Why Does My Phone Get Hot When Charging
Do you ever notice that your phone gets hot while charging? This is a common issue, and there are several reasons why this happens. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss the six most common reasons why phones get hot when charging and explain the potential risks associated with your phone overheating, and ways to cool it down and reduce the risk of damage.
Why Does My Phone Get Hot When Charging?
A hot phone while charging is a relatively common occurrence and can be due to several factors. Here are some of the most typical causes for this issue.
- Overcharging Phone: When your phone is plugged in for charging and the battery reaches 100%, many phones are programmed to continue to feed power into their batteries even when they’re full. This excess energy has nowhere to go and will cause your device to heat up.
- Fast Charging Phone: Fast charging can also cause your phone to heat up when plugged in as the device is quickly drawing power from the charger. The excessive heat during the fast charging process makes your phone heat up.
- Poor Ventilation: If your device doesn’t have enough space or ventilation around it when charging, the heat generated by the phone's internal components can't escape and will cause your phone to overheat.
- Poor Quality Chargers or Cable: Low-quality or counterfeit chargers or cables can also be responsible for overheating. If you’re using a charger that wasn’t specifically designed for a phone, it could lead to excessive heat production when charging. You can check on Anker charger collections>>
- Overuse Phone While Charging: Using your device while it’s charging can generate extra heat as well as stress on the battery. Excessive usage while charging can cause your device to overheat.
- Aging Batteries: Just like all other batteries, smartphone batteries degrade over time and lose capacity. Fast charging generates more heat due to the higher voltage and current being supplied to the device.
What Could Happen If It Always Overheats?
Consistent overheating can have serious consequences for your smartphone, both in the short term and over its overall lifespan. While occasional warmth during charging is normal, persistent heat can lead to lasting damage. Here are the four main damages of a phone that always overheats:
- Permanent Damage to the Battery:Continuous overheating can reduce your battery’s lifespan as well as its capacity and cause permanent damage.
- More Rapid Degradation of Components: Excessive heat can harm delicate components within your phone, making them wear out more quickly than they should.
- Reduced Charging Efficiency: A hot device will take longer to charge, reducing the efficiency of your battery’s charging cycle.
- Poor Performance While in Use: An overheated phone could have problems with lagging or freezing while in use due to the strain on its internal components from excessive heat production.
How to Stop Phone from Overheating While Charging? (Quick Fixes to Cool Down Phone)
If your phone overheats while charging, quick fixes are need to be implemented to keep your device cool down and functioning optimally. Here are simple yet effective solutions:
1. Stop Charging
If your phone is overheating excessively, unplug it immediately to allow it to cool down before resuming charging.
2. Remove Your Phone's Case
Taking off your phone’s case before plugging it in for charging can help keep your device cool by providing better ventilation around the body of the phone.
3. Place Your Device in a Cool Place
Move your phone from direct sunlight or near any other source of heat while charging. Putting it in a cool spot can help keep its temperature down even when plugged in for extended periods of time.
4. Use a Cooling Pad or Fan
Using an external cooling pad or a small fan can help dissipate heat quickly and efficiently while your phone charges.
5. Put the Phone in Airplane Mode
Putting your phone in airplane mode will reduce the amount of power it needs to charge, which can help keep temperatures low.
6. Close All Running Apps
Closing apps running in the background can help reduce the load on your phone's processor and battery, minimizing heat generation.
7. Switching to a Wall Outlet
Charging your device in a wall outlet rather than relying on USB charging will help reduce overheating as it can provide more stable power without the risk of sudden power surges or drops.
By incorporating these quick fixes, you can reduce the risk of your phone overheating and ensure safer, more efficient charging.
6 Tips to Prevent Phone from Overheating While Charging
To avoid the frustration of a hot phone while charging, it’s essential to take proactive steps. Here are 5 tips to keep your device from overheating while it charges.
1. Avoid Overcharging
As mentioned earlier, overcharging your device will cause it to overheat and damage its battery, so make sure you only charge your phone for as long as necessary. More importantly, Once your phone is full, unplug it to avoid overheating.
2. Use a High-Quality Charger & Cable
Only use chargers and cables that are specifically designed for phones in order to ensure safe, efficient charging without excessive heat production.
For example, Anker charging cables come with MFi certification for flawless compatibility with Lightning devices, ensuring safe charging at the highest possible speed.
3. Turn Off Unnecessary Features
Turning off features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Location Services will reduce the strain on your device’s battery and keep it from overheating when plugged in for charging.
4. Keep Software Updated
Regularly update your phone's operating system and applications to benefit from performance improvements and bug fixes that may reduce overheating.
To update the software on your iPhone, simply go to Settings > General > Software Update, and check for available updates.
To perform software update on Android phone, you can open the Settings app, tap System (or About Phone), select System Update (or Software Update), and update software.
5. Uninstall Crashed Apps
Faulty or crashed apps can consume excessive power and cause overheating. Uninstall these apps to prevent unnecessary battery strain.
6. Monitor Battery Health
Regularly check your battery's health in the settings (if supported) or through third-party apps. Replace it if you notice significant degradation, as old or faulty batteries can contribute to overheating.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a phone overheating while charging is a common issue with multiple causes, ranging from fast charging and poor-quality chargers to overuse and aging batteries. While occasional warmth is normal, consistent overheating can lead to long-term damage, reduced battery life, and poor performance. By understanding the causes and implementing quick fixes, such as using high-quality chargers, reducing usage while charging, and ensuring proper ventilation, you can prevent overheating. Proactive measures ensure safer charging and help maintain your device's efficiency and longevity.
FAQ about Why Does My Phone Get Hot When Charging
Is it normal for my phone to get hot while charging?
It is generally considered normal for devices to become warm during usage and especially when they are being charged due to increased demand for power from their battery. However, if it becomes too hot then this may indicate an underlying issue that needs addressing immediately before further damage occurs.
Can an overheated phone cause a fire?
Yes. Prolonged exposure to extremely high temperatures can cause serious harm both internally (in terms of damaged components) as well as externally (as in cases where batteries catch free). To avoid these risks make sure you follow safety procedures such as keeping external sources of heat away from devices while they are being charged and avoiding overcharging them at all times to greatly reduce any chances of these scenarios happening unintentionally.
Why don't charge my phone in bed?
While smartphones come equipped with special safeguards that prevent them from reaching dangerously high temperatures during operation, most advise against placing them directly onto soft surfaces such as beds. Due to potential complications arising from having no open-air circulation around them, which may lead faster increase in temperature and more of other risks.