Experts warn of increasing smartphone damage risks in heatwaves and how to protect devices

As temperatures soar, experts highlight the dangers of overheating smartphones and offer practical advice to prevent permanent damage, emphasising the importance of cooling methods and proper device care during extreme heat conditions.

Hot weather can do more than make people uncomfortable. It can also push smartphones, tablets and laptops beyond their normal operating range. According to stern, heat makes it harder for devices to shed the warmth they generate themselves, which can strain batteries and, in extreme cases, cause permanent failure.

The simplest protection is to keep a phone out of direct sunlight. Dark cases can make the problem worse by absorbing more heat, while a cover can still be useful for shielding the device from sand and dust. Stern also warned against leaving a handset in a car, where temperatures can rise very quickly, especially behind a windscreen. If the phone must be carried into intense heat, switching it off is often the safest option because it stops the device from producing extra warmth.

Specialist advice collected by other technology sites adds several practical steps. Reducing screen brightness, closing power-hungry apps, disabling Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and location services when they are not needed and avoiding gaming or video streaming in hot conditions can all ease the load on the processor and battery. Charging should also be avoided in a hot environment, and it can help to remove the case if the phone feels warm.

If a device has already overheated, experts say it should cool down gradually rather than being placed in a fridge or another very cold space. A sudden temperature change can lead to condensation inside the handset, which may cause further damage. In other words, the best response is patience: switch the phone off, move it to a cooler place and let it recover slowly.