The summer heat is great for tans, swimming and margaritas, but it's not so good for your iPhone, Android or other smartphone as well as any other portable electronics. Overheating is a serious risk when it's hot outside and can permanently damage or destroy your tech. Luckily, there are some ways you can lower the risk and at least limit the likelihood of having to spend your sunscreen budget on a replacement phone or other electronics. Here are eight cool tips to keeping your phone or other gear...cool.
1. Don't put it in the sun. That may seem obvious, but it's an important point. Even when it's hot out, it's less hot in the shade. Even better is putting it in a bag that is also in the shade. It can really make a difference.
2. Take it out of the case if its in one. The case can act as a sort of insulation, retaining heat and not giving the phone a chance to radiate some of it off. Think of it like wearing a wool glove on your hand in the heat versus letting your hand out to cool off.
3. Turn off extra background features. Bluetooth, location services and Wi-Fi, even if they aren't in active use, will lead to your phone heating up a bit more. That bit can make a difference, so leave them off.
4. Even better is if you put it in airplane mode, which turns off all data and phone access. If you don't need or anticipate using them, this will help keep it cooler.
5. Best of all is if you turn it off entirely. If it's already started to feel a little warm, or if you're concerned enough about the heat damaging the phone, leaving it off is the best way to avoid overheating. It won't save the phone from really extreme situations, but it can make a difference by eliminating internal heat as a possible problem source.
6. Don't play games or use it for directions. Both games and navigation use a lot of processor power, and that means heat. It's a bad idea to tax the processor when it's hot out, so minimal intensity use is a good way to keep the phone cool.
7. Don't leave your electronics in a car. Even if out of the sun, cars can heat up fast, so when you park your car, take your electronics with you.
8. Don't charge your electronics if it's hot. Even when it's in airplane mode or off, the basic nature of battery charging heats up your phone. If it's already hot out, it can be quite dangerous so wait until you're somewhere cooler before plugging in.
Follow these tips and you and your phone will survive the summer just fine. And if you're more worried about your own overheating, be sure to check out the helpful app that will let you know how dangerous the current heat is. Stay cool out there!
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