IT’S not just us feeling the heat this weekend – but our phones are too.
As the mercury skyrockets to highs of 32C and many flocking to parks and beaches, your iPhone will be exposed to the elements too.
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An amber heat health alert has been issued for six regions across England, that will remain in place until Monday.
This includes The West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, South West, London, and East of England.
The UK Health Security Agency-issued warning means there’s an increase in risk to health for people aged over 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
But that’s not the only warning to watch out for.
As well as themselves, Brits need to take special care of their expensive gadgets.
Overheating can cause your smartphone to temporarily shut down – and can also damage your battery.
Here are seven ways to protect your smartphone – be it an iPhone or Android handset – in hot weather.
1. Keep it out of direct sunlight
Make sure to keep your iPhone cool by keeping it out of direct sunlight on hotter days.
It may sound obvious, but using your device while it’s soaking up extra heat from the sun can cause significant damage.
Letting your iPhone get too toasty could trigger a worrying pop-up that shuts your phone down.
Even Apple has warned that letting your iPhone temperature rise too high could “permanently shorten battery life”.
“Low – or high-temperature conditions might cause the device to change its behaviour,” Apple explains.
High temperatures can mess up your battery life for good.
“Using an iOS or iPadOS device in very hot conditions can permanently shorten battery life,” an Apple support post reads.
2. Remove the case
Another way to help your iPhone cool down is to remove any case you move have slapped on.
While they’re a useful way to protect your device from scratches and drops, they also act as an insulating layer that can trap heat.
This is particularly true if you use a leather or rubber case, which are excellent insulators.
It may be worth weighing up whether – on hotter days – your case is doing more damage than good.
3. Turn off your phone
If your phone is getting too hot, switching it off is a good way to ensure it doesn’t sustain any long-term damage.
This is a good way to shut down the processor, battery and any other parts that can get especially toasty.
Of course, this leaves you unable to use your phone, so is not a permanent solution and should only be used in emergencies.
Alternatively, you can just stop using your phone for five minutes to give it a chance to cool down.
4. Change your settings
Changing your phone’s settings is another way to help it to keep cool on scorching days.
For instance, turning your screen’s brightness down uses less of your phone’s battery and so causes it to heat up less.
If your phone automatically turns brightness to max when you’re outside, consider turning this off.
Also by turning your data off, you’re saving battery which is also closely linked to phone temperature.
Turning your phone onto low-power mode can also help fix the issue.
5. Don’t push your phone to the limit
Avoid using power-hungry apps for long periods of time.
This is particularly important for gamers, because graphics-intensive game apps can cause a phone’s processor to heat up very quickly.
Certain features, such as GPS and gaming, can also cause problems when used in hot conditions or direct sunlight for an extended period of time.
6. Don’t leave your phone in your pocket
Don’t put your iPhone in confined places, like under bed covers or in your pocket.
Your trousers or shorts can act as an insulating layer that traps heat around your device.
This is particularly true if you’re wearing something tight, such as skinny-fit jeans, that holds onto air more effectively.
7. Leave it somewhere cool
If none of the above work, you can always try storing your phone somewhere cool.
This might be under an electric fan or even in one of the cupboards in your kitchen.
It is not recommended that you store your phone in the fridge or freezer, however, as this can damage it.
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