If your Samsung phone is getting hot or overheating, there are a few quick things you can try to cool it down and prevent issues. First, close any apps that are running in the background that you aren’t using. Having too many apps open at once, especially graphic-intensive ones, can cause your phone to overheat. Next, check to make sure your phone isn’t charging while you’re using processor-heavy apps or features. Charging generates heat, so using your phone intensively while charging is a recipe for overheating. Turn off Bluetooth and other wireless connections you aren’t actively using to reduce battery drain. And lastly, turn down your screen brightness to the minimum comfortable level, since a brighter display also uses more battery power and creates heat.
Why is my Samsung phone getting hot?
There are several potential causes for a Samsung phone getting hot:
- Using processor-intensive apps, especially for long periods, like streaming video or gaming
- Charging the phone while using power-hungry features or apps
- Poor air circulation due to a case or blockage of air vents
- Using the phone in hot environments
- Installing too many apps and filling up storage space
- Outdated software needing an upgrade
- Too many widgets, live wallpapers, or features running in the background
- A faulty battery that can no longer hold a proper charge
- Malware, bloatware, or software issues causing the processor to work harder
Figuring out which of these issues may be the culprit can help you pinpoint solutions to keep your Samsung phone running cool.
How hot is too hot for a Samsung phone?
Samsung phones are designed to withstand reasonable heat from normal operation. However, if your phone feels uncomfortably hot to the touch, that’s a sign it’s overheating. Some key temperature thresholds to pay attention to:
- 100°F (38°C) – Warm but still considered normal operating temperature
- 113°F (45°C) – Hot to the touch, risk of overheating exists
- 122°F (50°C) – Very hot, overheating highly likely
- 140°F (60°C) – Extremely hot, overheating imminent if phone remains on
At temperatures over 113°F (45°C), you risk damaging phone components if the overheating continues. Battery capacity can start to degrade above 105°F (40°C). So if your Samsung is uncomfortably warm, take steps to cool it down.
How to cool down an overheated Samsung phone
If your Samsung phone feels hot to the touch or displays an overheating warning, follow these tips to cool it down:
- Close any apps running in the background that aren’t needed
- Stop charging the phone and unplug any cables/adapters if it’s charging
- Turn on Airplane mode to stop wireless radios from transmitting
- Dim the screen brightness as much as possible
- Place the phone in front of a fan or AC vent to improve air circulation
- Remove any protective case that may be trapping heat
- Turn off the phone for 20-30 minutes to let the components cool down
- Avoid using fast chargers which generate more heat
Taking these steps should help lower your Samsung phone’s internal temperature back down to safe normal levels.
How to prevent Samsung phone overheating
To help avoid overheating problems in the first place:
- Avoid prolonged intensive use like gaming during charging
- Use a case with adequate ventilation
- Close unused apps running in the background
- Disable unnecessary phone features like Bluetooth when not in use
- Keep the phone out of direct sunlight or heat during use
- Clear cache and delete unneeded apps, photos, videos regularly
- Maintain at least 30% storage space free on the phone
- Keep your phone’s operating system up-to-date
- Use factory charger and cable designed for your specific model
Practicing phone battery care by fully charging and discharging, avoiding overcharging, and not leaving on chargers for prolonged periods can also help prevent overheating issues.
When to be concerned about overheating
Occasional mild overheating may not be concerning. But seek repair if you notice:
- Frequent overheating even when not using processor-intensive features
- Overheating when charging with the original charger
- Phone feels hot when simply sitting idle and not in use
- Unusually high battery drain along with overheating
- Burning plastic smell or visible smoke from the phone
- Phone shutting down repeatedly due to high temperature warnings
- Severely degraded battery life
The above symptoms can indicate an underlying hardware problem like a faulty battery, clogged air vents, dried thermal paste, or other issue needing professional repair.
How to tell if phone overheating damaged components
Here are signs that prolonged overheating may have damaged your Samsung phone:
- Frequent crashing, freezing, rebooting or slow performance
- Discoloration, warping or bulge in phone housing
- Cracked screen glass
- Blurry, distorted, or dead pixels on the display
- Camera or flash problems
- SD card errors
- Battery won’t hold a charge and drains very quickly
- Phone won’t turn on, gets stuck while booting, or turns off randomly
- Speaker, microphone, headphone jack malfunction
- Corrosion on ports, SIM card slot, or other openings
Severe overheating can damage the processor, battery, display, camera, motherboard, and other components. If your Samsung has any of the above symptoms, it likely needs professional diagnosis and repair.
How to fix a Samsung phone with overheating issues
Try these troubleshooting steps if your Samsung is overheating frequently:
- Update your phone’s software. Outdated firmware can cause overheating.
- Restart your phone to clear any glitches.
- Boot into Safe Mode. If overheating stops, a 3rd party app is the cause.
- Wipe cache partition to clear accumulated temporary files.
- Perform a factory data reset if overheating persists in Safe Mode.
- Check if the overheating corresponds to installing a particular app.
- Disable or uninstall any new apps, widgets, live wallpapers.
- Replace the original battery if it’s worn out.
- Clean any dust buildup in the phone’s ports and speakers.
- Replace the back cover if it’s damaged and impacting airflow.
If software tweaks don’t resolve the overheating, your Samsung will need hardware-level repair. Common solutions include:
- Replacing the battery if it’s swollen or doesn’t hold charge properly
- Applying new thermal paste between processor and heat sink
- Reseating heat sinks and thermal pads
- Reflowing motherboard to fix loose solder joints
- Fixing any obstruction like dust clogs in the cooling fans and vents
A phone repair technician can diagnose the exact overheating cause and perform component-level repair needed to permanently fix the problem.
Best practices to avoid overheating Samsung phones
You can help prevent overheating on your Samsung phone by following these tips:
- Don’t charge while using graphics-heavy apps or features
- Close inactive apps running in the background
- Disable Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS when not in use
- Update your phone and apps to latest available versions
- Use original Samsung charger and cable
- Keep the phone out of direct sunlight during use
- Avoid covering the phone with blankets or tight cases while using
- Turn off the phone periodically and let it rest
- Maintain at least 30% storage space free
- Clean out dust buildup from ports and speakers
Avoiding prolonged intensive use while charging, keeping background apps closed, and letting the phone cool off periodically can go a long way towards preventing overheating issues.
Conclusion
Overheating can happen to any smartphone with prolonged intensive usage, especially while charging. For Samsung phones that are running hot, start by closing unused apps, stopping charging, and letting the phone rest screen-off for 30 minutes. Keep the phone updated, avoid covering it tightly, and tweak settings to reduce battery drain. If software fixes don’t resolve persistent overheating, professional repair of components like the battery, motherboard or processor may be needed. With proper care and maintenance, you can enjoy stable performance from your Samsung phone without excess heat buildup.
| Cause of Overheating | Solution |
|---|---|
| Too many apps running | Close inactive apps |
| Charging while using processor-intensive features | Avoid charging when gaming or streaming video |
| Blocked air vents | Clean out dust, remove case |
| Poor battery health | Replace old, swollen battery |
| Outdated software | Install latest OS and app updates |
