Why Does My Phone Keep Overheating?

A phone can feel warm during charging, setup, gaming, navigation, video recording or a major software update. That warmth is often normal because the processor, display, mobile connection and battery are doing demanding work in a small sealed device.

Persistent or extreme heat is different. A phone that becomes very hot while idle, repeatedly shows a temperature warning, stops charging or has a lifting screen may have a problem with an app, reception, charger, battery or internal hardware.

This guide explains how to cool the phone safely, identify the cause and decide when to stop troubleshooting and arrange professional service.

First: check for an immediate safety problem

Stop using and charging the phone if it is dangerously hot or shows signs of battery damage. Do not keep testing a phone with a swollen, leaking or damaged lithium-ion battery.

Discontinue use and arrange professional advice if you notice:

• The screen or rear panel lifting away from the frame.
• The phone bulging, separating or changing shape.
• A chemical smell, hissing, popping or venting gas.
• Smoke, sparks or flames.
• Leaking material or unusual residue.
• Severe heat after a drop, crush, puncture or liquid exposure.
• A charging cable, plug or adaptor that is damaged, discoloured or excessively hot.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission advises consumers not to use lithium-ion batteries, products or chargers that are overheating, swelling, leaking or venting gas. Do not place a damaged battery in household rubbish. Follow local battery-disposal guidance or instructions from the manufacturer or repairer.

If the phone catches fire, do not put yourself at risk attempting to handle it. Move away, warn others and call Triple Zero on 000. Follow instructions from emergency services or your state or territory fire authority.

How hot is too hot?

A phone feeling warm does not automatically mean it is overheating. Electronic components produce heat, and the case helps transfer that heat away from the internals. Warmth is common during:

• Initial setup or restoration from a backup.
• A major operating-system or app update.
• Fast charging or wireless charging.
• Gaming or other processor-intensive apps.
• Extended camera or video recording.
• High-quality video streaming.
• GPS navigation in a vehicle.
• Mobile hotspot use or large data transfers.
• Poor mobile reception or roaming.

Normal warmth should reduce after the activity ends. Overheating becomes more concerning when the phone is uncomfortable to hold, displays a temperature warning, remains hot while idle, repeatedly slows down, closes apps, dims the screen or pauses charging.

Do not rely on a random temperature app as a medical-style thermometer for the phone. Different components operate at different temperatures, and third-party apps may report an internal sensor without explaining what is safe for that model. The phone’s warning, behaviour and physical condition are more useful.

What to do immediately when the phone is too hot

1. Stop the demanding activity and lock the screen.
2. Disconnect the charging cable or remove the phone from the wireless charger.
3. Move it out of direct sunlight, a parked vehicle or another hot location.
4. Place it on a cool, dry, non-flammable surface with ventilation.
5. Remove the case if it is safe to handle and the case appears to trap heat.
6. Turn the phone off if it shows a temperature warning or remains excessively hot.
7. Leave it alone until it returns to a normal temperature.

Let the phone cool naturally. Do not put it in a refrigerator or freezer, hold it against ice, run it under water or direct condensation-producing cold air onto it. Rapid temperature changes can cause moisture inside the phone and create additional damage.

Do not continue using the camera, games or navigation while waiting for it to cool. If the phone is physically damaged or shows signs of battery failure, do not turn it back on for further testing.

Why phones protect themselves when they get hot

Modern phones contain thermal protections. When internal temperature rises, the operating system may reduce performance or disable certain functions to protect the battery and components.

An overheating phone may:

• Slow or pause wired and wireless charging.
• Dim the display or turn it off.
• Reduce processor and graphics performance.
• Lower the camera frame rate or disable the flash.
• Close apps or prevent the camera from opening.
• Reduce mobile transmission power or disconnect networks.
• Pause a backup, restore or software task.
• Display a cooling or temperature warning.

These changes can feel like another fault, but they may be the phone working correctly. Do not repeatedly override the warning or attempt to force charging. Allow the device to cool first.

Step 1: restart the phone after it has cooled

Once the phone is at a normal temperature and shows no signs of damage, restart it. A restart ends a process that may be stuck using the processor, camera, GPS or network connection.

Use the phone normally and note whether heat returns. If the problem disappears, a temporary software process may have been responsible. If it returns during the same app or activity, you have a useful lead for the next step.

A phone should not require repeated restarts to control heat. If restarting only provides a short break, continue investigating.

Step 2: identify when and where the heating occurs

The pattern often reveals the cause. Record what the phone was doing, where you were and whether it was charging.

• Hot only while charging: Check the charger, cable, port, wireless pad, case and charging environment.
• Hot during one app: Update, restrict, reinstall or remove that app.
• Hot at work or in one location: Weak mobile reception may be making the phone work harder.
• Hot after an update or restoration: Background indexing and app optimisation may be temporary.
• Hot during navigation: GPS, mobile data, screen brightness, charging and sunlight may be combining.
• Hot while idle: Look for background activity, poor signal, a stuck sync or battery trouble.
• Hot after a drop or liquid exposure: Stop using it and arrange assessment.

Testing one variable at a time is more useful than disabling everything. If you change the case, charger, network mode and several apps together, you may reduce heat without learning which part was responsible.

Step 3: check battery and app usage

Heat and battery drain often appear together because the same background work is consuming energy. Review the phone’s battery report immediately after an overheating episode.

On an iPhone

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Battery.
3. Review the Daily Usage chart and app activity.
4. Tap View All Battery Usage if available.
5. Look for heavy background activity, poor signal, ongoing setup or update information.

On a Samsung Galaxy phone

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Battery or Battery and device care.
3. Open the battery usage details.
4. Review high-use and background apps.
5. Use Device care > Optimise now on supported phones.

On a Google Pixel or another Android phone

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Battery.
3. Tap Battery usage.
4. Choose the app view and inspect unusual activity.

An app appearing first may simply reflect genuine use. Be suspicious when an app has heavy background consumption despite barely being opened, or when the phone heats shortly after that app starts.

Step 4: fix an app that causes overheating

Begin with reversible actions:

1. Update the app through the official app store.
2. Restart the phone and test the app again.
3. Reduce unnecessary location, camera, microphone and background permissions.
4. Check whether uploads, downloads or account synchronisation are stuck.
5. On Android, clear the app cache if the manufacturer provides that option.
6. Delete and reinstall the app after confirming its data is backed up.
7. Remove the app and contact its developer if overheating returns.

Do not disable background access for critical messaging, medical, security, alarm or authentication apps without testing notifications. The goal is to stop abnormal activity, not break essential services.

On Android, Safe Mode can help determine whether a downloaded app is responsible. The starting method varies by brand, so follow the current manufacturer instructions. If the phone remains cool in Safe Mode, remove recently installed or suspicious apps one by one after restarting normally.

Step 5: check the charger, cable and charging port

Some warmth during fast or wireless charging is expected. Excessive heat, repeated charging pauses or a hot connector requires investigation.

Check the following:

• Use a charger and cable approved or specified for the phone.
• Stop using accessories with fraying, bent pins, cracks, discolouration or loose connections.
• Check the charging port for visible lint, liquid or damage.
• Do not insert metal tools or add liquid to clean the port.
• Connect directly rather than through an unknown adaptor or overloaded hub.
• Avoid gaming, navigation and video calls while fast charging.
• Charge on a hard surface with airflow, not on bedding, a couch or carpet.

With wireless charging, remove cards, coins, metal plates, magnets and other foreign objects between the phone and charging pad. Confirm that the phone is aligned correctly. A thick or incompatible case can reduce efficiency and create more heat.

If one charger causes overheating and another known-compatible charger does not, discontinue use of the suspect accessory. If the phone overheats with multiple suitable chargers, arrange service.

Step 6: reduce heat during navigation and driving

Navigation is a perfect storm for phone heat. GPS, a bright display, mobile data, charging and direct sunlight may all operate together, while a windscreen mount can sit in one of the hottest parts of the vehicle.

To reduce the load:

• Move the mount away from direct sun where it remains safe and legal.
• Use vehicle air conditioning to maintain a moderate cabin temperature.
• Download offline maps before travelling in poor-coverage areas.
• Reduce screen brightness without making directions unsafe to read.
• Avoid wireless charging if it creates excessive heat during navigation.
• Stop video recording, hotspot use and other unnecessary tasks.
• Never leave the phone in a parked vehicle.

Do not position the phone where it obstructs your view or distracts you. Make adjustments while parked safely, not while driving.

Step 7: investigate weak mobile reception

A phone can become warm while trying to maintain a weak or unstable mobile connection. This often happens in regional areas, underground car parks, large industrial buildings, trains and roaming situations.

Compare the phone in a strong-signal location. Use reliable Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi calling where supported. If you know there will be no service for a long period, Airplane Mode prevents continuous network searching, but it also blocks ordinary calls and messages.

Dual-SIM phones may work harder when one line has poor or no coverage. Temporarily disable an unused line as a test. If abnormal heat follows one SIM or provider across multiple locations, contact the provider and check for account, SIM or network issues.

Mobile hotspot use can also generate substantial heat because the phone maintains mobile data and shares it over Wi-Fi while often charging. Turn the hotspot off when finished and give the phone airflow during long sessions.

Step 8: lower unnecessary processing and display load

High brightness, high refresh rates, games, augmented reality, video editing, continuous camera use and live effects all produce heat. Reduce only the features causing a problem.

Useful temporary adjustments include:

• Turn on automatic or adaptive brightness.
• Lower brightness from its maximum setting.
• Pause processor-intensive games and editing apps.
• Reduce graphics quality or frame rate inside a game.
• Disable an optional high-refresh display mode during long sessions.
• Turn off picture-in-picture or simultaneous video tasks.
• Use Power Saving, Battery Saver or Low Power Mode when appropriate.

Supported Samsung Galaxy phones may offer a Light performance profile under Settings > Device care > Performance profile. Samsung states that this can reduce heat and power use by adjusting maximum processing speed. Menu availability varies by model.

Check connected accessories and background transfers

A smartwatch, earbuds, vehicle system, camera, computer or storage device can trigger continuous connection attempts or data transfers. This is normally efficient, but a failing connection or companion app may keep the processor and radios active.

Disconnect recently added accessories one at a time and compare the phone after it cools. Update the accessory firmware and its companion app. Do not disable a medical device, hearing aid or safety accessory without understanding the consequences.

Also check for large photo uploads, cloud backups, offline music downloads, file transfers and app restoration. These can continue after the screen is locked and create warmth that appears unexplained. Allow a legitimate transfer to finish on strong Wi-Fi in a cool environment, or pause it temporarily to confirm whether the heat stops.

Step 9: update the phone and apps

Install stable operating-system and app updates because they can fix excessive processor, camera, charging and network activity. Back up important data and use a safe charging environment during the update.

A phone may temporarily run warmer after a major update, restoration or initial setup while it indexes files, downloads applications and optimises data. Apple and Samsung list these as common temporary causes. Heat should reduce once the background work is complete.

If the phone remains hot for days, inspect battery usage again. An app may not be behaving correctly with the new software, or the update may have exposed an ageing battery or hardware problem.

Step 10: check the case and environment

A case does not create processor heat, but a thick or poorly designed case can slow heat transfer. Remove it temporarily during a controlled test after the phone has cooled. If the difference is substantial, use a case designed for the model that does not obstruct charging or ventilation areas.

Environmental heat matters more. Apple designs current iPhones for use in ambient temperatures from 0°C to 35°C and warns that very hot conditions can permanently shorten battery life. Other manufacturers publish their own operating limits.

In Australian summer conditions:

• Keep the phone out of direct sunlight.
• Do not leave it in a parked car.
• Avoid placing it on a hot dashboard or metal surface.
• Do not charge under blankets or inside an enclosed bag.
• Allow it to cool after demanding use before charging.
• Store it in a cool, dry place when not required.

Step 11: check battery health and device damage

An ageing or damaged battery can generate heat, drain quickly, charge slowly or cause unexpected shutdowns. Heat also accelerates battery ageing, creating a cycle of worsening capacity and temperature.

On an iPhone

Open Settings > Battery > Battery Health on supported recent models. Some earlier iPhones use Battery Health & Charging. Review maximum capacity, performance information and any service recommendation.

On a Samsung Galaxy phone

Open the Samsung Members app and use Phone Diagnostics to check battery status on supported devices. Samsung also provides device optimisation under Device care.

On a Google Pixel or another Android phone

Battery-health information varies by model and Android version. Search Battery settings for health, diagnostics or charging information. Contact the manufacturer or an authorised repairer when no reliable test is available.

Do not continue home testing if the phone has been bent, crushed, punctured or exposed to liquid, or if its screen is lifting. Internal damage may not be visible from the outside.

Check whether the phone is affected by a recall or battery program

Unusual overheating can occasionally relate to a recognised battery issue. Search the manufacturer’s Australian support pages and the ACCC Product Safety recalls database using the exact phone model.

For example, Australian recalls or battery management programs have previously applied to particular Google Pixel 4a and Pixel 6a devices because affected batteries could overheat. This does not mean every unit or every warm Pixel is unsafe. It shows why exact model and local recall information matter.

Install manufacturer-required safety updates and follow the remedy in the official notice. Do not rely on overseas social-media posts or assume that instructions for a different model apply to yours.

Step 12: use a controlled idle test

After the phone has cooled, restart it and leave it untouched on a hard surface for 30 to 60 minutes under normal reception. Do not charge it during the test. Check whether it becomes warm and review battery usage afterwards.

If it stays cool while idle but heats during one activity, focus on that app, charger, connection or workload. If it heats while untouched, look for background syncing, weak reception, a connected accessory or battery trouble.

On Android, repeat in Safe Mode if the manufacturer supports it. If the phone stays cool in Safe Mode, a downloaded app is likely. If it still overheats, the operating system, network, battery or hardware becomes more likely.

Step 13: reset settings or the phone only as a last resort

A network-settings reset may help when heat is clearly associated with abnormal Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or mobile connection behaviour. It removes saved connection information, so record anything important first.

A factory reset is the final software test. It deletes data, apps and accounts. Back up photos, messages, files and authentication information, confirm that the backup is accessible, and know the account credentials required after the reset.

Test the reset phone before immediately restoring every app. If it stays cool until the complete backup returns, an app or restored configuration may be responsible. Do not factory-reset a phone that is dangerously hot, swollen or physically damaged; arrange service instead.

Common overheating mistakes to avoid

Putting the phone in a freezer

Rapid cooling can create condensation and damage the phone. Move it to a moderate, shaded environment and let it cool naturally.

Continuing to charge through a warning

Charging may pause to protect the battery. Do not try multiple high-powered chargers to force it. Disconnect the phone and wait for a normal temperature.

Using the cheapest unknown charger

An unsuitable or damaged accessory can charge poorly and generate heat. Use equipment approved or specified for the device and replace damaged cables.

Assuming every warm phone has a bad battery

Setup, gaming, navigation, camera use and wireless charging can create normal temporary warmth. Look at the pattern, battery usage and warnings before deciding the battery has failed.

Ignoring a lifting screen

A screen or rear panel separating from the frame can indicate swelling. Do not press it down or keep charging. Stop use and arrange professional advice.

When to arrange professional service

Contact the manufacturer, an authorised service provider or a reputable Australian repairer when:

• The phone repeatedly shows a temperature warning during light use.
• It becomes hot while switched off or idle.
• Charging repeatedly pauses with compatible equipment in a moderate environment.
• The battery drains rapidly, shuts down or reports degraded health.
• The phone overheats after a drop, crush or liquid exposure.
• Safe Mode and app removal do not change the problem.
• The screen or rear cover is lifting.
• You notice swelling, leaking, gas, smoke or dangerous heat.

Back up the phone before service when it is safe to do so. Ask whether the replacement battery is suitable for the model, whether the repair carries a warranty and whether water resistance can be restored.

Frequently asked questions

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

Some warmth is normal, especially with fast or wireless charging. Stop charging if the phone or connector becomes excessively hot, shows a warning, smells unusual or has visible damage. Check the charger, cable, case, charging surface and environment.

Why does my phone overheat during video calls?

A video call can use the camera, display, processor, microphone, speaker and network connection at once. Reduce brightness, move to stronger Wi-Fi, remove the phone from direct sun and avoid charging simultaneously if heat becomes excessive.

Can a phone case cause overheating?

A case rarely creates the heat, but a thick or incompatible case can trap it or interfere with wireless charging. Remove it temporarily as a test after the phone has cooled.

Why does the phone get hot when I am not using it?

Possible causes include background app activity, cloud syncing, weak reception, a connected accessory, post-update processing or battery trouble. Restart the phone, inspect battery usage and perform a controlled idle test.

Will overheating damage the battery?

Repeated or prolonged heat can shorten lithium-ion battery life. Manufacturers may slow or pause charging and reduce performance to limit damage. Keep the phone out of hot vehicles and direct sunlight and allow it to cool before charging.

Should I turn the phone off when it overheats?

Yes, if it displays a temperature warning, remains uncomfortably hot after stopping the activity or cannot cool normally. If there are signs of battery damage, do not turn it back on for testing.

Our verdict

Most phone warmth has an understandable cause: charging, sunlight, gaming, navigation, camera use, poor reception or background setup. Stop the activity, disconnect charging and let the phone cool naturally before checking battery and app usage.

If heat repeatedly returns, isolate the app, charger, network condition or environment responsible. Update the phone, test Safe Mode on Android and inspect battery health. Leave resets until the end.

Dangerous heat, swelling, leaking, venting gas, smoke or a lifting screen requires immediate caution. Stop using and charging the device and obtain professional advice. In a fire, move away and call Triple Zero on 000.

Sources and further reading

• Apple Support Australia: if an iPhone or iPad gets too hot or cold
• Apple Support Australia: charging and maintaining an iPhone battery
• Samsung Australia: what to do when a Galaxy device heats up
• Google Pixel Help: reducing battery drain and avoiding heat
• ACCC Product Safety: lithium-ion battery safety guide
• ACCC Product Safety: preventing lithium-ion battery fires
• ACCC Product Safety: Australian consumer product recalls