Have you thought of replacing your Android Smartphone due to overheating? Every other thing seems to be fine but the temperature would surely do a nice meal? This article is for you.
Overheating in smartphones is not new. It has been a constant problem as a matter of fact and it will keep reoccurring probably until we smartphone users begin to understand our phones. Understanding your phone will include knowing how much your CPU can bear, knowing what Apps you should run and so on.
WHAT CAUSES OVERHEATING IN ANDROID DEVICES
A lot of factors come together to cause overheating in Android phones. Android runs a lot of Apps in the background which might stretch the CPU to the limit. Every other factor can be traced to this vice versa.
But there are other, more practical and easily identifiable causes that can lead to device overheating on Android. And these have to do with how you use your device and what apps (and how many) you run on it.
Here are some of the leading causes that lead to device overheating:
- Playing resource-intensive games for too long
- Keeping your phone’s display brightness maxed out
- Remaining connected to a Bluetooth speaker for hours
- Trying to do too many tasks at once on your device, like copying files, processing photos, and playing games
- Watching HD videos or streaming long videos
- Overusing the built-in camera flashlight
- Using poorly designed apps
- Overcharging an old battery or using a poor-quality charger
- Allowing malware to take over your device
- Making custom modifications to the Android system or to apps
Other factors that could contribute to overheating are covers or cases with poor air ventilation. Keeping your phone in your pocket or exposing it directly to the sun can also increase its temperature. I think y’all need to watch out for playing games if you are battling overheating in your device. Playing games can zap a lot of resources and you might be needing a high-end device to not overwork the CPU and GPU. Even at that, there might still be a need for a cooling system like in Asus ROG gaming phone.
Also read: Reasons why you shouldn’t look down on Android Go devices
HOW TO FIX AN OVERHEATING PHONE
If your Android device is constantly hot, it could be because of one or more of the factors above. But whatever the cause, you should be able to get to the bottom of the problem with this simple steps.
- Identify ‘hot’ apps – Some apps may use WiFi and CPU resources more intensively. The usual culprits are games, graphical apps, web browsers, and apps designed to update in the background, like weather apps or malware threat monitors. Use an app like Cooling Master or Cooler Master to keep your device temperature in check. With these tools, you can detect apps that overheat your device and uninstall them.
- Take breaks when playing games – Driving simulators, complex role-playing games, and sports games come with demanding graphics. They tax your device’s CPU and may promote overheating. Remember that Android devices are not designed to be game consoles.
- Don’t overcharge your battery – Charge only up to 90% and then unplug. This helps preserves your device’s battery, according to Battery University. There’s some evidence that suggests charging to 100% could lead to device overheating. It goes without saying that you should always use a safe charger.
Did you know that Shutting down your PC might not do what you think it does?
- Give your phone a break – Using your phone all the time, switching from one app to the other, making calls, and just doing everything on it may promote overheating. Pressing the Sleep/Wake button and letting the screen sleep a bit can give your phone the rest it needs.
- Don’t overuse the flashlight – Flashlights tax your phone and can drain the battery. The trouble with flashlights is that sometimes they get turned on by accident and they burn in your pocket or on the table even when you don’t need them. You can reduce the chances of this happening by not adding a flashlight shortcut icon to your home screen.
- Close background apps – Use Clean Master or a similar cleaner app to close background apps and free up memory, CPU, and WiFi resources. You can also use Clean Master to quickly uninstall apps that are resource hungry. Use the quick boost feature to free resources regularly.
- Take the case off – The case may trap the heat, keeping the battery warm. By removing the case, you allow the battery to cool off faster. This is, of course, treating the symptoms only – it’s best to look into the actual cause of overheating to keep your device’s temperature under control. You may also want to remove the case when charging.
- Turn on Airplane Mode – In Airplane Mode, your device doesn’t use WiFi. Usage for other resources is also minimized. Airplane Mode is a good alternative to turning off your device.
- Turn off unused apps – Many manufacturers pack mobile devices with their own custom apps, including proprietary app stores, multiple games, and startup apps. Chances are you don’t need these. Go to Settings > Apps > All apps and Uninstall/Force Stop apps you don’t need.
- Store in a dry, cool place – Leaving your phone on your desk or on the kitchen counter could expose it to direct sunlight. Leaving it on the bed or on a chair may not be a good idea either as fabrics may reduce ventilation. But you could place it face down on soft surfaces since that won’t scratch the screen.
- Change your battery – Batteries are not designed to last forever. If your device constantly overheats and all the tips above don’t solve the problem, the time may have come for you to change the battery. Choose an original replacement, or else buy a highly-rated third party battery. Don’t forget to change the adapter if needed.
Read also: Secret Tips To Speed-Up Your Hard-disk
WHY IS OVERHEATING COMMON IN ENTRY-LEVEL/ BUDGET PHONES
This is pretty obvious and I know you must have guessed right. A budget smartphone at least 20 out of 22 times will carry a budget hardware that might not have enough to help with your daily usage. That is why it is not always advisable to go for the cheapest. Moreso, its good to understand your phone specs. The RAM, CPU, GPU and their respective processing speed. So, before I get something cheap or any kind of a good deal, I will go through every detail to confirm that it’s actually a good deal. But with the emergence of the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chip, you will begin to see more quality smartphones at cheap prices.
Read also: Xiaomi Unveiled ‘Black Shark’ Gaming Smartphone With Snapdragon 845
WHY IS OVERHEATING MORE COMMON IN ANDROID COMPARED TO iPHONES
This has to be one of the biggest disadvantages the iPhone has over Android. I call it “Control and Monitoring”. The Openness of Android has allowed for a lot of tweaking which makes it hard to monitor unlike the iPhone anyone can develop Apps and put it up for downloads on Playstore. If the developer is Performance conscious enough and he cares his downloaders, he might demand that download is available to Oreo 8.1 users alone but can he guarantee that the CPU and other specs are in check?? No.
iPhones have general specs
iPhones have a general spec range that covers each O.S version, while some users might still be running a Mediatek, Snapdragon or some unknown low-quality Processor on the latest Android O.S depending on the phone type and makers, this is close to impossible on the iPhone. When an App is made for an iPhone, the developers know all iPhones of the same model has the same Specs. He knows that if an App requires at least iOS10, it will work on an Apple A10 fusion chip with Quad-core 2.34 GHz or more like the iPhone 7. They have general specs.
Still, keep in mind that it’s not normal for your device to overheat. There’s nothing inherently wrong with Android that causes overheating. Choose your apps carefully and follow the suggestions we’ve shared with you.
Do you have any other tips on keeping an Android device cool and fast? Please share them with us.
