Urgent warning: Heatwaves could permanently damage your phone

Exposing your phone to too much heat can cause lasting damage to your Android and iPhone.

Urgent warning: Heatwaves could permanently damage your phone
© Getty/ eugenekeebler
Urgent warning: Heatwaves could permanently damage your phone

With extreme heat warnings across the UK, we know to protect our skins and eyes from the sun’s rays. There’s one important aspect of our lives that need protection as well, your phone. Exposing your phone to too much heat can damage it beyond repairs.

Discover our latest podcast

Keep’em cool

You can feel your phone heating up when using it, indicating you should let it cool down for some time. If you use an iPhone, you will receive a pop-up message when your phone starts to heat up. The message reads:

To resume use of your device as quickly as possible, turn it off, move it to a cooler environment (away from direct sunlight) and allow it to cool down.

One way to regulate the temperature of your phone is to keep it out of the sun, by keeping it in the shade or somewhere safe.

According to lifehacker.com, the direct sunlight is just as bad for your smartphone as it is for your skin.

The black mirror that is your phone’s display takes in all that direct sunlight, and rapidly heats up. The whole device becomes very hot to the touch, the display gets very dim, and, pretty soon, the OS (operating system) will lock you out.
thumbnail
Getty/ Javier Zayas Photography

Other options

One thing that experts advise against is keeping one’s phone in a hot car. Apart from security reasons, the taking your devices with you when you leave your car keeps them safe from overheating. According to The Sun,

It's also important that you put your phone on low battery mode - or even airplane mode - to work against overheating. This will help to not drain the resources by using too many settings.

You should also get rid of phone cases to achieve coolness, so does keeping it in the open instead of one’s pocket.

Read more:

Is your phone constantly overheating? Here are three ways to stop it

You need to clear the cache on your phone, here's how and why

If you never answer the phone, this is what it says about you

Phone sex: Tips and tricks on how to successfully get it done Phone sex: Tips and tricks on how to successfully get it done