There could be many other reasons why your phone is overheating. It could be that you’re using it beyond its capacity, it has gotten old or has a worn-out battery. However, the most ignored cause of an overheating phone is it being infected with malware. Viruses like crypto-jackers can hog your phone’s resources without you knowing. Therefore, it’s important to protect your device from such threats with a reliable antivirus. I suggest Norton 360 because it detects the stealthiest of viruses without a problem. You can try Norton risk-free with its 60-day money-back guarantee. Remove malware with Norton 360
How to Tell if Your Phone is Too Hot
Phones normally get a bit warm after you’ve used them for intensive activities, such as gaming or using a resource-heavy app. However, they can get warm even when you’ve made a phone call. That’s because phones’ electrical components tend to heat up when used, but internal thermal regulation prevents them from overheating. Similarly, a PC may become noticeably hot too when used for intensive tasks. However, it has fans to cool it down. Phones are too small to have fans, so their electrical circuits are coated with a special coating and make use of passive cooling with a heatsink to diffuse heat and prevent the device from overheating. A warm phone is generally not a cause for concern. But if it gets uncomfortably hot that you can’t hold it for long and it displays a temperature warning, there may be an underlying issue you need to address.
Quick Guide: 3 Quick Fixes for an Overheating Phone
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5 Reasons Why Your Phone is Hot
Reason 1: Environment is Too Hot
One of the most common reasons why a phone heats up is that it has been sitting in a hot environment, like a car or under direct sunlight. Such overheating can significantly damage your phone’s internal components and circuitry, so you must be careful not to expose it in hot environments. A simple fix is to take your phone out of the heat and/or sunlight and place it somewhere cool so that it can get back down to a safe temperature. It’s best to try and keep from repeatedly exposing your phone to these conditions as it can worsen the issue and degrade the components over time.
Reason 2: Usage of Demanding Software
Another major reason for a phone becoming too hot could be that it’s using too much processing power. This usually happens when you run a resource-heavy game or app on your phone for prolonged periods of time, but there could be other reasons why your phone is heating up.
You might have too many apps running in the background Your screen brightness is set at maximum for too long Your phone is connected to a Bluetooth device or WiFi for too long You’ve been recording videos or taking too many pictures with your phone’s camera
Every phone is different — some might heat up more than others due to optimization issues. However, you can cool it down by not using it and keeping it away from warm environments. Before jumping to further steps, simply try and take a break from using intensive software and see if that corrects the issue.
Reason 3: Faulty or Aging Hardware
The older your phone gets, the likelier it is to heat up during use. Over time, its thermal paste wears off and its cooling capacity reduces. If so, you should consider changing your phone or at least purchasing a new battery from an official store. Plus, newer software versions of your phone’s operating system and apps are optimized for the latest phones. If you’re using an old phone, it would need more processing power to run its OS and apps, producing more heat than a more recent phone. It can be frustrating to have to upgrade to new hardware, but it is worth considering if your phone is more than a couple of years old. If you find that your phone’s battery health has degraded severely, changing that out is a great first step that could breathe new life into an older device.
Reason 4: Improper Charging
Damaged batteries are the most common culprits of an overheating phone. A phone’s battery weakens over time, causing the phone to overheat doing everyday tasks. Many phone users don’t take good care of their phone battery. They leave their phone to charge overnight, which is not a good habit. Research shows that you should always keep your phone’s battery percentage between 20 and 80% to maximize its longevity. Another thing you should check is your charger. Some chargers relay more power to the phone than recommended, heating its battery in the process. Over time, your phone’s battery may deteriorate and heat up easily with normal use. You should always use your phone’s official charger to charge your phone. If your phone is overheating while charging then it is best to swap out the charger and/or charging block you are using for an official one.
Reason 5: Malware
Lastly, your phone may be overheating because it’s infected with malware. A virus can significantly consume your phone’s processing power, especially a particular form of malware called crypto-jackers. Cryptojacking virus steals your phone’s processing resources to mine cryptocurrency, which requires a lot of system resources. To keep your phone protected against hackers and malware at all times, you should use a reliable antivirus compatible with your phone. The below list has great options for both iOS and Android users. However, iOS users who want a more tailored list of options for iPhones can find a list of several iOS-focused antiviruses that I hand-picked here.
The Best Antivirus Software to Prevent Phone Overheating — Full Test Results in January 2023
1. Norton — Protects Your Phone From 100% Of Real-Time Malware
Key Features: Norton is my everyday antivirus for my phone and PC because it provides impeccable protection against viruses. Throughout my tests, it detected 100% of viruses in real-time and even blocked me from visiting dangerous website URLs in scam emails. I initially thought that installing an antivirus on my Android phone and iPhone would slow them down (especially my relatively outdated Android phone). However, I was pleasantly surprised that Norton had no noticeable impact on my phones, even while running a scan. The scan results on my Android showed me that Adobe Acrobat was using too much of my battery and removed an unused root certificate, which could’ve become a security issue for me. I fixed these issues from within the app in a few clicks. Had Norton not detected them, I would never have known about these optimization problems. Norton 360 has phone apps for Android and iOS. They mostly share the same features, but the Android app additionally hosts App Advisor, which actively protects your phone from malware, ransomware, adware, and crypto-jackers. I especially liked its “Device Report Card,” which provides a 30-day analysis of previously scanned WiFi networks, device vulnerabilities, and risky apps and websites. You can choose Norton’s “all-in-one” plans, of which I recommend Deluxe. It protects up to 5 devices (PCs, Macs, tablets, or smartphones). However, if you just want an antivirus for your phone, you can try its Mobile Security for Android or Mobile Security for iOS plans. Their major features include:
Malware protection and anti-malware blocker Intrusive adware detection Anti-theft and remote location detection feature Call and text blocker Safe browsing and anti-phishing web protection Privacy Advisor
No matter which plan you go for, you can try Norton 360 out risk-free with its 60-day money-back guarantee. If you aren’t satisfied, you can claim a full refund. I initiated my refund request and got my money back in 5 days. Remove malware with Norton 360
2. McAfee — Exceptional Malware-Detection Capabilities on Android and iOS
Key Features: McAfee is an outstanding antivirus whose performance is almost at par with Norton’s. After extensive testing, I found that it detected and blocked 99.96% of all viruses I threw its way, including crypto-jacking malware that eats up your phone’s resources. I noticed that my Android phone got slightly sluggish when I ran McAfee’s scan. On my iPhone, however, the impact on performance was barely noticeable. Overall, if you have a very old phone (especially an Android phone), McAfee might slow it down substantially. The Identity Monitoring feature on McAfee’s mobile apps is a blessing. It monitors your personal data, such as email accounts and SSNs, and informs you if it has been involved in any data breach. This gave me peace of mind that my sensitive data was well-protected at all times. I wasn’t happy to learn that McAfee’s mobile apps lack optimization tools, unlike many other antivirus mobile apps I’ve used in the past. I was at least hoping to find the App Booster feature from its PC app. Despite that, having an unlimited VPN was a great bonus because it let me anonymize myself when I was connected to public WiFi while traveling. While McAfee’s mobile plans won’t boost your phone’s performance, they’ll definitely keep viruses at bay. Its Mobile Security for Android & iPhone plan works on both iOS and Android, and you can download the native app from each platform’s app store. The plan’s major features include:
Virus scanner Identity monitoring for up to 10 emails Secure VPN WiFi scanner and protection Safe browsing System scanner for latest updates (iOS only)
You can try McAfee out without risk using its 30-day free trial. If you need more time to evaluate it, you can use its 30-day money-back guarantee to see if works for you. Remove malware with McAfee
3. TotalAV — User-Friendly Mobile Apps with Plenty of Security Features
Key Features: TotalAV is a good choice for budget-conscious users because it provides excellent virus protection at affordable rates. Although it lacks the perfect or near-perfect real-time detection scores of the other 2 antiviruses, TotalAV still detects viruses in real-time with 99.2% accuracy — which is more than the industry average of 97%. Installing TotalAV’s mobile apps on my iPhone and Android phone didn’t affect their performance. Even while running a full scan on each device, I didn’t notice any lag on either phone. However, my relatively old Android phone jittered a little as I streamed YouTube while the scan was running. Its Android app includes more security features than the iOS app. For instance, it lacks real-time protection because iOS has much better in-built security than Android. Still, you can use its WebShield (browser extension) on both apps to protect yourself from malicious websites. What the iOS app has that the Android app doesn’t is dark web monitoring, which you can find if your email address has been involved in a data breach in the past. In contrast, the Android app additionally includes a real-time scanner that checks app downloads each time you access them and memory optimization, which cleans up junk files on your phone to make it faster. I used this feature and it did make a significant dent in improving my phone’s performance. Overall, TotalAV is a decent and affordable option for PC and phone security. It performed reasonably well throughout my tests, but it doesn’t come with many optimization tools on its mobile apps like Norton does. Its mobile security plan for Android and iOS includes the following features:
Virus scanner Real-time protection (Android only) WebShield browser extension Anti-phishing protection VPN Dark web monitoring (iOS only)
You can try TotalAV out risk-free for 30 days with its money-back guarantee and claim a full refund if you’re unsatisfied. Remove malware with TotalAV
Quick Comparison Table: 2023’s Best AVs for Preventing Phone Overheating
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How I Tested and Ranked the Best AVs for Preventing Phone Overheating
I considered the following aspects while testing and picking out the minimally resource-intensive antiviruses that provide the best protection against threats.
Virus detection capabilities — I picked out antiviruses that had above-average real-time detection scores in my tests. Compatibility — I chose antiviruses that were compatible with iOS and Android, having easy-to-use and feature-rich apps. Resource-intensiveness — The antiviruses on my list are light on your phone and don’t eat up its resources. Optimization tools — I tried finding antiviruses that offer optimization tools to boost your phone’s performance via better resource allocation. Money-back guarantee — I went for antiviruses that let you try them risk-free with either a free trial or a money-back guarantee.
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3 Easy Steps to Remove Malware from Your Phone
Is it bad if your phone gets hot?
Yes, it can damage your phone’s internal components and shorten its lifespan. However, it’s perfectly normal for your phone to warm up a little while you’re using it. It’s only when it gets uncomfortably hot that it’s a cause for concern. A phone can get hot for plenty of reasons — it could’ve gotten old, its battery might have deteriorated, it could’ve been under direct sunlight for hours, and more.
How do you stop your phone from overheating?
Your phone could be hot for several reasons. The way to stop a phone from overheating depends on why it is doing so. You could try using it in a cooler place to see if the issue persists. If it does, there may be something wrong with the battery, so try replacing it with a new official battery. Your phone could also be infected with malware eating up your device’s resources. In that case, you’ll need a reliable antivirus to get rid of viruses and optimize your phone’s resources. Remove malware with Norton 360
Prevent Your Phone From Overheating
The best way to prevent your phone from overheating is to adopt good usage practices. Don’t leave your phone to charge overnight because it’ll damage the battery over time. Keep the battery percentage between 20 and 80%. Doing this will prolong your smartphone’s battery life. However, your phone would inevitably start heating up if it’s too old to run the latest OS and app versions, and you’re pushing it past its processing capacity. Alternatively, it could also overheat if you’ve kept it too long under the sun or in a hot environment. Lastly, your phone might be infected with malware like crypto-jackers, which silently eat up your phone’s resources to mine cryptocurrency for someone else. In that case, you should use a capable and premium antivirus to protect yourself from threats. I suggest you try out Norton 360 risk-free with its 60-day money-back guarantee.
