Gah! No wonder my phone overheated yesterday – this expert says I did so much wrong

I don't know if you've noticed but it's really been hot. I have loved it (seriously, stop complaining, it's like being on holiday) but there is a sigh of relief I can hear floating over in the delightful breeze this morning. Anyway, one thing that hasn't enjoyed the heat is my poor phone. And it turns out I've been doing something very wrong this whole time.

Smartphone overheating can take the form of battery swelling, screen glitches and sudden shutdowns. Most modern phones can take a reasonable amount of heat, but are mostly only tested up to 35 degrees celsius. And my car has certainly been hotter than that over the last few days.

So to avoid you having to visit our best iPhone for photography guide to get a new phone, you'll want to take note of this stellar advice given to me by a certified tech expert.

• Never leave it in a parked car or on your pocket
• Avoid charging in hot or sunlit rooms
• Close background apps when not needed
• Use battery-saver mode during peak heat
• Remove phone cases to improve heat dissipation
• Keep it off hot surfaces like countertops or dashboards
• Pause usage if the phone feels warm to the touch

Did you know all of these?

I certainly haven't been removing my phone case, or putting it on battery saver. Or putting it in a cool place to charge. And my phone has overheated several times. I'm super glad to know it now as I'm off on holiday to even sunnier climates later in the week, and I'd rather my phone lasted the whole trip.

Thanks to OurPCB electronics manufacturing expert Hommer Zha for the tips.

Now go find out how to take brilliant smartphone photos.