Is your phone getting hot while charging? This is one of the most common problems users face, and if ignored, it can lead to slow charging, battery damage, or even permanent hardware issues. The good news is that overheating during charging can be fixed easily in most cases.
In this full guide, you’ll learn the causes of overheating, how to diagnose the issue, and the best solutions to cool your phone down and prevent it from overheating again.
Why Your Phone Gets Hot While Charging
A phone naturally warms up during charging, but it should never become too hot to hold. Here are the most common causes of charging overheating:
- Using the phone while charging (gaming, streaming, social media)
- Fast charging generating extra heat
- Fake or damaged charging cable/adapter
- Dirty or damaged charging port
- Background apps using CPU power
- Hot environment or charging under a pillow/bed
- Old battery losing efficiency
- Heavy apps running in the background
- Phone case trapping heat
Fix 1: Stop Using the Phone While Charging
This is the number one reason phones heat up. Gaming, watching videos, video calls, and social media all force the CPU and GPU to work harder while the battery is also charging. This creates extreme heat.
What to do:
- Leave the phone untouched while charging
- Close all apps before plugging it in
- Let it charge faster and cooler
Fix 2: Remove the Phone Case Before Charging
Many cases trap heat, especially thick or rubber cases. Removing the case allows the phone to release heat more efficiently.
Tip: If you feel the phone cooling down after removing the case, the case is the problem.
Fix 3: Use an Original or Certified Charger
A faulty charger can cause overheating. Cheap adapters sometimes output unstable voltage, which makes the phone heat up.
Use:
- Original charger
- Brand-certified charger
- A quality cable (cheap cables cause heat!)
Fix 4: Charge in a Cool, Open Space
Your phone needs proper airflow to stay cool. Avoid charging on beds, sofas, under pillows, or in cars under direct sun.
Best places to charge:
- Desk or table
- Cool flat surface
- Near airflow (but not in front of a fan directly)
Fix 5: Turn Off Mobile Data, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth While Charging
Network radios generate heat, especially mobile data on weak signal. Turning them off reduces overheating significantly.
- Turn off Bluetooth
- Turn off Wi-Fi if unnecessary
- Turn off Mobile Data if not needed
Fix 6: Close All Heavy Background Apps
Background apps cause high CPU usage, which creates heat during charging.
How to close them:
- Open Recent Apps
- Tap “Close All”
You can also check battery usage in Settings to find apps causing heating.
Fix 7: Turn Off Fast Charging
Fast charging increases battery temperature. Turning it off can make charging slower but much cooler.
How to turn off fast charging:
- Go to Settings → Battery
- Find Fast Charging or Super Fast Charging
- Turn it off
Fix 8: Clean the Charging Port
Dirt in the charging port can cause poor contact and heating. Use:
- A wooden toothpick
- A soft brush
Never use metal objects or liquid.
Fix 9: Check for Software Bugs or Updates
Bugs can cause CPU usage spikes, which heat the phone during charging.
Do this:
- Go to Settings → Software Update
- Install the latest update
- Update all apps from Google Play Store
Fix 10: Restrict Background Apps
Some apps run constantly even when not opened. Restrict these apps to reduce heat.
How:
- Go to Settings → Apps
- Select the app
- Tap Battery → Restrict Background Usage
Fix 11: Reset Battery Settings (Soft Reset)
A soft reset clears temporary system errors that may cause overheating.
Steps:
- Hold Power Button
- Tap Restart
Fix 12: Factory Reset (Last Resort)
If overheating continues even after everything, your software may be corrupted.
Warning: This erases everything.
- Go to Settings → General Management
- Tap Reset
- Select Factory Reset
Fix 13: Replace the Battery
If your phone is old and overheating heavily while charging, your battery may be worn out.
Signs your battery needs replacement:
- Phone heats up even with mild use
- Battery drains too fast
- Charging is slow and hot
- Battery percentage jumps
When Overheating Is Dangerous
You should stop charging immediately if:
- The phone becomes too hot to touch
- The phone shuts down on its own
- You smell burning or strange odors
- The phone swells or the screen bulges
This could indicate a serious battery issue.
Conclusion
Overheating while charging is usually caused by heavy usage, bad chargers, environmental heat, or background apps. By following the fixes in this guide, you can cool your phone down, extend battery life, and ensure safe charging.
If the problem continues after trying these solutions, it may be time to visit a technician or replace the battery.