As the summer sun heats up, so do our devices. Smartphones are particularly prone to overheating, which can lead to performance issues, battery drain, and even long-term damage. 

Whether you're relaxing on a beach or working outside, use these tips to help you avoid overheating your iPhone or Android phone this summer

1. Avoid Direct Sunlight
Your phone’s internal temperature can rise quickly when exposed to direct sunlight. Keep your device in the shade whenever possible. If you’re outside, use a bag, or pocket, or cover it with a cloth to protect it from the sun’s rays. 

2. Avoid charging and using demanding apps at the same time
Heat doesn't just come from the outside environment.
Your phone's processor has to work a lot harder when you do something like play graphics-intensive games, which can generate more heat than usual from within your device.

And playing these games can also drain your battery quickly, so it's natural to want to plug into power.

However, this combination of high processing and charging increases the heat generation even more, leading to overheating.

3. Lower Screen Brightness
A bright screen is a major heat source. Reduce your screen brightness to the lowest comfortable level. Using automatic brightness settings can help your phone adjust based on ambient light, conserving energy and reducing heat.

4. Get a thermal phone pouch
If you can't avoid the heat and often find yourself waiting for the phone to cool, consider buying an inexpensive thermal phone pouch to store it in. Using materials designed to protect astronauts from temperature extremes, a pouch will reflect direct sunlight and heat away from the phone. Thermal pouches also work at the other end of the spectrum, protecting your phone from cold weather such as when you're skiing.

5. Remove the Case
Phone cases, especially bulky ones, can trap heat. If you notice your phone getting hot, remove the case to allow better airflow. Consider using a case with good ventilation or cooling properties during the summer months. 

6. Limit Intensive Activities
Streaming videos, gaming, and video calling are intensive activities that can heat up your phone. Try to limit these activities during the hottest parts of the day, or take breaks to let your phone cool down. 

7. Use Airplane Mode
If you’re not expecting calls or using data, switch your phone to airplane mode. This reduces the strain on your phone’s processor and helps it stay cooler.

8. Avoid Quick Charging
Fast charging generates more heat compared to standard charging. Whenever possible, use a regular charger and avoid charging your phone in direct sunlight or hot environments.

9.Update the phone's operating system
It sounds like the worst sort of overly general advice: Make sure your device's software is up to date. And yet it's usually good advice, especially in this case. 

For example, a bug in iOS 17, plus a problem with apps including Instagram and Uber, caused many iPhone 15 Pro phones to overheat. Apple soon released iOS 17.0.3 to fix the problem. (The current version is iOS 17.5, which adds new features as well as bug and security fixes.)

Note that it's normal for a phone to warm up during and after a system update as the software optimizes data in the background. However, this is a temporary temperature elevation.

10. Pause after recording video
Video recording is resource-intensive, capturing and storing multiple megabytes of data per second and usually processing that footage at the same time. Even expensive mirrorless cameras capable of shooting high-quality video hit thermal ceilings (or have add-on fans to dissipate the heat). 

If you're recording lengthy clips, you may need to pause for a few minutes between them to allow the phone to cool down.

Keeping your phone cool during the summer is crucial for maintaining its performance and longevity. By following these tips, you can prevent overheating and ensure your device remains in top condition throughout the hottest months of the year. Stay cool and keep your phone cooler!