Why Is My Phone Overheating? Causes, Fixes and Warning Signs

Common causes

• Direct sun or a hot car. A dashboard in July can push a phone past its safe temperature in minutes.
• Charging and using it at the same time, especially gaming or navigation
• Fast or wireless charging in a thick case, which traps heat
• Apps running in the background or stuck in a loop
• Weak signal, which makes the phone work harder to stay connected
• A worn or damaged battery

Quick fixes

1. Take the phone out of the sun and remove the case.
2. Stop charging until it cools down.
3. Close apps you aren't using and restart the phone.
4. Check battery usage in Settings to find an app using too much power.
5. Update the software; updates often fix battery-draining bugs.

Never cool a phone in the freezer or refrigerator. Fast temperature changes create condensation inside.

When heat means a hardware problem

If the phone gets hot while sitting idle, drains quickly even with little use, or the screen or back starts lifting, the battery may be failing or swelling. A swollen battery is a safety risk; stop charging it and read our guide on swollen batteries.

Protect your battery in Houston

Heat is the number one reason batteries wear out early. Keep the phone in a vent mount instead of on the dashboard, don't leave it in a parked car, and leave Optimized Battery Charging on.

Get it checked

We test battery health and charging for free. If the battery is the cause, a battery replacement is usually done the same day. For iPhones see iPhone battery replacement, and for Galaxy phones see Samsung battery replacement.