We use our smartphones regularly, and they run immensely powerful hardware. Some say, modern smartphones are immensely more powerful than the computers that took people to the moon. As years have passed, phones have evolved and along with those have come heating issues. We have all faced it, felt it while charging our phones or shooting a lot of videos. It is worrying, and with news of phones catching fire and exploding, it is always a lingering thought. We are here to help tell you what might be causing the overheating and what you could do about it.
Measuring your phone’s temperature, and how hot is OK?
Our phones do run warm from time to time but how do you accurately measure the temperature. Most phones have inbuilt sensors that report temperatures and other statistics. You can install a third-party app from the app store. There are many to choose from, but CPU-Z is one of our favourites. It shows the temperature of the processor, but also of the battery. You can use this information to pinpoint what part of your phone is causing the heating. Most phones operate between 30C and 45C, while some may run a bit hotter as well. Most smartphones like computers are designed to run a lot hotter, and you may notice higher temperatures while playing games or running intensive apps.
Overheating from running games, using the camera actively
One of the ways your phone can start heating is while playing games. They are by-far, the most intensive applications on our smartphones, and you should notice this immediately. Shooting videos at high resolutions and frame rates can also cause heating. Some recommend reducing the quality of the photos, or resolution of the videos to reduce the performance demand. For example, if your phone records at 4K, you can turn it down to 1080p and 30fps, since most consume media at our phone’s native resolutions. Those who game on their smartphones often, should opt for smartphones designed for gaming as they are better equipped for controlling high temperatures. Even games have graphics settings that can be toned down.
Heating batteries while charging phones
As phones have evolved, some of the nicest features are the high capacities of batteries and more importantly, the speed at which they can be charged. Most phones today come with 20W charging, some 30W and some even higher at over a 100W. While charging quickly is a nice feature, a side-effect is heating. Fortunately, the charging only lasts 30-40 mins at a time. It is a good idea to disconnect the phone once charged, rather than leaving it plugged in all the time.
Poor ventilation with custom cases
Most of use our mobile phones with cases meant to protective the devices from physical damage. Some of these cases can be bulky, and some might offer absolutely no ventilation. Such cases can contribute to the increasing temperatures and cause the device to overheat, especially when charging them or while running heavy apps and games. One of the ways to bypass this problem might be to remove the case while gaming, or while charging.
Background apps causing heating issues
Our mobile phones run several apps, some apps in the background. If you don’t update these apps regularly, there might be bugs that may overload your phone. A solution to this might be to close those apps that continue running in the background. This may seem easy using the swipe feature, but a sure way is to head over to the Settings > Apps and notifications screen. This menu can differ from one phone to another. Look for a list of all apps on your phone, and you should be able to notice the apps that use more battery or performance. You can tap that app, then click the Force stop button.
Not much to worry about overheating?
While overheating is not ideal, there are going to apps and circumstances that will cause your phone to run warm. Modern mobile phones are designed to run cool, and to run safely while running hot. In all cases, there is little to be alarmed by. If you phone running consistently over say, 60C then you can try to look at some of the factors we have described so far. In most other cases, you can rest easy.
Older mobile phones running warm
As mobile phones get older, there is wear and tear and one of the biggest culprits is often the battery. There are also pastes and tapes inside the phone that are meant to help keep the internals cool, but they too begin to lose their effectiveness. So, if you have been using an old phone that consistently overheats, it’s possibly a good time to consider buying a new device.
There are some ways of keeping your phone cool that we have already described through this feature. Some safe routes to take, are not leaving your phone unattended in a car for example, in broad daylight. If you see the phone constantly warm, you can switch the phone to the power saving mode that can reduce the power consumption and in turn, the temperature. Some even suggest reducing the screen brightness. However, if you want more information and advice, you can head over to your nearest Reliance Digital store, and our experts there can recommend solutions for your mobile phone. If you would like to read more such tips and want to learn more about the technology you own, continue visit us here at reliancedigital.in
