Phone overheating: why it happens and what to do

Warm is normal during charging, video calls, games and navigation. Hot enough to be uncomfortable, or hot while idle, needs action.

What you seePhone is too hot. Charging paused / iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it / the back is hot to the touch

Cool it down now

1. Stop what it is doing: close the game or camera, end the video call, unplug the charger.
2. Take off the case.
3. Move it out of the sun and off the dashboard, the bed or your pocket, onto a hard surface in the shade.
4. Turn on flight mode or switch it off for a few minutes.
5. Let it cool by itself, or in front of a fan.

Do not put it in a fridge or freezer, on ice, or under running water. Sudden cooling causes condensation inside, which does more harm than the heat.

When a phone is too hot it protects itself: the screen dims, charging stops, the camera flash is disabled, and iPhones show a temperature warning screen. All of this reverses once it cools.

What is normal

A phone gets warm, sometimes quite warm, when it is:

• charging, especially fast or wireless charging;
• playing 3D games, recording 4K video or on a long video call;
• navigating with the screen on, on a sunny dashboard;
• acting as a hotspot;
• restoring from a backup or installing a system update;
• in weak signal, working hard to hold a connection.

Several at once (navigation, charging and sunshine in a car) is the classic overheating recipe. Mount the phone at an air vent, not on the dashboard.

If it is hot while doing nothing

1. Restart it.
2. Find the app at work: Android Settings › Battery › Battery usage; iPhone Settings › Battery. An app using much power in the background is the heat source. Update, restrict or uninstall it. See battery draining fast.
3. Update the system and apps.
4. Check for unknown apps on Android: Settings › Apps. Malware, including hidden coin-mining apps, runs the processor flat out. Scan with Play Protect: Play Store › your picture › Play Protect › Scan. Try Safe Mode: if the phone stays cool there, a downloaded app is to blame.
5. Free storage if it is nearly full. See storage full.

If it gets hot while charging

• Use the original or a certified charger and cable. Cheap chargers regulate badly.
• Charge on a hard, open surface, never under a pillow or on bedding, and take off thick cases.
• Do not game or video-call while charging.
• Check the port for lint and the cable for damage.
• Wireless charging runs warmer than a cable; line the phone up properly on the pad.
• Heat only near the charging port, a burning smell or a discoloured port means stop at once and have it checked.

Settings that reduce heat

• Lower the screen brightness; use auto-brightness.
• In games, lower the graphics quality and frame rate.
• Turn off 5G where coverage is poor, and hotspot when not needed.
• Use Battery Saver or Low Power Mode on hot days.
• Record video at 1080p rather than 4K for long clips.

Danger signs: stop using the phone

• The back or screen is bulging, or the case no longer fits.
• A sweet, chemical or burning smell, hissing, or smoke.
• It is hot when switched off and not charging.
• Heat after the phone was dropped, bent or got wet.

These point to a damaged battery. Switch the phone off if you safely can, do not charge it, keep it away from anything that burns, and take it to an authorised service centre. Do not press on or puncture a swollen battery.

Heat and battery life

Heat is what ages a battery fastest. A phone regularly left in a hot car or charged under a pillow will lose capacity in months. Room temperature is what it likes.

For Android phones and iPhones. Written in November 2026 for Android 13 to 15 and iOS 17 and 18. Phone makers rename menus; use the search box in Settings if a name differs. Back up before any reset. This is an independent guide, not connected with Google, Apple, Samsung or any phone maker or operator.