’s heat can be brutal on your devices. Extreme heat buildup becomes more likely during this season, especially with scorching temperatures.
Now that summer’s here, let’s learn how to keep our precious smartphones and gadgets cool and protected from the sweltering heat.
10 Tips to Keep Your Smartphone Cool This Summer
- Beat the Sun: Avoid using your phone for extended periods in direct sunlight. If you must, crank down the brightness a bit or seek shade.
- Power Down the Power Drainers: Background Apps and features like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS that you’re not actively using can silently drain your battery and generate heat. Close unnecessary apps and disable unused features.
- Give Your Phone a Breather: If you’re noticing your phone getting warm, especially during tasks like gaming or using the camera, take a break and let it cool down. Consider turning it off for a few minutes.
- Ditch the Case (Temporarily): Some phone cases, especially thick or insulated ones, can trap heat. If your phone is getting hot, remove the case for a while to allow better heat dissipation.
- Lower the Screen Brightness: Your phone’s display is a major source of heat generation. Reducing the brightness can significantly help keep things cool, especially when you’re not in direct sunlight.
- Mind Your Charging Habits: Avoid using low-quality chargers or charging your phone in hot environments. Consider removing the case while charging to improve airflow.
- Update Your Apps (But Not Too Much): App developers are constantly working on improvements, which can sometimes include optimizations for heat management. However, avoid excessive background app updates, which can contribute to heat generation.
- Turn Down the Processing Power: Many phones offer a battery saver mode that reduces processing power and background activity. This can be a great way to keep your phone cooler, especially when you don’t need peak performance.
- Invest in a Cooling Accessory: Several cooling accessories are available, from phone clips with built-in fans to mobile cooling pads. These can be a lifesaver on scorching days.
- Monitor Your Phone’s Temperature: Some phone manufacturers include built-in temperature gauges. If not, there are downloadable apps that can monitor your phone’s temperature. This will help you identify potential overheating issues before they become a problem.
Even with modern safety features, overheating is still a risk for smartphones. Most devices will enter standby mode or shut down entirely when they get too hot.
While these safety features can help, they’re not a foolproof shield. Extremely high temperatures can still damage your phone even if it shuts down.
Major smartphone makers like Apple and Google recommend avoiding using your phone in very hot conditions.
Most phone manufacturers recommend keeping your phone below 35°C (95°F) during use. If it’s powered off and stored, they allow slightly higher temperatures, around 45°C (113°F).
Pushing your phone past these limits can fry its circuits, so it’s best to keep it cool.
Don’t rely solely on the weather app! Even if it says 35°C, localized temperatures, especially near hot surfaces like car interiors, can be significantly higher. Play it safe and keep your phone cool.
Leaving your phone on the dashboard of a hot, sunny car is a recipe for overheating disaster. The temperature inside a vehicle can soar much higher than the outside air, putting your phone at risk.
