How to cool your phone in the summer heat

Record-breaking heat is dangerous not only for people but also for smartphones because they quickly overheat and shut down. To prevent damage to the battery and internal components, it is advisable to activate the "cool" mode on your device in advance.

CNET shares some tips for the summer.

How can you protect your phone in the heat?

Apple warns that at 95 °F (ca. 35 °C), the device can activate protection and slow down. Common causes of overheating include direct sunlight, leaving a smartphone in a hot car, using navigation or other resource-intensive apps in the heat, charging under high load, an incorrect power supply, software malfunctions, and malware.

If the internal sensor detects excessive heat, your phone may shut down or reduce its performance. It may also slow or stop charging, weaken the mobile signal, or turn off the camera flash. Overheating can damage the battery, SIM card, and other sensitive components.

To prevent your device from overheating:

• Keep your smartphone in the shade — in your pocket, backpack, or under a towel — especially on the beach or in a parked car.
• Do not leave your smartphone in a locked car. At 100 °F (ca. 38 °C) outside, the interior can reach 148 °F (ca. 64 °C) in an hour.
• Stick to the range of 32 °F to 95 °F (0 °C to 35 °C) for normal operation. Store it between -4 °F to 113 °F (-20 °C and +45 °C).
• Do not put your phone in the freezer because a sudden temperature drop can damage electronics.

In addition, avoid playing "heavy" games or streaming video while charging, and only use original or certified chargers. Cheap counterparts can overheat the battery. Install all system and software updates, as these patches usually fix bugs that cause overheating.

While you may not be able to completely avoid the heat, following these simple rules will help keep your smartphone cool and efficient, extending its life for several seasons to come.

It is extremely dangerous to use corded phones indoors during a thunderstorm because lightning can travel through the phone line. Cell phones are less risky indoors, but you should stop talking on the phone outside to avoid acting as a lightning rod.

As we wrote earlier, if the sound during calls has become quieter or wheezing, moisture or dust may have gotten into the smartphone speaker. A free app that cleans the speaker with a special sound signal in just a few minutes can fix this issue.