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Why Your Android Phone Is Overheating? (And Tips to Cool It Down)

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Writer, Android

Saurav loves writing and tech. So, after engineering, he didn't look back and embarked on a journey to become a tech writer. Saurav has worked for various tech websites across the globe.

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Is your Android phone overheating? Do you feel like your Android phone is overheating so quickly?

Oftentimes, Android users panic when their phones get hot after playing games or streaming movies. The higher temperature after completing battery- and performance-draining tasks is quite normal.

However, an excessively hot Android phone can become a real safety hazard. So you need to look for ways to cool your phone down before the unfortunate happens.

This article will step you through possible fixes for when your Android phone is overheating and how to prevent your phone from overheating in the future.

Normal Temperature for Android Phones

According to experts and smartphone developers, the ideal temperature of a smartphone should be between 32-95 degrees Fahrenheit or 0-35 degrees Celsius.

Now, this temperature is only for when the device is being charged, or you are using it, or it’s just sitting on the table. 

So, you can expect a spike in the temperature when you use apps that heavily use your phone’s processor, such as playing games or streaming your favorite sports. The same goes for when you are restoring backup files or using a demanding application. 

However, checking the internal temperature of a smartphone is not an easy task. In the past, there were a few devices that displayed this particular information, but that is not the case anymore. So, you have to rely on 3rd party applications.

Why is Your Android Phone Overheating? 

Now, before we jump to the main part of the article, a small discussion about an overheating smartphone is necessary.

We’ll look at some of the possible causes behind an overheating smartphone or what can be considered overheating. 

On the other hand,  if you find your phone getting hot or getting an alert for overheating without using your phone, you should be concerned and try to cool it down.

Coming to the reasons for Android phones overheating, there are a few things that could be the main culprits.

  • Keeping your phone at high brightness. 
  • Being connected to Wi-Fi for too long.
  • Playing gaming for too long.

Unfortunately, none of the smartphones available in the current market will get overheated for any of these reasons. So, don’t worry about them. 

Now, if your new Samsung or OnePlus phone is suddenly overheating, you need to be concerned. In that case, keep reading and check out our tips for cooling down an overheating Android phone. 

10 Tips to Stop Android Phone from Overheating

When your Android phone is overheating, you need to cool it down as soon as possible. Otherwise, you may face significant hardware damage. 

But you don’t have to look any further. We have listed some of the best smartphone cooling tips below. Let’s check them out.  

  1. Remove Phone Case
  2. Unplug and Reboot
  3. Use Different Charging Cable
  4. Disable Fast-Charging
  5. Do Not Leave Phone in the Sun
  6. Disable Bluetooth and Reduce Camera Use
  7. Close Performance-draining Applications
  8. Check for Malware
  9. Update Android and Apps
  10. Use Cooling Master

1. Remove the Phone Case

If you feel like your Android smartphone is running abnormally hotter all the time, you can get rid of the additional accessories. And by additional accessories, we mean the phone case. 

Device safety is always a concern for users. Using the phone case provides an additional layer of safety that is by no means unnecessary. 

But it is always a good idea to use branded phone cases from popular manufacturers. It will be costly, but they won’t be badly constructed or made of unnecessary thick material that interferes with your phone’s cooling system. 

So, removing the phone case is a great way to begin when your Android phone is overheating. 

2. Unplug the Phone and Reboot 

If your Android phone is overheating while charging, you need to unplug and reboot the device. 

Speaking of rebooting your phone, you might be interested in learning what to do when your Android phone keeps restarting.

Overheating while charging has been one of the most common worries for smartphone users. But in most cases, it’s just a misunderstanding. 

The thing is, most modern smartphones are equipped with fast-charging capabilities to some degree. You may not be using a OnePlus device with 65W fast-charging capability, but 20W to 25W fast-charging is common for Android smartphones these days. 

Still, there is a limit to how much hotter a device can get without damaging itself. So, the best course of action in this situation would be to unplug and reboot.   

3. Use a Different Charging Cable 

If you still think your Android phone is overheating while charging, you can try using a different charging cable.   

These USB charging cables are a bit fragile, and they are prone to damage, especially if you’ve been using that particular one for a long time. 

A damaged cable may be responsible for an uneven power supply, causing the device to overheat. It can also damage the battery permanently. 

So, you can use a different cable for charging. If the problem is still there after replacing the cable, then at least you can be sure that the issue wasn’t cable-related.  

4. Disable Fast-Charging 

Since 2020, fast charging has become a common feature on Android devices. Now, you may not be using a flagship device with high-end fast-charging capability. But 20 to 25W is quite common. 

It is still an elective feature, and you can turn it off from your Android mobile settings if you think it is overheating while charging. 

  1. On the Settings app, select the Battery and Device Care option. 
  2. Tap on Battery and then scroll down to select More Battery Settings
  3. Disable Fast-Charging
Fast Charging Disabled
Disable Fast Charging from Battery and Device Care. Screenshot: Saurav Dey/Gotechtor

Now, reboot the device and connect it to the charger. Charging will be slow, but it will not overheat anymore. 

5. Do Not Leave Your Phone in the Sun

Avoid keeping your phone under direct sunlight. Now, we all have a specific place in our homes where we place our smartphones. 

And you may not have noticed, but that place is right beside the window, and your phone directly takes an hour or two of sunlight every day.  

This will make your phone hot, and as long as it is under the sunlight, you won’t be able to cool it down. Some people even had the bright idea of putting the phone inside the freezer. Please, do not do it.

Just remove the phone from direct sunlight and keep it at normal temperature for a while. After a few hours, your phone should cool down.

6. Disable Bluetooth and Reduce Camera Use

Stop using Bluetooth for too long, or at least turn it off when you are not using it. Some people have the habit of leaving Bluetooth activated on their Android devices. 

This habit is bad for the battery. Bluetooth is battery hungry; in some cases, prolonged use is known to overheat smartphones. 

Bluetooth Disabled
Disable Bluetooth from Android Control Center. Screenshot: Saurav Dey/Gotechtor

The second culprit is the camera. There are multiple forums dedicated to this particular issue. Now, if you are someone who takes one or two photos now and then, you shouldn’t be worried.

However, the problem appears if you are spending too much time capturing long videos. So, if you are doing something similar, you need to limit your camera use.

7. Close Performance-draining Applications 

When the internal temperature of your Android smartphone is getting out of hand, you need to keep the performance-draining apps in check.  

These are the apps that push the processor to the brink and, by doing that, consume too much battery. Focus on the games on your mobile and streaming apps like Netflix. 

Try not to play games for too long. Most importantly, close the apps when they are not in use. Otherwise, it will continue to run in the background, consume battery and make your Android phone hotter. 

8. Check for Malware 

Malware can cause many problems with your Android phone, and not surprisingly, overheating is one of them. 

Now, malware can enter your mobile from anywhere. It can be from a popup ad your clicked or even fake apps that you have installed from the Play Store. It is difficult to avoid them, and you wouldn’t know how they will strike you. 

  1. Open the Google Play Store app. 
  2. Tap on the Menu button and select Manage App and Device option. 
Enter Google Menu
Select Manage Apps and Device Option. Screenshot: Saurav Dey/Gotechtor
  1. Now, tap on the No Harmful Apps Found option.
Manage Apps and Device Overview
Select No Harmful Apps Found Option. Screenshot: Saurav Dey/Gotechtor
  1. On the following page, tap on the Scan button.  
Start the Apps Scan
Start Scanning All the Applications on Your Smartphone. Screenshot: Saurav Dey/Gotechtor

This is a built-in way to scan for harmful apps. But you also have the option to employ an anti-virus application. While this is a good first step, there are many other ways to protect your phone from hackers.

9. Update Android and Apps 

You can also try updating the Android OS if all the apps are up-to-date. An outdated operating system can cause a lot of issues.

And this could be one such issue that is making the entire system go haywire and heating the phone. 

So, if you think the phone is still overheating, Give this one a try. It’s easy. 

  1. Navigate to the Android Settings and select Software Update
  2. Tap on Download and Install
Download and Install Android Update
Tap to Update Android System. Screenshot: Saurav Dey/Gotechtor

If Android has released a new update, the systems will locate it, and you will have to tap on the Install button. 

If you are done with the Android system update, it is time to move your focus on updating the applications. 

To get optimum performance, both the system and applications should be up-to-date. Most people usually stop the auto-update feature to extend the battery life of Android smartphone phones. 

Talking about expanding the battery life. You can check our article on how to increase battery life on Android phones.

Now, you need to update all the applications that require an update. Manually checking each app and then updating it would be frustrating.

So, you need to do the following. 

  1. Launch the Google Play Store app.
  2. Tap on the Menu button at the screen’s top right corner and tap on the Manage App and Device option. 
  3. Under that, you will find the Updates Available option.     
Update All Apps
Tap on the Updates Available Option. Screenshot: Saurav Dey/Gotechtor

In the detail, you will see how many apps require updates on your mobile. You can easily tap on Update All to update all the applications in one sweep.  

10. Use Cooling Master 

If your Android phone is still overheating, we recommend using a third-party application. 

There are a lot of applications that claim to be great when it comes to cooling down your smartphone. In reality, most of them are not so effective. 

Cooling Master Showing High Temperature
Cooling Master Showing High CPU Usage. Screenshot: Saurav Dey/Gotechtor

One of the exceptions is the Cooling Master app. The app is simple and easy to use. It scans your smartphone, lists all the demanding apps, and then you can tap on the Cool Down button and close those apps. 

Wrap-Up: Android Phone Overheating

We hope your Android device is not feeling the heat anymore and the tips we have provided have worked. 

Regardless, Android phone overheating is a strange phenomenon these days, and most often, it is related to a degrading battery.

So, if your Android phone is over three years old, you should consider replacing it with a new model. Check out our phone buying guide in case you decide to buy a new phone.

Still, exceptions can happen. Even your new Android phone can overheat. When that happens, our tips will be there to save you.

If you have any new tips for cooling down Android phones, please let us know via the comment section below. 

Writer, Android

Saurav loves writing and tech. So, after engineering, he didn't look back and embarked on a journey to become a tech writer. Saurav has worked for various tech websites across the globe.

Saurav Dey

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