Why Does My Phone Get Hot When Charging? Causes & Solutions

Have you ever felt your phone getting hot during charging and wondered whether it is normal? A bit of warmth is okay but when it becomes too hot then that is an indication that something is not right. Knowing the reasons as to why does my phone get hot when charging is crucial to safeguard your device, the life of your battery and even your own wellbeing. So, let us get to the bottom of what makes this happen and what you can do to correct it, using simple, everyday actions.

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Why Does Your Phone Get Hot When Charging?

Wondering why does my phone get so hot when charging? Well, it is normal that a phone may heat up when charging, and it is usually nothing out of the ordinary to see a very minor increase in temperature. But too much heat may lead to possible issues with your gadget and battery. The primary causes of a phone heating up during charging are ascribed to issues of battery condition and charging environment, and user habits.

1. Age and Degradation of Battery

Most modern smartphones are powered by Lithium-ion batteries which naturally wear out over time. With age, the battery develops an enhanced internal resistance which contributes to the generation of more heat during charging or discharging. Uneven charging can also be caused by damaged or swollen cells inside the battery that generates extra heat. The changes that occur as the phone ages can cause these phones to overheat after long-term use, which could not have been experienced when they were new.

2. Power-Intensive Applications when Charging

When the cell phone is charging, running heavy applications, like games, stream HD videos, or use augmented reality apps, it tends to overheat. Such applications need the processor (CPU) and the graphics processor (GPU) to strain, which produces internal heat. When it is coupled with the heat that the battery charging gives out, the temperature of the device increases by a large margin. Background processes and other unwanted notifications can also contribute to the rise in temperature.

3. Environmental Conditions

The environment surrounding a phone influences the amount of heat that a phone generates during charging. Leaving your phone to charge in full sunlight, a hot room or places with limited air circulation does not allow the heat to diffuse. This makes the device exceed the normal temperatures. Moreover, when a phone is put on soft surfaces such as couches or beds, the airflow is blocked, trapping more heat.

4. Quality of Charger and Cable

Another potential major cause of overheating may be the use of low quality or incompatible chargers. The low-cost chargers might not control the current and the voltage properly, thus causing uneven charging and more heat production. Certified or original chargers are specially made to effectively work with your device and using them promotes normal functioning.

5. Fast-Charging Technology

Most of the current cell phones have the fast-charging capability, which means that batteries are charged at increased current and voltages to accelerate the process. Although convenient, the process produces more heat since chemical reactions in cells of the battery are faster. Electronic devices that have fast charging capability also have controls to manage heat, but chances are that you will feel some amount of warmth.

Is Overheating Bad for Your Phone or Battery?

Both performance and the life of the battery of your phone are at risk when it overheats. Although the occasional warmth is not harmful, regular or extreme heat may cause severe issues.

1. Battery Health

Too much heat speeds up battery damage. Li-ion batteries are sensitive to elevated temperatures and long-term overheating may permanently damage the capacity. That is, the battery of your phone might empty quicker than usual even after a full charge. In the event that overheating is extreme, the battery may swell, or rarely, ignite or explode due to safety system failures.

2. Stress of Internal Component

Heat is not only an issue on the battery but it may affect other internal parts. The CPU, GPU and other sensors have to operate under certain temperature. Continued heating may reduce the life of these components or cause performance throttling, in which the system slows itself to prevent additional heating.

3. Possibility of physical damage

External hardware of the phone may also be overheated. Under high temperatures, the screen or the back panel can become unstable or warp. At worst, the bonding agents within your phone can come loose, causing structural damage to your phone.

How to Fix Your Phone Getting Hot While Charging?

When your phone gets incredibly hot when charging, you can do both short and long-term solutions to fix the problem.

1. Stop Charging at Once: In case your phone is hot when it should not be, unplug it and leave it to cool. Keeping the phone charging as it is overheating can cause more pressure to the components.
2. Take Phone Cases off When Charging:The phone cases may trap heat especially those that are thick or poorly ventilated. Removing the case when the phone is charging permits more air circulation and dissipates the heat more efficiently.
3. Charge on Hard Flat Surfaces: Heat dissipation is facilitated by charging your phone on a flat and hard surface e.g. a table. Do not sit in soft places such as couches, pillows or beds which obstruct ventilation and heat trapping.
4. It is better to avoid Intensive Tasks During Charging:Do not play games, watch videos or run heavy apps when charging the phone. Also, minimizing the number of non-essential apps open in the background saves the processor and battery.
5. Put Phone On Airplane Mode or Turn Off the Phone:Putting the phone into airplane mode or switching it off saves on power during charging. The battery creates less heat because of low energy requirements and charges better.
6. Test Charging Accessories and Ports: The imbalanced electricity current might be caused by the broken cables or a grungy charging port that generates heat. Examine the port and check whether it contains some debris or crooked parts and replace any faulty accessories.
7. Use Normal Charging: In case charging your phone is giving it too much heat, you can use a regular charger to charge your phone on a daily basis since this charger produces less heat.
8. Recharge using Certified Chargers and Accessories: Charge with the original charger and cable that comes with your phone or certified replacement by well known brands. Approved chargersare configured to deliver the correct amount of voltage and amperage without overheating because of the inconsistencies in delivering power.

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Best Practices to Charge Your Phone

Along with avoiding overheating, the long-term charging habits can save the battery life and the functionality of your phone:

1. Keep Battery Levels in the Middle:Lithium-ion batteries can be charged to 20 to 80 percent, but they will last longer at this range. Frequently recharging the battery till it goes to 0 or leaving the battery at 100 percent may shorten its life.
2. Charge Often:Charge your phone every now and then as opposed to letting your battery run out. This minimizes the general wear and tear of the battery.
3. Avoid Overnight Charging:It is not always the best idea to leave your phone plugged in and at full charge level because it can subject the battery to prolonged charging cycles. Though most modern devices have a mechanism to prevent overcharging, and in an attempt to maximize battery life the phone may continue to trickle charge, causing a slight amount of heat.
4. Settings:Optimize settings to save power by enabling the auto-brightness or manually adjusting the screen brightness. Turning off features when not in use like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or GPS saves energy and extends the battery charge cycle.
5. Safe Store Your Phone:Store your phone in a cool dry place. Never subject it to high temperatures, including direct sunlight, since heat can diminish the life of the battery.

Conclusion

There you have it! We have successfully debunked why does my phone get hot when charging. Always remember, one of the most important things you can do to preserve your phone and keep it lasting longer is to avoid overheating. By that, a quality charger pays off in the long run. Anker iPhone Chargers offer safe, fast, and reliable charging that is also built to keep your phone cooler and more efficient. Treat your phone to accessories it deserves!

FAQ

Here are some commonly asked questions about why does my phone get hot when charging.

Is it normal for a phone to get hot while charging?

It is natural that a phone is getting warm when it is charging, as the energy is transferred in the course of the charging. But too much heat may also mean that the charger is faulty, the device may have been used too long when charging, or software that requires significant power consumption. Overheating may be prevented by proper ventilation, as well as use of recommended accessories by the manufacturer.

How do I stop my phone from heating up?

Do not saturate your phone with heavy activities like playing games or multitasking, which last long, particularly in warm surroundings, to keep it cool. Proper ventilation protocol should be observed by taking out the cases during charging, dimming the screen, closing unused apps, and not using the phone when charging. Moreover, make sure your software is upgraded to eliminate any possible bugs that can overload the performance.

How to cool down a phone instantly?

If a phone needs to be cooled down fast, it is best to cease high-power operations, and to do so, close the apps and turn off such functions as Bluetooth or mobile data. Put the phone in a cool and shady place instead of a fridge or freezer which will damage it through condensation. The heat can also be dissipated quicker by removing your case. Leave the device until it has cooled to normal temperature.