How to Stop Your Gadgets from Overheating

Read this article and learn how to Prevent a Phone from Overheating 

In Today’s world, human lives are pretty much run by electronic gadgets. People spend hours surfing the internet, connecting with loved ones, and playing games on laptops, iPads, or smartphones. It has been widely noticed that electronic gadgets usually get hot after using them for a while, often leading to dangerous outcomes. You can find many videos on YouTube where people show their awful experiences with their phones or laptops heating up.

There’s a simple answer if you’re curious about why your phone or laptop often gets hot while running. Wherever there is energy, there is heat. When you use electronic gadgets, their temperature rises to a certain limit. Most of the devices are designed to operate within 0-35° C. If the device’s temperature increases, its CPU’s sophisticated circuitry will probably start melting. That’s why laptops are equipped with inbuilt fans to cool the CPU, something that can’t be fitted in smartphones. 

What Can Trigger Your Device’s Temperature 

You might often wonder why my phone or laptop always gets hot? A simple search on Google might tell you that it’s probably because the cooling fan is not correctly working, there’s a battery issue, or the air venting ports are blocked by dust, etc. Although the reasons mentioned above might partly be the cause, there’s something more you should know.  

There’s a Little Physics Behind it 

Machines are not 100% ideal. There’s a slight inefficiency in all the machines, electronic or manual. As far as electronic devices are concerned, they heat up because of the resistance present in the electricity-conducting metals inside them. Over time, the resistance in the metals causes heat to build up further, making your device get hotter.  

Excessive Usage Can Overheat Your Gadgets 

Excessive usage puts an extra burden on your device’s processor. Playing high-intensity games, using your phone’s camera for extended periods, and watching Netflix or YouTube for hours might be another cause why your laptop and smartphones get hot.   

Outdated Apps and Malware 

Buggy and outdated apps tend to overuse your phone or laptop’s processor, increasing device temperature. It is recommended to keep your device’s OS and apps updated. Moreover, certain malware damage your device’s resources, such as processor and battery life. Therefore, you must always install the apps from official app stores. 

Internal Damage and Older Hardware 

Frequent dropping or mishandling can cause Internal damage to your gadgets. Such impacts often loosen the internal components of your device, resulting in short circuits, which cause excessive heating. Besides, as the device gets older, the thermal paste on the processor wears off, affecting its heat-absorbing capacity. If you’re facing problems with your old phone and want to get rid of it, read our guide on mobile phone recycling. 

Environmental Factors Can’t be Ruled Out! 

Hot weather, too, is a culprit! Leaving your laptop or smartphone outside or in your car during summer might be a mistake because it can cause your device to overheat. It can also damage your device’s touchscreen functionality and battery performance. In addition to sun exposure, moisture and water can cause overheating to your gadgets.  

Tips to Keep Your Gadgets Cool 

Quick solutions make it easy to prevent your phone and laptop from overheating. We have listed a few tips below which can keep your gadgets from overheating and extend their overall lifespan. Let’s have a look at them! 

For Laptops 

1. Always rest it on a hard and flat surface 

The laptop’s air vents are usually on its lower side. It’s easier for air to flow through cooling inlets and outlets when the laptop is rested on a hard and flat surface rather than on clothes or blankets. If either of the vents in the cooling system is blocked, the cooling capacity is reduced drastically. Therefore, always make sure your laptop is placed on a flat and stiff surface so that its cooling system may work properly. 

1. Use a Cooling Pad 

Cooling pads are by far the most affordable yet effective way to cool down your laptop. Especially if you’re into high-end gaming or something with high GPU consumption, you must equip your laptop with a cooling pad – maybe one with multiple cooling fans. One more advantage of these coolers is they come with an adjustable stand that lifts your laptop. So, you can use your laptop in bed and atop your blanket without having it placed on a flat surface.   

1. Cooling Fans and Air Vents Must be Clean 

Over time, dirt starts to pile up in the cooling system. While you can clean the desktop’s cooling system very easily, it can be a little bit tricky on laptops because you’re pretty much stuck with its design. Therefore, you must get your laptop serviced by a professional every six months, or you can try cleaning it yourself. If you want to go with the second option – cleaning yourself – you’ll need an air blower. Keep blowing the air into all the vents you see until you find them completely clean.    

1. Don’t Keep Your Laptop in Direct Sunlight 

Avoid keeping your laptop in direct sunlight in summer’s scorching heat, whether you’re using it or not. The laptop’s internal parts are not all metal. Some plastic parts can also melt from excessive heat if you’re using your laptop in direct sunlight. If your laptop’s internal temperature rises for a prolonged period, certain internal parts could get damaged. 

1. Avoid using too many programs at a time 

No doubt, multitasking saves time but crowding your laptop with too many programs at once can slow down the processor and cause your laptop to heat up. Take short breaks at different intervals so that your laptop can have some time to cool itself. If you’re done working on a task, close it instead of minimizing it. It will help take some burden off your laptop’s resources and improve the general performance.  

Interesting read: 15 Cool iPhone Hacks You Never Knew About 

For Smartphones 

1. Take it out of the Sun 

One of the significant causes of smartphone overheating is the Sun – the same thing that causes humans to overheat while sunbathing. It’s tough for your phone to manage its temperature under direct sunlight. Since the phone’s display is composed of a black stripe, it absorbs maximum heat and heats up swiftly. As a result, the overall temperature of the device rises. The advice here is not to use your smartphone in direct sunlight unless it’s an emergency. Try finding some shade if you’re in the middle of an overheating condition and want to use your smartphone. 

1. Don’t Overcharge Your Smartphone 

Don’t ever charge your phone in an impatient, careless manner. When plugged in, the power adaptor generates heat. Usually, this heat doesn’t overheat your phone, but it can become a problem if you’re not careful about certain factors, like the place of charging. Never charge your phone under the blankets or other soft stuff. Such fabrics do not allow the heat to dissipate. Resultantly, the heat builds up within the device as it builds up inside you when you’re under the blankets. Always keep your phones on a table or counter to disperse the heat quickly from charging.