How To: 8 Ways to Cool Down & Prevent Your Samsung Galaxy S5 from Overheating

It's one hell of a device, but the Samsung Galaxy S5 is still susceptible to the many hazards that other smartphones are prone to: theft, cracked screens, poor battery life, and particularly, overheating.

If your Galaxy S5 is burning a hole in your pocket—and it's not from your overpriced data plan—then check out a few of my tips below that could help cool that sucker down.

Tip #1: Don't Leave It in Your Car (Or Any Other Hot Places)

Surrounding temperatures play a big role in overheating a smartphone. Temperatures inside of a car can inflate to 20° higher than the outside temperature when it's hot, turning a beautiful 80°F day into a sweltering 100°F hellhole, so don't leave it in there. Not even in the glovebox.

Also don't leave your S5 on a countertop with direct sunlight, or anywhere else where temperatures might rise above normal. This can lead to overheating, which can affect the chemistry of your battery, even causing it swell up and stop working—it could even explode.

Tip #2: Cut Down on Videos & Internet Browsing

Video streaming and internet browsing use lots of data processing power, which equates to more work for your processor. While these functions are staples of smartphone usage, abusing them can lead to overheating, so cut down on your videos and web surfing (if you're doing it a lot) and you'll be all good.

Tip #3: Don't Play Huge HD Games While Charging

Playing high definition, immensely sized games like Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour or Blood & Glory already consume a hell of a lot of battery life and work the processor harder than usual. So why play these games when you're charging your S5?

Instead, just leave your phone alone when it's charging. Don't play games, don't watch videos, don't surf the web. Just let that baby charge.

Tip #4: Take Off Phone Cover When Charging

Another tip when it comes to charging is to take off your phone cover. Some cases trap heat far more than others, so removing your case could give your phone time to cool off—especially when charging.

Tip #5: Don't Use Your Old SD Card

When you switch smartphones, your old SD card may come along for the ride. Unfortunately, SD cards carry a lot of baggage with them—whether it be pictures, videos, documents, or other files.

Filled up, worn out, or corrupted SD cards could cause your S5 to work harder than usual, trying to process a bunch of crap. Instead of using an old SD card, invest in a new one, or format your old one.

Tip #6: Turn Off Unnecessary Features

Do you really need mobile data, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, Multi-Window, and all other features on all of the time? No, you don't. Use these features only when needed.

Turn off GPS when you don't need your location. Keep Bluetooth off when you're not connected to other devices. And if you're not multitasking, disable the damn Multi-Window feature!

Tip #7: Use the Correct Cable/Charger/Socket

Input voltage, current consumption, tip size, and tip polarity all vary from smartphone to smartphone, so it's good to use the correct charger for your S5. When it comes to the cable, use the new "superspeed" 3.0 USB that comes packaged with it. As for the AC adapter, the 5.3V works best.

In addition, be weary of any electric sockets or extensions that might have varying voltage—especially if you're overseas. Stick to ones that automatically manage that.

Tip #8: Monitor Display Light

Constant brightness of the display can cause additional heat, especially if it's high. Use Samsung's built-in Auto adjust screen tone feature to adjust the brightness based on on-screen content.

You can also use third-party applications like Lux Auto Brightness, which will automatically adjust the display brightness based on your environment.

If all else fails, manually adjust the brightness when needed. Just make sure not to keep the brightness cranked all the way up, all day long.

Other Helpful Tips

• Close out background applications. You really don't need them all running, all the time.
• Monitor malicious applications. Some of them might be eating your CPU, so monitor them with something like Watchdog Task Manager Lite.
• Update applications often. New versions often fix bugs, like data leaks, which could cause issues such as overheating.
• Keep your S5 well ventilated. If it's overheating in your pocket, take it out and let it breathe.
• Reboot your S5 every once in a while. Keeping it on all of the damn time is never a good thing.

You may think these tips will limit your new flagship in ways that it shouldn't be limited, and you'd be right. But remember, overheating shouldn't be a constant concern—if it is, you might consider exchanging your device for a new one.

These tips are to help you in a jam, and to keep your pockets cool, so they're great to use in a pinch when needed.