Around this time of year, with the holidays and busy end-of-the-year events coming up, it’s important to keep your phone charged as long as possible.
There are all sorts of things that can result in a low battery, including your smartphone overheating, which often happens due to it being used too often or other irresponsible habits. You might not realize that your charging habits can actually cause your phone to overheat, and it can happen even in the dead of winter. We spoke with tech experts to reveal two smartphone charging mistakes that could cause your device to overheat during this chilly time of year. Read more about them below.
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1. Charging Under Blankets
Have you ever gotten home after a day in the cold or a rainy commute, wanted to get on your smartphone to do some scrolling, all while cozied up under a blanket? Have you ever done that while your phone is plugged in? Although it sounds relaxing, this can be considered a charging mistake.
"Overheating from charging in the winter is most commonly caused by people trying to stay warm and cozy," explains Steven Athwal, tech expert and owner of The Big Phone Store. "People are often snuggled up under blankets, keeping their phone on charge under the pillow, the blanket, or on a cosy spot on the sofa. The thing is, when a phone charges, it generates heat. These warm, cozy environments create a heat pocket for the phone, essentially trapping the heat so it can't dissipate. If the heat is trapped, the phone's temperature will rise, and the battery will become stressed."
2. Using Cases That Are Too Thick or Too Tight
Around this time of year, people get more and more concerned about keeping their phones safe in case they drop onto ice or in a pile of snow. As the weather gets more brutal, the risk of dropping your phone or having some kind of mishap often gets bigger. However, trying to protect your phone with a case that's too tight, thick, or made of a heat-trapping material while charging is another example of a charging mistake.
"An equal mistake is leaving a thick case on the device, specifically dense rubber or bulky wallet-style cases designed to absorb and hold heat from accidental drops," says technology officer Paul DeMott. "A tightly fitting, sealed case is the perfect thermal insulator. It's as if your phone is wrapped in a small oven. So, regardless of how cold the air is where you are located, there is no way for the heat to be released from the phone due to the thermal mass of the rubber case."
