Smartphones face overheating risks; settings tweaks and charger recall advised

Temperatures above 35 °C can permanently damage lithium‑ion batteries in smartphones and, in extreme cases, cause fires. Experts warn that charging phones on soft surfaces such as beds or cushions, or in hot environments like cars or windowsills, greatly increases this risk. They recommend charging on cool, hard, flat surfaces, disabling fast‑charging modes, activating standby for unused apps, using optimized performance settings, enabling dark mode, lowering the display refresh rate to 60 Hz, and reducing camera recording quality to Full‑HD at 30 fps. Removing the case during the hottest periods also helps dissipate heat.

In the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall of about 1,400 Flaunt MagSafe battery packs after five reports of overheating and two minor burn injuries. Affected users can obtain a €60 refund or a €75 voucher, and must dispose of the units as hazardous waste. Meanwhile, a German guide details how Samsung phone owners can adjust similar settings to protect battery health during the current heat wave, which has seen temperatures reach up to 36 °C across Europe.