Phone Overheating and Battery Draining Fast: What You Can Do About It

Smartphones have become the Swiss army knife of the tech world. The multitude of apps and features smartphones possess consolidate many tools and other pieces of technology into a single, easy-to-carry device. Fifteen years ago, the idea of leaving our phone at home wouldn’t register as a problem. Now, the idea of that seems silly. Since our phones carry so much of our information and are so integral to our daily lives, it is difficult to function without them. Like with all technology, problems can occur, which can cause a lot of stress. Phone overheating and battery draining are two common problems that can impact your phone’s performance.

Keep reading to learn some of the causes and solutions to this problem.

Causes of Phone Overheating and Battery Draining

There are a number of reasons why a phone can overheat and drain your battery. Below are some of the most common reasons.

The Environment

If your phone is left in direct sunlight or high temperatures, this can cause it to overheat. iPhones should be kept between 32º and 95º F to maintain normal operating functions.

If your phone gets too hot, it may shut down of its own accord to protect its internal components from damage. If your phone is running multiple apps or is running an operation that requires a lot of power in hot weather, this can make your phone overheat even faster.

Heavy Use

Using your phone in a way that requires a lot of power will raise its internal temperature. For example, smartphone games like Fate/Grand Order and Genshin Impact have gameplay elements that require a lot of power from the CPU and GPU.

As your phone runs these games, its temperature rises.

Long stints using your video camera can also overheat your phone. Recording with high resolution and frame rate can exacerbate this further. Apps running in the background and even high screen brightness can impact your phone’s temperature.

Bugs

Bugs in the apps on your phone or your phone’s operating system can put a lot of stress on your device. Bugs can overtax your phone’s processor, which can drive up your phone’s internal temperature.

Apps are more likely to have bugs than your operating system, but the possibility is still there. Bugs in the OS can damage your phone which means it may need repairs. If you notice your phone heating up a lot after installing a software update, this could indicate a bug in the OS.

Your Phone Case

Phone cases are meant to protect phones from suffering damage from drops. However, the material of your phone case can cause an overheating phone.

Phone cases don’t cause phones to overheat by themselves but can drive the temperature up further if it’s overheating due to another reason. Some phone cases can trap heat and prevent your phone from cooling off. Rubber cases are some of the best kinds of heat traps.

The cause for an overheating phone may be as simple as putting a different kind of case on your phone.

Defective Parts

If there are issues with one of your phone’s internal components, this can cause a problem with overheating. 

Heat generating from your phone’s back could be an indication that the phone’s battery is faulty. If the front of your phone is hot, then there may be something wrong with the processor. 

If the bottom of your phone gets hot, there may be an issue with the charging port or the cable. If your phone is still getting hot after using a different charging cable, you may need to fix the charging port.

How to Fix an Overheated Phone

Depending on the reason for overheating, there are many ways to fix the overheating problem. Here are some of the solutions below.

Move It to a Cooler Location

This is one of the simplest things you can do to cool off your phone. If you’re outside and your phone overheats, move inside to an air-conditioned building. If you cannot get inside, stick it in the shade or inside a purse or backpack.

You should never place your phone in the fridge or the freezer. Extremely cold temperatures can affect your phone in the same way hot temperatures do. Plus, the quick change from hot to cold can cause extensive damage to your phone.

Put Your Phone Down

If your phone is overheating, don’t use it for a while. Give your phone a break and let it cool off. 

You can also cut down the strain on your phone by closing apps you aren’t actively using. This can also help preserve your battery life. 

It’s healthy for people to take breaks from their phones and computers, and an overheating phone may be a hint that you could use a break.

Don’t Charge It

An overheating phone can deplete your phone’s battery. If you need your phone, your first impulse will be to charge it.

If your phone is overheating, trying to charge it will add more strain and will cause your phone to generate more heat. Wait until your phone cools down before you decide to charge it.

Remove the Case

Removing the case from your phone can help it reach a cool temperature quicker. If your phone overheats often when it is hot out and you know there are no other problems with your phone, it may be time to get a new case. 

Restart Your Phone

If there are software issues with your phone, a restart can help fix some of those issues. If your phone is overheating due to external factors such as temperature and the type of case you are using, this won’t be an effective solution. 

Handling Your Technology Repair Needs

At Fruit Fixed, we specialize in fixing the problems that ail technology. If you found this guide helpful on your phone overheating and battery draining, we can help you out with all of your tech concerns.

We can fix your phone, tablet, computer, gaming console, and more. If you are in the southern Virginia area and have a problem with your device, visit our website to find a location near you.