Google Pixel Overheating

All electronic devices generate heat. This is a fact of science. But if they are hotter than normal, touching your phone is uncomfortable, or a thermal warning shows on screen, this could be cause for concern. With any luck, the fixes on this page will have your phone running cool as a cucumber.

Before undertaking any of the more time-consuming solutions below, these are a few fundamentals to give a go.

• Restart your phone. Force restart if necessary. Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds.
• It is normal for your device to be warmer than usual when restoring from a backup, updating the software, playing a game, or charging.
• If you're charging, remove it from the charger, particularly if you are charging wirelessly. Wireless charging is less efficient and therefore generates more heat as a byproduct.
• Close high power consumption apps like GPS, games, or cloud sync services.
• Update your software (when it's cooler). To check for updates, go to Settings > System > System Update.
• Move to a cooler environment. It may just be that a high ambient temperature is forcing a hotter internal temperature. Turn the device off and wait for it to cool.

Has your phone been exposed to extreme heat? Left in the car while you ran into the gas station? Direct sun will significantly heat your phone, especially when compounded with heavy use.

• Place the device somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight, turn down the screen brightness, and let it cool in the shade.
• For faster results, turn off the Pixel altogether while it cools down.

Phones are devices with very little headroom to dissipate the heat they generate. A computer, likely has at least a single fan to move air around inside. Pixels don’t have room for this sort of cooling and must relieve thermal buildup passively.

• Remove your case, especially if it is one that envelopes the entire phone. It could be trapping heat in.
• Open your phone to check for dust build-up on the internals. Use compressed air, or a cotton swab with isopropyl alcohol to remove it.
  • The chances of this causing overheating are slim, but if you spend a significant amount of time in dusty environments, it is worth exploring.

Switching between several apps increases the phone’s temperature as the phone has to work that much harder.

• Close unused apps. Prioritize streaming video, games, GPS or anything power hungry.
• You can close out all running apps by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and tapping "clear all." It’s a good idea to close out all apps now and then to optimize your experience using the phone.

Recently installed third-party apps may cause overheating. Boot into Safe Mode to check if your phone is still overheating and uninstall the app at fault while you’re there.

• To boot into Safe Mode, press the power button. After a few seconds hold the phone's volume down button. Continue to hold it down until you see Safe mode on the screen.
• To uninstall an app, navigate to the Google Play Store app > Profile icon on the top right > Manage apps & devices > Manage. Once there, find and tap on the app you think is causing the issue. You will want to tap Uninstall to remove it.
• Once you’re done, exit Safe Mode by holding down the power button for 30 seconds or more. Some Pixels require you to tap Restart.

Batteries are one of the major sources of heat in a phone due to the constant energy exchange within them. If your battery is failing, or at the end of its life, it may generate more heat than normal.

• Search for signs of battery swelling. Is there localized screen discoloration on the left side (or right side for series 12 and 13 iPhones). Is the screen lifting along one side?
• Replace the battery if there are any indications of failure. Exercise caution when handling the battery—lithium-ion batteries can be hazardous if they are damaged.

It's possible that a tiny capacitor or thermal sensor on the board is busted and is causing a short circuit. If the phone is overheating while just being turned on, or if the phone is reporting extreme temperatures but isn't warm to the touch, this is likely your issue. Unfortunately, replacing the motherboard or daughterboard will not be a sure fix, but you can try this if you have the means. Otherwise, we'd recommend taking your phone to an independent repair shop, as they may be able to pinpoint the location of the short circuit and perform a board-level repair.

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Check out this iFixit Answers forum post about a community member’s battery repair