Overheating is a common issue that can affect smartphones. High temperatures can happen for various reasons – heavy usage, direct sunlight exposure, faulty battery etc. But can overheating actually lead to permanent damage in your phone? Let’s find out.
What causes phones to overheat?
There are several potential causes for phones overheating:
Extensive usage
Using resource-heavy apps like mobile games, video streaming, or navigation apps can make the phone work harder and generate more heat. Things like gaming, watching videos, multi-tasking between many apps can quickly cause the phone to get hot.
Direct sunlight
Leaving your phone directly under sunlight for prolonged periods can definitely increase the temperature. The powerful rays act like a heat source and raise the internal temperature. This is especially common in summer months.
Faulty battery
Lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones can malfunction and start overheating on their own. A faulty battery can pose a safety risk as extreme overheating can even cause explosion or fire.
Poor ventilation
Using phones in poorly ventilated areas or covering the device can prevent heat from dissipating efficiently. This allows heat to continuously build up within the chassis.
Hardware and software issues
Defective phone components like processor or RAM can end up generating excess heat. Software issues like constant background processes, system glitches etc can also load the hardware and cause overheating.
At what temperatures do phones start taking damage?
Most phones today come with a heat threshold of around 45°C to 50°C (113°F – 122°F). Prolonged heating above this range is when permanent damage can start occurring.
However, this threshold varies across smartphone models and manufacturers. High-end phones designed for activities like gaming often have a higher max temperature capacity.
Here are some key temperature points and their effects:
37°C – 60°C (98°F – 140°F)
Up to 60°C, the phone should be fine if cooled down afterwards. You might experience performance issues beyond 45°C.
70°C – 90°C (158°F – 194°F)
Between 70-90°C, the phone can start taking minor component damage like display glitches, battery deterioration etc. Faster wear and tear will occur.
100°C (212°F) and above
At 100°C and beyond, the internal hardware can get irreversibly damaged. Prolonged heating above 105°C can destroy processors and melt internal parts.
So in most cases, keeping temperatures under 60°C should not permanently damage phones. But crossing the 70°C mark for extended periods can start causing issues.
What phone components are at risk of damage?
The sensitive electronic components inside a smartphone can get permanently damaged from overheating. Here are some key parts at risk:
Processor
The chipset and processor powering the phone are very vulnerable to overheating. High temperatures can cause transistor degradation and physical damage.
Display
The OLED/LCD displays can develop dead pixels, discoloration and burns due to overheating damage. Prolonged heat can melt the display glue.
Battery
Overheating causes faster degradation of battery capacity, lifespan and recharging ability. It can also lead to swelling or explosion risk.
Motherboard
The printed circuit board (PCB) holding the components can warp or melt with excessive heat. Traces between components may also get damaged.
Sensors
Phone sensors like proximity, ambient light, fingerprint etc can malfunction if overheated. Their precision and accuracy is affected.
So almost every inner component is at risk of permanent failure at high temperatures, especially the battery, display, chipset, and PCB.
How to prevent and fix overheating phones?
Here are some ways you can prevent overheating from happening, or cool down an overheated phone:
Limit screen brightness
Lower the screen brightness when using the phone extensively. Display is one of the biggest power draws.
Close unused apps
Background apps can increase system load. Close all apps not in use to lighten the thermal burden.
Avoid direct sunlight
Don’t leave your phone out in the sun for too long. The ambient exposure heats up the chassis.
Turn off radios when not needed
Disable WiFi, cellular data, Bluetooth etc when not using them. Unused radios generate heat.
Use lighter apps
Play graphically lighter games. Stream lower resolution videos. Don’t stress the phone too much.
Update software
Software updates often fix bugs causing overheating in apps and system processes.
Avoid charger overheating
Use the official charger and don’t cover your phone while charging. This prevents charger overheating.
Clean phone interior
Accumulated dust acts as an insulator and traps heat inside. Clean the internals gently.
DIY cooling
You can help cool down the phone using DIY methods like blowing room temperature air into the ports.
Specialized phone cooling accessories
There are various phone cooling gadgets available that snap onto your device and prevent overheating.
Factory reset
For severe overheating not fixed by above methods, a factory reset can wipe out problematic software causing issues.
Does water or liquid damage lead to overheating?
Liquid damage is one of the most prominent causes of phone overheating. Here’s how it happens:
Short circuits
Water can short circuit the components on the logic board and power management chips. This disrupts voltage control.
Deposits and corrosion
Residual deposits left after liquid contact can gradually lead to corrosion of metallic components and connections. This increases resistance.
Insulation damage
Liquid may damage insulating tape around components like the battery. This allows shorting between parts.
All of the above lead to uncontrolled excess current flow, triggering overheating, further component damage, and risks like battery swelling. It creates a damaging loop.
So liquid damage can definitely lead to permanent overheating risk unless the phone is quickly opened up and cleaned after contact.
Does overheating shorten phone battery life?
Yes, sustained overheating has adverse effects on smartphone battery capacity and lifespan. Here’s how it happens:
Electrolyte breakdown
The electrolyte liquid inside lithium-ion cells degrades faster at high temperatures. This reduces charge capacity.
Increased side reactions
Parallel chemical reactions inside the cell that impair performance occur more often when hot.
Faster cycling
Heat accelerates the battery charge-discharge cycles. This means faster wear and tear.
Internal shorting
The separator between the anode/cathode stops functioning properly at high cell temperatures. This can internally short the battery.
Repeated overheating causes such effects to pile up. You’ll notice faster battery drain, low run times, and poorer life span. The phone may also abruptly turn off when hot.
Mild warmth up to 40°C is fine, but sustained high heat beyond 50°C will diminish battery capacity much quicker. A cooler phone equals longer lasting battery.
Does overheating weaken the structural integrity of a phone?
In extreme overheating scenarios, the physical structure of the phone can indeed get compromised. Some ways this can happen:
Warping frame
Aluminum alloy or plastic frames can bend and warp due to thermal expansion at very high temperatures. This damages fit and structural rigidity.
Melting components
Past 100°C, internal parts like solder joints, adhesive, plastic sections etc can literally melt leading to complete failure.
Cracked display glass
Rapid, drastic rise in temperature gradients across the glass can induce cracks due to thermal shock.
Deformed ports/buttons
Sustained heat can deform the physical ports and buttons on a phone through thermal expansion.
So while moderate heating does not structurally damage phones, extreme sustained temperatures beyond 80°C can definitely start melting and cracking parts inside a phone. It depends on how drastically the phone overheats.
Does fast charging and wireless charging lead to overheating?
Yes, both fast charging and wireless charging inherently heat up phones more than normal wired charging. Here’s why:
Faster power transfer
Fast charging pushes current faster into the battery, as high as 18W to 45W. This heats up the battery and phone interior.
Conversion inefficiencies
The AC to DC conversion process during fast charging has 10-20% power losses, dissipated as heat.
Wireless charging coils
The copper induction coils used generate electromagnetic waves that heat up components in proximity.
However, phone makers usually have safeguards in place to pause or limit charging before overheating occurs. So moderate warmth is expected but sustained high temperatures are prevented.
It’s best to avoid using fast charging when your phone is already warm. Wireless chargers should have open air flow and not be covered.
Conclusion
To summarize, overheating can potentially lead to permanent hardware damage in phones if left unchecked. Components like the display, processor, battery etc are very vulnerable to sustained high heat of 70°C/158°F and above.
Liquid damage is a major risk factor for uncontrolled overheating. Other factors like processor-intensive apps, faulty batteries, direct sunlight also play a role.
Phone owners should be wary of the 45-50°C threshold most phones can handle. Excessive heat beyond that will likely degrade performance and hardware lifespan over time.
Proactive measures like closing background apps, lowering brightness, updating software, avoiding direct sunlight exposure, using cooling accessories etc can help prevent and mitigate overheating issues.
With proper precautions, modern smartphones are designed to intelligently regulate their temperature profile without taking severe permanent damage from overheating. But extreme sustained heat can eventually destroy sensitive components, melt internal parts, and diminish battery life.