Whether you’re throwing back drinks by the beach or locking in for a gaming session with the squad, you’re bound to run into overheating issues at some point. Temperatures are only going up, and newer, more powerful phones are still running on the same old heatsinks.
How do you keep your phone cool even after long sessions and days out? Find out with this quick guide.
Tips To Stay Cool
Avoid Direct Sunlight
The most effective tips are often the simplest. Constant exposure to direct sunlight is your phone’s worst enemy, especially in the burning summer heat. Your phone’s screen and metal internal components are designed to soak up that heat instantly, dissipating it slowly over time. This can naturally drive your phone’s processor and battery far past their rated temperature limits and degrade them quickly.
So what can you do? Small optimizations make a big difference here.
- If you’re frequently on the road during the day and need your phone to navigate, consider attaching it to a shaded part of your car’s dashboard instead of smack dab in the center. Using a MagSafe-enabled phone holder can open up a lot more options.
- Planning a day at the beach? Take a small umbrella or even an old T-shirt to cover your phone.
- If you absolutely can’t avoid using your phone in the direct sunlight, try to cut corners where you can. For example, if you’re filming a video out on the beach, you might want to record in 1080p instead of 4K. Lowering your resolution will massively reduce the heat produced by your phone and help it deal with the external heat better.
You don’t really need to fret if you leave the umbrella at home or end up using your phone’s more power-draining features. Worst case scenario, your phone’s internal safeguards will kick in and shut the device off if it gets too hot. That said, the heat will still damage your battery, so you’re better off taking the time to shield your phone.
Case Considerations
Steve Jobs famously disliked phone cases, asking ‘Why would you hide something so gorgeous?’ upon seeing an interviewer’s iPod case. Things have changed a lot since 2011, and today’s modern phone cases can be a blessing if you choose well.
Metal cases are easily the best choices here if you’re looking to keep your phone cool during extended usage. Phones with copper or aluminum cases can stay much cooler than your standard silicone-based cover. Newer cases even incorporate elements like honeycomb designs and air cushions to cool phones down even faster (albeit passively).
Worst comes to worst, you can always take the case off! In fact, if you’re not using a premium case with passive cooling, you might just be better off leaving your phone without the case to allow the heat to dissipate into the air faster. Materials like leather and silicone can interfere with airflow and trap the heat in, making things much worse.
Lower Your Brightness!
Believe it or not, this simple trick can have an outsized impact on your phone’s temperature. Today’s latest phones, especially those using OLEDs like Samsung and Apple’s XDR displays, can reach a peak brightness of 2000 nits.
That’s a lot of brightness, and that means a ton of energy is being used to power and keep your display at that level, which also generates a significant amount of heat. If you’re heading out or planning on using your phone for extended periods, it’s a good idea to manually bring down your phone’s brightness so you don’t have to combat both internal and external heat.
Remember to turn your auto-brightness setting off! Phones tend to automatically maximize their brightness settings in harsh outdoor lighting to improve visibility. You might have to squint a little more when using your phone, but it’s a trade-off worth making.
Optimize Apps
This one doesn’t have quite as big of an impact as our earlier tips, but every little bit counts when you’re trying to minimize heating and maximize battery life.
Every unused app running passively in the background of your phone consumes resources and contributes to battery usage, increasing heat production in the process. You can cut down on this resource drain by quickly shutting those apps down.
- iPhones: If you’re using an iPhone, you’ll have to enter multi-task view by swiping up from the center bottom of your screen and manually closing each background app. You can also use the Settings app to permanently turn off background permissions for resource-intensive apps like Instagram.
- Androids: Most Androids, like Samsung’s S-series lineup, come with a built-in button to shut down all currently running background apps. If your OS doesn’t have this option, you can always download an app from the Play Store.
Speaking of shutting off unnecessary apps, don’t forget to check your phone’s internal settings! If you’re planning on relaxing outdoors in the heat, you likely won’t need to be connected to a WiFi network or Bluetooth device. If you’re looking to go the extra mile, you can turn these settings off if it’s feasible.
Keep Your Phone Cool, Rain or Shine
Whether you’re a pro or someone who doesn’t know how wireless charging works, just a few tips can help you shield your phone from punishing heat damage and battery degradation. If you’re planning on heading out or locking in for a long video call, take a few simple precautions and keep your phone running cool all day.
