What Are the Most Common Causes of Mobile Phone Overheating?

  • 2024-10-27

Mobile phones getting overheated is a quite common occurrence these days and it can cause permanent damage to the internal components of your mobile phone. All phones can and will heat up on several occasions but when your phone overheats so much that it becomes difficult to hold it properly or it starts acting weirdly, then it can become problematic.

A mobile phone can get overheated because of several reasons including overuse, a strained battery, increased temperature of the external surroundings, and an overworked CPU/GPU. Below we have discussed some of the most common reasons why mobile phones get overheated so that you can take action to prevent it from happening.

Direct Heat Exposure

One of the most common reasons why many mobile phones overheat is because of excess direct heat and in most instances, that direct heat is in the form of sunlight. Direct sunlight can cause your phone to overheat in no time. Even if you leave your phone in direct sunlight for a brief period, it will drain your battery and slow down the performance of your phone.

And if the contact with direct sunlight is prolonged, then it might even permanently damage the internal components of your phone. So avoid placing your phone in direct sunlight or any other source of direct heat.

CPU Overload

The second most common reason why most phones overheat is that their CPU or processor is overloaded. When your phone’s CPU is overloaded, it heats up and in turn heats up the other components nearby, ultimately, heating the entire phone from the inside. Since the CPU is used to run all sorts of apps and processes on a mobile phone, if you are performing more tasks than your CPU can handle, then it will overheat your phone in no time.

Running Multiple Apps at Once

As mentioned, when you try to perform more tasks or processes than your phone’s CPU can handle or open too many apps on your phone then it can lead to the phone overheating in no time. When multiple apps and processes are running simultaneously, even in the background, then it can consume CPU and memory resources in no time. A simple solution to this is to avoid opening too many apps on your phone at a time and close the ones that you aren’t using.

Power-Intensive Apps

Sometimes, you might be running one or two apps and these can cause your phone to overheat. The reason behind this is that even one high-intensity app that requires a lot of system resources can be enough to overheat your phone. The common apps that fall into the power-intensive apps category are mobile games, graphics-heavy apps, and apps that contain features like augmented reality (AR), as these can drain system resources in no time.

Instead of playing graphics-heavy games on your phone, you should prefer playing simple games like Solitaire that are lightweight, fun, and don't overheat your phone. You can get it on Google Play.

Faulty Battery or Charging Cable

A faulty battery or charging cable can very well cause your phone to overheat and damage the internal components of your phone. While charging, it is normal for a phone to warm up a bit but if it gets excessively hot while charging, then the problem might be with the battery of the mobile phone or the charger of the smartphone. To prevent overheating due to a faulty battery or charger, use only manufacturer-approved charging adapters and cables.

Virus or Malware Infection

Apart from the aforementioned reasons, a common and potent reason that is dangerous for your entire phone is malware or viruses. When your phone is infected with a virus or malware, then it can overheat in no time and you might also see a deterioration in the performance of the phone. Malware and viruses are usually in the form of mobile apps that take over the system’s resources.

It is advisable that you always download mobile apps from official app stores like Google Play Store and Apple App Store and from the official website of the Vivo V Appstore. 

Long Gaming Sessions

Excessively long gaming sessions can also heat up your mobile phone because long gaming sessions put a strain on both the CPU and GPU of the mobile phone. Occasional gaming sessions won’t hurt your device or overheat it but several hours-long gaming sessions will definitely heat up your phone, especially if you are playing graphically demanding games.