Phone Overheating? How to Cool It Down Safely (8 Fixes)

Quick fix

Stop using the phone, unplug it, turn it off if it shows a temperature warning, and leave it somewhere cool and shaded until it feels normal. Never put it in a fridge or freezer.

What it means

Phones protect themselves when they get too hot by dimming the screen, slowing down, pausing charging or showing a temperature warning, and they may shut down until they cool. Heat usually comes from the sun or a hot car, heavy use such as games, video, navigation or hotspot, charging while doing these things, or a phone still busy after setup or an update. A phone that gets hot while doing nothing, smells odd or has a swollen battery needs professional repair.

Common causes

Direct sunlight or being left in a hot car
Heavy use such as games, video calls, recording video, GPS navigation or mobile hotspot
Charging while using the phone heavily, or a damaged cable or dirty charging port
Setting up a new phone, restoring a backup or installing an update
Weak mobile signal, which makes the phone work harder
An app stuck running in the background
A faulty or swollen battery

How to fix it

Work down the list. Each fix is safe to try before moving on to the next.

01Stop, unplug and let it cool the safe wayEasy

Stop what you're doing on the phone and unplug it from the charger.
If an iPhone shows a temperature warning screen, turn it off. Emergency calls may still work from that screen.
Move the phone out of direct sunlight and out of the car, to a cool, shaded place with air around it.
Take it out of a pocket, bag or thick case while it cools.
Do not put it in a fridge or freezer, on ice or under water, and do not point a fan heater or hair dryer at it. Sudden temperature changes can damage the phone.
Wait until it feels normal before turning it back on.

Why it helps: Phones are built to work in roughly 0-35 C (32-95 F) air temperature, and letting them cool gently brings them back into that range without harm.

02Check for signs of a damaged batteryEasy

Look for a screen or back cover that is lifting, bulging or no longer sits flat.
Notice any burning or chemical smell, smoke, hissing, or heat when the phone is idle.
If you see any of these, stop using and charging the phone right away and keep it away from anything that can burn.
Do not press on, puncture or try to open the phone. Take it to Apple, Samsung, Google or an authorized repair shop.

Why it helps: A swollen or failing battery can overheat by itself and is a safety risk that only a professional should handle.

03Don't charge it while it's hotEasy

If an iPhone shows Charging On Hold, it is too hot or cold to charge. It will start again once it is back to a normal temperature.
Unplug, close running apps and let the phone cool before charging again, as Samsung advises.
Avoid gaming, streaming or video calls while charging.
Check the cable and charger for frayed or peeled covering and stop using any that are damaged.
Look inside the charging port for lint or dirt. A damaged or dirty port can make charging run hot.
Charge on a hard surface, not on a bed, sofa or heating pad.

Why it helps: Charging adds heat, so charging a phone that is already hot, or using a damaged cable, makes overheating worse.

04Close heavy apps and featuresEasy

Close games, the camera, video calls and video streaming apps, especially in warm weather.
Turn off Mobile hotspot or tethering when you don't need it.
Use Wi-Fi instead of mobile data where you can, especially where signal is weak.
Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and location when you aren't using them.
For long drives, mount the phone out of direct sun rather than on the dashboard in full sunlight.

Why it helps: These are the tasks that make a phone work hardest and produce the most heat.

05Lower brightness and turn on battery savingEasy

On iPhone: open Control Center and drag the brightness slider down, then go to Settings > Battery and turn on Low Power Mode (on iPhone 15 and later, tap Power Mode first).
On Samsung: turn the brightness down in the Quick panel, turn on Power saving there, and search Settings for refresh rate and set it to Standard.
On Pixel: go to Settings > Display & touch > Brightness level and lower it, and turn on Battery Saver from Quick Settings.

Why it helps: A bright screen and a high refresh rate use a lot of power, and less power used means less heat.

06Find out what's heating it upEasy

On iPhone: open Settings > Battery, look at the apps listed under App and System Activity Usage, and tap View All Battery Usage for more detail.
On Pixel 6 and later: go to Settings > Battery > Battery diagnostics and tap Phone is very warm for checks and tips.
On Samsung: restart the phone, and if it still runs hot, start it in Safe mode. Open the Quick panel, tap the Power icon, touch and hold Power off, then tap Safe mode.
If the phone stays cool in Safe mode, a downloaded app is likely the cause. Restart to leave Safe mode and remove recently installed apps one at a time.
Don't install cleaner, cooler or booster apps. They don't fix heat and can add to the load.

Why it helps: One misbehaving app running in the background can keep the phone warm all day.

07Give it time after setup or an update, then update apps and softwareEasy

A new phone, a restored backup or a big update can make the phone warm for a few hours while it downloads and organizes data. Leave it on Wi-Fi in a cool place to finish.
On iPhone, a restore from iCloud may show Restore Paused until the phone cools down. This is normal and it carries on by itself.
On iPhone: go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any update.
On Samsung: go to Settings > Software update > Download and install.
On Pixel: go to Settings > System > System update.
Update your apps from the App Store or Google Play as well.

Why it helps: Background work after setup is temporary, and updates often fix bugs that make phones run hot.

08Get it checked if it keeps overheating or shutting downEasy

If the phone gets hot during light use, keeps showing warnings or turns itself off, stop relying on it until it's checked.
Back up your photos and data if the phone still works.
Contact Apple, Samsung or Google support, or visit an authorized repair shop, and describe when the heat happens.
If the phone was dropped or got wet before the overheating started, mention that, since damage inside can cause heat.

Why it helps: Overheating with light use usually points to a battery or hardware fault that needs a repair.

Check it's fixed

The phone feels only slightly warm or normal during everyday use.
No temperature warning or Charging On Hold message appears.
Charging speed and screen brightness are back to normal.

When to get help

If the battery looks swollen, there's a burning smell, or the phone gets very hot when you are barely using it, stop using it and take it to Apple, Samsung, Google or an authorized repair shop. Do not try to open or cool the battery yourself.

Questions

Is it normal for my phone to get warm?

Yes, some warmth during charging, gaming, video or navigation is normal. It is a problem if the phone shows a warning, shuts down, or gets hot when you are hardly using it.

Can I put my overheating phone in the fridge or freezer?

No. Very cold places are outside the range phones are designed for, and sudden cold can let moisture form inside. Turn it off and let it cool in a shaded, room-temperature spot.

Why does my iPhone say Charging On Hold?

The iPhone is too hot or too cold to charge safely. Charging starts again by itself once the phone returns to a normal temperature.

Can overheating damage my phone?

Repeated use in very hot conditions can permanently shorten battery life, according to Apple. The phone's warnings and shutdowns are there to stop more serious damage.

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How to fix a phone that's overheating