Reasons Why Mobile Device Gets Hot Or Overheat And Solutions

While games portray a problem, another cause that has been widely noticed is excessive internet browsing. If you are watching YouTube videos for hours, there is no doubt that your phone will begin to get noticeably warmer. This is because of the long period of time that the phone screen is on, the effort your phone is making to play the video and the fact that it also has to ensure data connectivity. All of it adds up to an amount of work that your phone’s CPU find difficult to carry out.

Another thing that you may want to be wary of is whether it is your phone that is getting overheated or is your battery too old and has begun overheating because its life cycle is almost over.

Now that we know some of the reasons why your Android device may be overheating, let us look at ways in which the problem can be fixed.

Solutions To Fix Android Phone Overheating Issues

Solution 1: Appropriate Ventilation

If you notice your phone or tablet getting too hot in the pocket or when you use a case, then your device is not getting the chance to dissipate the heat that is formed while you use the device. Try using the phone or tablet without the case. Now check if it works without heating up. If the problem is fixed when you use the phone without the case then you must consider changing the case or not using a case at all. It can be the material of the case which is not allowing the phone to breathe. The same problem can occur when devices are kept in the pocket.

Solution 2: Restart Your Device

If this is the first time you noticed your phone getting overheated, then restart the device. While restarting may be a temporary fix, sometimes it is enough to help your phone or tablet put everything in place again and start afresh which may reduce the chances of your device overheating again.

Solution 3: Update The Software

Your phone’s software ensures the smooth running of the phone. Outdated software can begin causing numerous problems for your phone including overheating. Update the software of your phone so that it runs the latest version. Software updates help in fixing bugs and other known issues on the phone or tablet. If your device had a known problem, then an update can resolve the issue. Manufacturers encourage automatic updates but if you chose not to update your phone, then now is the time for you to reconsider.

• Head into the settings menu of your phone.
• Tap on About device
• Here you will notice the option to check for updates
• Tap on it and allow your phone to update to the latest version
• Restart your phone after the update

Check if the update was able to solve the problem of overheating.

Solution 4: Update The Apps

While your phone’s software plays an important role, the apps can also be the culprit behind an overheated phone or tablet. When the device is overheating, check for apps that you may have recently installed. There is a possibility that the app may have a bug or a problem which may be causing the phone to overheat.Make sure all your apps are updated  so that any known issues are fixed before your phone is damaged by the overheating problems.

 

Solution 5: Where Do You Keep Your Phone?

Some of us end up leaving our phones on the dashboard of our car where the sunlight can overheat it. The same problem arises when the phone is kept close to other electronic devices which may magnetize the device and over a period of time it may lead to overheating problems. Even when you charge your phone, it is important to look for a place where the phone will not heat up excessively.  The reason is that charging the phone usually leads to a slight rise in the temperature.

Solution 6: Invest In Original Parts

Did you recently replace the battery of your phone? If so, then did you buy the new battery from the manufacturer? Cheap counterfeits of all parts are available on the internet. Trying to save some money on the parts may lead to a bigger investment because the fake parts may eventually render your phone inoperable. Use original parts, especially when you are changing the battery of the phone. Remember to choose a battery that is original and is bought from an authorized dealer. The quality of original parts will ensure the smooth running of the phone while the cheaper ones may begin creating problems for you.

Solution 7: Screen Brightness

The phone screen is a prime cause of battery drain for tablets it is even worse because the screen is bigger. Big screens mean more battery usage to power the screen. When you decide to keep your screen’s brightness level to the highest, it ends up using a lot of battery. Pull down the notification shade of your phone and check the brightness level. If you find it to be extraordinarily high, then consider reducing it to a more comfortable level.

You can easily change the brightness level if you step out into the sun and you want to check your phone. Once you are away from the sunlight, remember to turn the brightness down once again.

Solution 8: Check For Apps With Background Sync

We all love our phone’s ability to quietly work in the background to update the notifications and keep our accounts up to date. However, more often than not, we may not need all that syncing for a number of apps. Your phone has to do a considerable amount of work when it syncs your accounts in the background. Try to keep the important ones synced while you can turn off background sync for other apps.

• Go to the Settings menu of your phone
• Tap on Accounts
• Under the list of apps, tap on apps for which you would like to disable sync and change the sync settings.

This will help your phone save some effort and reduce overheating of your phone.

Solution 9: Change The Notification Settings

The notification settings of your phone for a variety of apps can make a difference too. When you change the app settings to show notifications for a limited number of apps only – the ones for which you cannot miss the notifications – you will be able to reduce your phone’s working capacity. Changing the notification settings for the apps you do not need can be done by going into the Settings menu of your phone and tapping on Applications manager. Check under downloaded apps for the apps that you have installed and tap on each app to check the notification settings. You can check or uncheck the notification option for the apps you need.

Solution 10: Does Your Phone Feature A Great Camera?

Awesome camera phones with good picture quality are useful but they can get pretty hot if you end up shooting a long video with such phones. This is because the phone requires a lot of CPU power when it is capturing a video. One of the users had talked about this problem with their Sony Xperia Z5. When the camera settings were set to High, and a video was being taken, he found that the phone displayed a warning notice regarding the phone overheating and it shut down.

Restarting the phone after a couple of minutes resolved the problem and he was able to use the phone again. When using high settings in your camera, you may end up with a problem like his if the phone’s camera is used for very long periods of time. Make sure that the camera settings are comparatively lower if you are going to use the camera to shoot a long video.

Solution 11: Use An App To Fix The Problem

If your Android continues to overheat after trying the above solutions, then using an app to solve the problem can be your next best bet. The Play Store has a number of apps that can be helpful in resolving overheating problems in different ways. There are apps that help you identify other apps that may be sapping the battery of your phone and making the CPU work way harder than it should. Then there are apps that can help in efficient use of the battery ensuring that the battery does not overheat. Some of the apps that you may find helpful are:

Greenify – It helps your phone run more efficiently by hibernating apps that you don’t use at the moment. It also stops apps from sapping the battery of the phone and also ensures that the phone’s CPU is not put to unwanted work because of apps which are running in the background for no reason. It has an extremely low CPU and battery consumption which makes it a decent app for overheating problems.

Coolify – Another app that is very efficient in keeping your phone’s temperature in control is Coolify. It uses root permissions to work effectively, so this app is good only for users who are comfortable with providing root access to an app on their phone.

Cooler Master – This app shows the temperature of your device and helps you cool down the device by detecting apps that are causing your phone to overheat. It scans the device, identifies the misbehaving apps and helps you keep your phone cool.

These three apps are not the only ones available on Play Store. There are a number of other apps. Make sure you check the reviews and understand how it works before you install it so that you know what to expect from the app.

Solution 12: Reset The Phone To Factory Settings

When everything else fails, the solution to every problem lies in a factory reset. With a factory reset your phone will be just like it was when it came out of the box. You will end up losing all data and you will also lose the apps you may have installed on your phone. The upside is that you will be able to fix the problem and with all your data backed up, if your problem is fixed, you can recover all the data and use your phone as usual.

Make sure that you create a data backup before you try resetting the phone so that you do not lose anything. Follow these steps to reset your phone to factory settings:

• Head into the Settings menu of your phone.
• Tap on Backup and Reset
• You will notice the option to backup data. You can check this option if you want to create a backup and then tap on Factory Reset.
• Your phone will initiate the process of a factory reset and it will restart automatically.

Once the phone restarts, check if it works without overheating. If the problem is resolved then you can recover the data and begin using your phone as usual. However, if the problem persists then you must take the phone to the retail shop or your carrier. If your phone is under warranty then you may be able to get it repaired without charges or even get a replacement for it.

What To Do When My Phone Begins To Overheat After Water Damage?

If your phone is exposed to moisture or water, there is a possibility that over a period of time, some parts of the phone get damaged resulting in overheating of the phone. To avoid this, ensure that you do not use your phone in water prone areas a lot. Avoid taking your phone with you when you step into the bathroom for a shower. Also, avoid using the phone near a swimming pool regularly where occasional splashes can eventually deteriorate the life of the phone. If you end up using the phone extensively in areas that expose your phone to moisture, you may end up reducing the life of your phone and it may cause overheating problems.

On the other hand, if your phone was dropped in water and got completely wet, then do not switch it on immediately. Pull out the back cover (if it is removable) and remove the battery from the phone. Dry the parts thoroughly and then leave the phone in a bag of rice or a bag of silica gel pouches for 24 hours. This will help you dry the phone and moisture will be removed from the parts of the phone that got wet. Put the parts together and try using the phone now. If you begin noticing an overheating problem now, take the phone to a professional who can check if the water has physically damaged any parts of the phone which may need to be fixed to resolve the problem.