Modern smartphones have become very powerful and complex they pack in a lot of components to cater to the user’s needs.

Almost every smartphone user has had experienced their phone to heat up at some point. Several factors contribute to a phone to heat up. Here we’ll go through a list of reasons why your smartphone might be heating up and how to tackle them.

Intensive hardware usage

Constant usage of the camera, streaming through WiFI/4G or usage of the screen with high brightness and even a hot day can tip off the temperature of the phone to uncomfortable levels.

Also read: Why do smartphones explode? A nerd guide

Demanding apps

Apps and games of smartphones have become complex and taxing on the processor of the phone. A 15-minute PUBG session can cause the phone to heat up significantly — you can easily see temperatures up to 50°C —  which is a sign that you should probably take a break and cool it off a bit.

Background Processes

Applications such as Facebook and Twitter constantly run in the background to refresh and update their content so that you will have the latest post ready whenever they’re opened. While this might be useful for some, it’s an annoyance to many because this can cause a device to heats up and also affect its battery life.

You can force close these apps in the process manager or use hibernation apps such as Greenify, Hibernation Manager to force close and block these apps from running in the background.

Constrictive protection

In the interest of protection, users often use constrictive cases and screen protectors to safeguard their phone but little do they realise that the very thing that’s protecting their phone is also cooking it.

Phone is a handheld machine, and like any other machine it uses energy, which dissipates heat. If you put an extra layer — protective cases here — it becomes harder for the heat to escape, hence causing the device to heat up more.

Underclocking and malware

Do you also experience a slowdown with your overheating phone? It might be because the processor is underclocking to cool your phone as a safety precaution. It can also be a pesky malware running in the background. So, it is also best to check your phone for malware just to be on the safer side.

Also read: 27 Lite Android apps to get over your battery, data and storage issues

Dirt buildup

According to a report published by Time, your phone is 10 times dirtier than your toilet seat. Screen protectors can also contribute to the dirt and muck buildup on your smartphone because they’re constantly being used. This in turn also traps heat and suffocates your phone.

It is a good idea to get that Kleenex box and wipe your phone down every once in a while.

Heating up during charging

The process of charging normally heats up the phone as a high voltage current is passed. Modern smartphones come with some or the other form of quick charging feature that passes higher voltages and worsens the condition. Most phone manufacturers recommend to avoid using a smartphoen while charging.

You should also avoid charging till 100 percent all the time as it would deteriorate the battery faster. 85-90 percent is recommended for a healthy battery.

Also, inspect your charging cable, brick frequently for any damage and only replace with a manufacturer approved original spare if required.

Also read: How to save battery on Android: 10 tips and tricks

What to do if your smartphone heats up frequently?

So, to sum it up, if your phone seems to be running hotter than usual try the following steps:

• Give it a break and allow it to cool down, maybe even reboot it
• Force close unnecessary background apps consider using a hibernation app
• Get your phone out of your case or cover and let it breathe in a cool surface
• Keep your phone clean from dirt buildup
• Scan for malware. avoid using apps which aren’t from the AppStore/Play store
• Avoid overcharging and use manufacturer approved accessories

Phones tend to heat up from time to time and it’s nothing to be worried about. Use the aforementioned tips to cool them down and if you’re still facing overheating issues get your phone checked by an authorised service centre as it could be a manufacturing defect. Always use precaution and avoid using an overheating phone.

Also read: How to check your iPhone’s battery health? Tips for a longer battery life