How to protect your mobile phone and other devices in hot weather | Technical News

There has already been talk of the first heatwave of summer due to the ‘African cloud’ and hints that we may soon be basking in the sun.

But of course, a heatwave comes with its own set of problems – as well as keeping yourself, your pets and your car cool, it can also affect other possessions – like your mobile phone, tablet and laptop.

With that in mind, how can the heat affect your devices – and how can you protect them in warmer temperatures?

How can you tell if a device is too hot?

If you think your laptop, phone, or tablet isn’t doing well in the hot weather, look out for the following signs:

overheating

If your device is feeling hot, it is probably overheating, which can be a big problem because when devices get too hot, the heat can damage the internal components of the device

battery life

Your smartphone or laptop battery life may drain faster if the device gets too hot – which can be a problem in very hot weather.

This is due to the extra effort required for the device to operate, which has a negative impact on battery life.

Performance problems

If your laptop is too hot, you’ll find it runs slower than usual, or applications shut down or crash unexpectedly while the device tries to prevent internal damage. Accessories like your mouse may also stop working.

Extreme heat can also degrade a smartphone’s performance, and overheating can lead to data loss — and permanently degrading the phone’s performance if it’s constantly overheating.

screen damage

Hot weather can also damage your smartphone as the heat can crack the screen.

Uncommon noises

If your laptop is making a loud whirring noise that you’ve never heard before, it’s likely that it’s overheating – which can be caused by hot weather as well as other factors like running too many applications at once.

How to keep your devices cool in hot weather

If you notice that your cell phone, tablet or laptop is hotter than usual, you can take steps to cool it down and prevent damage.

Denise Timmis, Cell Phone Recycler Expert Vicinity tells metro.co.uk: “When your phone is overheating, it’s important to take the right precautions.” Stop using your device and let it cool down.

“There are a number of precautions you can take to prevent your device from overheating, such as turning it off when not in use, removing the case, and keeping it out of direct sunlight in the shade.”

You might also consider dimming your phone, tablet, or laptop screen – a hot screen can mean your device’s CPU is overheating, so adjust the brightness.

Make sure you have the right charger – preferably one from a reputable manufacturer – to prevent overheating and don’t use your phone while it’s charging as this can make it even hotter.

With a laptop, make sure you use it on a surface like a table or desk and not on a soft surface like a bed or sofa. The latter entails the risk of the fan on the underside being blocked, which means that the air can flow into the device – and this can lead to overheating.

If all else fails, turn off the device and let it cool down – but if the problem persists, you may need to have it repaired – or, if it’s beyond repair, consider sending it to a recycling company like Envirofone sell to prevent this from becoming a landfill.

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