There are always going to be situations or apps that cause our devices to overheat, but knowing how to cool down a hot Android device is a must. The first thing we have to figure out is where the heat is coming from. This is going to determine where the problem is located which will help us find the right solution.
Check Which Apps are Using Most Battery
Overheating and battery power are often connected. CPU and graphics-intensive apps (most notably games) will put extra strain on those components, heating them up as well as causing the battery to deplete. So if you find the battery-draining apps, you also usually find the ones that cause overheating. Tracking these down is pretty simple as Android has good built-in battery management features. Go to “Settings -> Battery -> Usage details. This will show you which apps are using the most battery on your phone. It’s inevitably that your web browser and favorite news apps will rank high, but are there any apps there that you don’t think should be there? It’s possible that these apps are running in the background and heating up your phone without you knowing. If you find these apps in this list, uninstall them. If you see that a certain app is hogging an unusual amount of battery, you can restrict its background battery usage, which should help cool down your device. Tap the app in the “Battery usage” list and you’ll be presented with two key battery usage options – “Background restriction” and “Battery optimization”. Under the first option you can restrict the app’s background battery use, which may restrict its ability to sync in the background etc. Under Battery optimization, you should optimize the apps that are using most battery by tapping them in the list then tapping “Optimize”.
Don’t Use Third-Party Chargers and Cables
The micro-USB cable-chargers shared by most Android devices are great largely because they’re universal, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should just use any old cables and chargers for your phone. If your phone overheats while charging, you may want to look into this. Different chargers have different wattage and are optimized for different devices. Ideally you should use official chargers and cables from your phone manufacturer, but official hardware for other phones should be okay too. Avoid cheap chargers from eBay that cost under $1 and third-party hardware from obscure brands.
Cool Your Android Device with Cooling Master
There are a lot of apps out there that claim to cool down your phone, but the actual actions many of them take are kind of arbitrary and will do little to help an overheating device. Cooling Master keeps things simple: it scans your device for apps running in the background then presents you with a list of those that are most CPU-intensive in the background. You can then tap “Cool Down” to close all these offending apps down simultaneously, and wait a little bit for your device to cool down. Ideally, the app recommends you turn off your phone screen and let it cool down for a good few minutes before continuing to use it. This app is ad-supported, but unlike many similar apps, it doesn’t have any in-app purchases or “premium” editions. All the features are there for you to use from the off, which is always a key to our hearts here.
Keep Your Device in a Cool Place
Where you put your device is also important in trying to cool it down. There’s no point in using Cooler Master if you’re going to put it near your window where it will get direct sunlight. To cool your device even more, try taking it out of its cover so the heat has a chance to escape. Some cases have a tendency to keep the heat in.
Never Cool Down Your Android Device this Way
If your device is really hot, you might be tempted to put it in the freezer or fridge just for a minute or two. You might even have a timer on so you can take it out on time, but this is what the experts call “an awful idea” since your device runs the risk of collecting moisture, or you might even strain the components.
How to Prevent Your Android Device from Overheating
Now that we know how to cool our devices down, wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to waste time doing that in the first place? That’s why there are certain things we should avoid doing if we want to keep our phone or tablet nice and cool. If you want to prevent your Android device from overheating, you should:
Take out and inspect your battery from time to time and make sure it’s not leaking or bloated. Changing your device’s battery every one to two years will increase your phone’s life and decrease overheating.Remove the case when charging.Disable unwanted features.Lower your camera settings if they are too high; they can help to prevent your phone from overheating.Try not to play games for too long.
When my phone gets too hot, I automatically turn it off until it cools off. After that, I follow the tips mentioned above because my main goal is to cool down my phone, and turning it off for a few minutes always does the trick. Controlling your Android background apps and processes is key to keeping your phone cool, and we have a bunch more tips for how you can do that. And just as you can batch-stop Android apps, you can also batch-uninstall Android apps. Check it out!
