Why Is My Phone Getting Hot?

Several reasons may be causing your phone to overheat. In this article, we are going to highlight some of the possible causes with which you can compare to your situation. As a bonus, we will also provide some ways to keep the phone at acceptable temperatures, providing you with the best quality of service.

Let’s take a look!

Too Much Gaming

Many people like a good game; the better the graphics, the more the CPU and GPU usage.

Playing intensively also has the same effects on the GPU and CPU of the game.

The more the gaming, the more the usage of the CPU and GPU, which takes the memory of the phone to its limit, naturally increasing the phone’s heat as you are using it at its limits.

Consistent usage of the phone for playing games will result in an increase in the phone’s heat to very high levels, which may cause increased malfunctions and result in permanent damage. If kept up, it may result in a reduction of the pones output level of service, which may see it get slower and even start lagging.

In extreme cases, the phone may even die, so you should ensure you give the phone enough time to recover, by letting it rest a while. Also, reduce the number of times plus the durations you play games.

Too Many Background Apps

Most people rarely turn off apps after they are done with them, rather they will minimize the app, which will see it continue to run in the background.

Are you one of these people?

Well, you are slowly and steadily spoiling your phone, and you will end up with a slower phone and, in extreme cases, a dead phone!

The more the number of apps you have in the background, the harder it is for the processor to maintain them. This means that they may take a toll on the GPU and CPU of the phone, and the more they are, the heavier the toll.

Most phones will advise you to switch off background apps, as apart from taking a toll on the CPU and GPU, they also drain your battery life.

Being that they take a toll on the battery and the CPU and GPU, a known side effect will be the overheating of the phone. Also dependent on what app you are running on the foreground, the higher the temperature of the phone.

Phone Overheating -Binging on Streaming Videos

Well, this must be a downer for streaming fanatics!

However, the truth is that binging on streaming videos will have a direct effect on the temperature of the phone.

What streaming for long periods does to your phone is that it causes the overworking of the phone’s processor, which in turn increases the temperature of the phone.

Apart from internet connectivity, the screen time, combined with the likely high brightness of the phone’s screen will have an effect on the phone’s processor. It will, over time, cause an increase in processor usage and speed to cater for long time use of the phone in streaming, which will, in turn, increase the temperatures.

Also, streaming videos or a long time and a high level of brightness will have an impact on the battery life of the phone, which will, in turn, cause power drainage at a faster pace.

Most people will prefer to charge their phones while still streaming, which will cause increased temperatures due to increased processes being carried out by the phone at the same time.

Less Than Optimal Settings

Are you the type that prefers everything on the phone turned on and at 100%, from the brightness levels to the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi?

Well, you might be causing the increased temperatures to the phone.

The settings on the phone tend to overwork the processor increasing the heat produced by the phone.

You will need to ensure that you maintain your phone at optimal levels and only use what you require, rather than leaving everything on max, yet they are in no use.

Don’t leave the brightness in full blast; also, you don’t need all the animated wallpapers and widgets everywhere. Switch your WI-FI if not in use and Bluetooth if you are not using them.

Switch off the apps you are not using and ensure you do not overuse the sleep settings.

Leaving the Phone in the Sun

Are you used to leaving the phone in the sun and wondering what’s up with the phone getting warm and subsequently hotter, well the sun is the reason?

Leaving your phone in the direct sun will cause an increase in the phone’s temp as it does with virtually anything it heats up.

Ensure that the phone is not in direct sunlight.

The sun has also been known to affect the phones screen darkening it, although it is not permanent, it might affect the view at the time. If you are sunbathing and using the phone, ensure you also bring along some shade.

You will find people in the sun with their brightness level up, as they can’t see the screen properly out of the sun’s light. This also increases the temperature of the phone, and with the combination of the sun heat, you will find that the phone’s temperature goes up drastically.

Some phones come with a warning for when the pones temperature is extremely high for the normal functioning of the phone; if yours is one of them, then you might get the message and take appropriate measures. If not, then it is best to feel the heat adjudge when to take preventive measures for overheating of the phone.

App and OS Issues

Apps and the operating system of the phone may also be a reason for the phone overheating.

Apps may get bugs, which may affect the functioning of the phone causing it to overheat. This is due to using more processor than it is required due to malfunctions caused by the bugs, increasing the phone’s temperature.

Bugs may also find their way to the OS of the phone, causing the whole phone to malfunction, resulting in the increased usage of the phone’s GPU and CPU, causing the increased temperature of the phone.

To keep bugs away from the apps and the phones OS, you will need to ensure that the phone is updated constantly to keep everything in tiptop working condition. It will ensure that they do not overuse the phone’s processor speeds and keeping it in the best working conditions.

Why is My Phone Getting Hot-Malware?

This is the biggest reason for your phone, overheating.

You may not be overusing the phone, plus the apps are all being used in the desired manner, but still, the phone is constantly overheating. This might be a great indicator that the phone has some virus or malware.

Malware will eat at the phone’s processor worse than a sweet tooth in a candy store!

It will take a toll on the CPU and the GP of the phone resulting in constant overheating of the phone. There is even malware capable of physically making your phone to malfunction.

People rarely believe that their phones can get infected with a virus; however, they can even get ransomware, and you might lose your data to a hacker who may ask for money to return it.

Viruses and malware come in various types, which you should be aware of in order to take the right precautions.

With the explosion of cryptocurrency, hackers have taken an interest in the currency, and have tried to hack their way into easy money through hacking the algorithm to enrich themselves. This has seen the introduction of a Trojan malware called Loapi, which disguises itself as an antivirus in the google play store. The virus was used, but hackers to mine the Monero cryptocurrency on the phone.

The result of this was the maxing out of the phone’s processor, causing the phone to increase the temperature at alarming levels, barely two days after the introduction of the malware into the site.

There have also been increased android apps that come with malware and introduce them to the phone inside the HTML files in the phones folder. The mining scripts activate once the app is activated and hide it in the background, continuing with the processes.

Android devices are more vulnerable to malware attacks compared to iPhones, which use the approved apps in the Apple app store; however, for the jailbroken iPhone, the risk is equal to android.

Battery Issues

A number of phone battery issues may affect the phone and cause an increase in temperatures. Some of these issues may come from the constant charging of the phone or using the phone while still charging it.

If a battery has issues, it may result in spoiling the phone.

We can all remember the exploding Samsung phones, which were because of faulty batteries that came with the phones

Batteries can be potential hazards and may cause body injuries in cases such as the Samsung exploding phones.

At times, the phone’s battery may become compromised and may start leaking, causing malfunctioning of the phone.

If you are sure the phone has no viruses, plus the usage is at the recommended levels, yet the phone keeps on overheating, then check the battery.

Some batteries have been known to inflate considerably and start malfunctioning.

With the phones that have batteries that can be removed, then you can buy replacements and your good to go. However, recently, more and more companies have come with non-removable batteries. In this case, you may need to return to the manufacturer if you have not yet voided your warranty.

Charger Has Problems

You may have a faulty charger, which may also cause overheating, as it will not function as it is required to do.

A faulty charger may not be feeding the phone the power it requires, and at the pace recommended meaning that the slow pace of charging will cause the phone to overheat as the processor will be overworked during the charging session.

The charging cable may also be a source of problems if it is not working properly and may cause the ineffective charging of the phone, such that it will not charge the phone to up to 100% in the required time.

You may leave the phone on the charger ass you usually do only to come back and find it has charged only a fraction of what it normally does.

It is advisable to change the charger, in this case, to avoid straining the phone’s processor, and allowing the phone to charge at the recommended pace, getting a full charge after a charging session.

Intensive Use of the Camera

Nowadays, phones are getting better and better with their cameras.

Now you can even shoot a movie with your phone and still get the same image quality as some of the best cameras.

The better the cameras are getting, however, the more the toll they take on the processor of the phone.

This, however, does not happen to all phones, but due to manufacturer’s concentration on the quality of the camera, more phones with average processors acquire heavy-duty cameras, which come with an imbalance that may lead to overheating.

Some of the factors that may lead to the overheating of the phone based on the phone’s camera are:

Selected resolution and frame rate
Screen brightness
Environmental temperature
Length of use

If you use the camera for a long time on a sunny day, then the chances of overheating are increased based on the processor use and the environmental temperature.

The brightness is also increased the bigger the toll on the CPU and GPU of the phone.

Phone Casing

Many phone casings are manufactured from plastic. Also, those made from leather all have the effect of insulating the phone, keeping out both hot and cold.

As the phone gets hotter, it is made in such a way that it radiates the heat away from the phone; however, due to the insulating cover, the heat may not be directed away from the phone resulting in the overheating.

You can remove the casing; however, it may affect the resale value, as it will not maintain the new allure that is kept due to a phone casing on the phone. This, however, may not be bad compared to spoiling the phone from constant overheating

WI-FI

WI-FI will not have a direct effect on the phone’s temperature; however, when overused, it may cause the temperature to go up.

Android users may be susceptible to apps running in the background and eating out resources such as the CPU WI-FI and mobile internet.

How to Keep the Phone from Overheating

Proper Charging

Proper charging means allowing the phone to charge with the right tools and time, plus reduced disturbance.

This means that you should ensure you have the right charger for the phone. Not all chargers are compatible with every phone, regardless of whether they fit the charging port or not. There are phones designed for fast charging, and require that type of fast chargers, or else they will take a long time to charge.

Also, ensure you leave the phone to charge, and not use it simultaneously while charging it. This will help reduce the toll on the processor, and will allow the phone to just charge without necessarily losing power at the same time.

Also, keep the phone on charge for the required time. If the phone is charging well after it is full goes towards ruining the phone, which may cause it to lose its quality and result in malfunctions, and reduced quality and shelf life.

Update the Apps and OS

Ensure you update the apps, and the system updates as required.

Most phones will nowadays inform you in case the manufacturer rolls out new updates. Ensure you update both the apps and the OS as it will result in properly functioning apps, without the risk of bugs which may prove detrimental for the phone’s working condition.

Also, ensure you clear an app after you are done using it. This will help reduce the number of background apps and, in turn, reduce the chances of overheating, as the phone’s processor will not be overworked.

Avoid Direct Sunlight

This is self-explanatory. Keeping the phone away from direct sunlight will not have any risk of increased temperatures for the phone.

Antivirus

This is an important element if you want to keep the phone functioning at its best. As we have seen, malware and viruses are the most significant threats to the phone and they will make it overheat due to malfunction caused by a virus.

The best antidote to a virus on the phone is a good and proper antivirus. It comes in handy as it removes all the viruses leaving your phone safe and in the best working condition

How you choose the antivirus for the phone will be necessary for ensuring that all the viruses are removed. It is best to do some research in choosing the antivirus you will use.

Different antiviruses work well with different devices; ensure that the antivirus you choose is best suited for your phone. You may choose to get some advice on the kind of antivirus you will use, which will sufficiently keep your phone safe.

Also, opt for the paid versions of the antivirus, as it comes with more features, and promises better services for the phone.

Reduce Power Usage

Reducing the power usage will conserve the phone’s energy and, at the same time, keep the processor power at a manageable pace. This will come in handy in ensuring that the phone does not overheat.

There are various ways you can reduce the power usage, such as reducing the brightness, closing the background apps, or even reduce the binge-watching of videos on the phone.

Install Junk Cleaning Software

Junk cleaning software to remove unwanted files app or programs that may affect the phone without you necessarily knowing, which may, in turn, cause the phones overheating.

Junk files come with certain issues that may take a toll on the phone’s processor, as they increase and start affecting it, causing the phones overheating.

Adjust Screen Brightness

There are many ways you can work with screen brightness without necessarily failing to see what you are doing or increasing the brightness to a level that affects the phone and causes overheating.

Most phones nowadays will come with an automatic adjustment to the screen brightness, which functions according to the environment you are in, such that it will increase brightness where it’s dim and reduce it where it is well lit.

This comes in handy in ensuring that the processor is kept at a decent pace of functionality, not stressing the GPU and CPU, as the adjustments ensure there is no constant strain on the phone. This will result in reducing the chances of overheating, while at the same time keeping you well serviced by the phone.

Switching Off and Restarting the Phone

If the phone has become overheated, a great way to cool it down is just to switch it off.

Let it stay a while without being disturbed, and it will cool down as the processor will be at rest. After it has cooled down, you can then restart it and continue using it.

This is one of the simplest ways to cool down an overheated phone; however, it will require you also to follow all the above advice, to ensure that on restarting, it does not revert to overheating.

See a Professional

Another good advice for a constantly overheating phone is to see a professional.

A professional will come in handy on diagnosing the phone and informing you exactly what the problem is as you may be rectifying a problem that is not the cause of the phones overheating.

They come in handy in reducing the hassle associated with all the investigation as to the cause of the phones overheating, plus they will also remedy the problem directly saving you time, as you immediately get back your phone in the right working condition.

Conclusion

There can be other reasons for your phone overheating; however, the above can be stated as the main reasons. Take care of this and you will likely have a good phone to work with.