Smartphone Hacks: If your smartphone gets excessively hot during use, you shouldn’t simply dismiss it as a result of the heat or weather. Temperatures can rise due to factors like prolonged gaming, heavy camera usage, 5G connectivity or weak network signals, high screen brightness, apps running in the background, and using the phone while charging. Both Apple and Google recommend adjusting certain settings and usage habits to optimize battery and thermal performance. If your phone heats up after brief use, you can check a few settings—though the specific names and paths for these settings may vary by device.
First, identify which app is causing the phone to heat up
One common cause of overheating is an app that continuously utilizes the processor, internet, or location services in the background. On Android, you can go to Settings > Battery > Battery usage to see which apps are consuming the most power. If an app you haven’t used much is draining significant battery, you should check its background activity. Google also recommends restricting apps that consume excessive battery.
On an iPhone, you can view app and system activity by going to Settings > Battery. Here, you can identify which apps are consuming the most power and whether they have high background activity.
Control background apps
Many apps continue to check for new data in the background even after the screen is turned off. This can increase battery consumption and place an extra load on the phone over time.
On an iPhone, you can turn this feature off or limit it to Wi-Fi only by going to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. According to Apple, disabling Background App Refresh prevents certain apps from checking for new content while running in the background.
On Android phones, the option for this may vary depending on the manufacturer. You can look for options to restrict high-battery-consuming apps within the Battery Settings. Try lowering the screen brightness
If your phone’s brightness is consistently set very high, it can increase battery consumption. Watching videos or playing games at high brightness for extended periods can also place extra strain on the phone. Therefore, it is better to keep ‘Auto Brightness’ enabled or lower the brightness as needed. Apple also identifies high brightness as a factor that increases battery drain and recommends using ‘Auto-Brightness’.
Use ‘5G Auto’ instead of ‘5G’
If your phone supports 5G but you are in an area with a weak 5G signal, the phone may constantly search for a better network. This can impact battery life and cause the phone to heat up. iPhones offer a ‘5G Auto’ option under Settings > Mobile Service > Mobile Data Options > Voice & Data > 5G Auto. According to Apple, ‘5G Auto’ can switch to LTE when 5G isn’t necessary, helping to conserve battery. On Android devices, the path to network settings varies by model. If the 5G signal in your area is consistently weak, you might want to try using 4G/LTE instead.
Turn off Location and Hotspot when not needed
Apps that constantly use GPS and location services can significantly impact your phone’s battery. Similarly, keeping the mobile hotspot on causes the phone to continuously share its network connection. It is best to turn off Hotspot, Bluetooth, and Location services when they are not in use. Google also recommends disabling unnecessary tethering, GPS, and other high-drain features.
Enable Battery Saver or Low Power Mode
If your phone is already heating up and you want to reduce power consumption, you can enable ‘Battery Saver’ or ‘Low Power Mode’. On Android, this can usually be activated via Settings > Battery > Battery Saver. According to Google, Battery Saver limits background activity and may reduce certain visual effects and features to save power. On an iPhone, this can be enabled via Settings > Battery > Power Mode > Low Power Mode. It reduces or disables features such as background app refresh, mail fetching, and certain visual effects.
Do not use the phone while charging if it is already hot
If the phone is already warm, it is not advisable to engage in gaming, video editing, or prolonged camera use while it is charging. Performing processor-intensive tasks simultaneously with charging can cause the temperature to rise further. If the iPhone overheats significantly, a “Charging On Hold” notification may appear; according to Apple, charging is paused until the temperature returns to a normal range. In such a situation, the phone should be moved to a cool place away from direct sunlight.
Avoid using the phone in direct sunlight
This is particularly important in hot climates like India. Leaving the phone inside a car, in direct sunlight, or in a very hot environment can cause its temperature to spike rapidly. According to Apple, iPhones and iPads are designed to operate optimally in ambient temperatures between 0°C and 35°C. Exposure to excessively high temperatures can also negatively impact battery life.
Heating after gaming or camera use does not always indicate a malfunction
It is considered normal for the phone to heat up to some extent after activities such as playing high-graphics games for extended periods, recording 4K video, editing video, or using GPS navigation continuously. In such situations…
