How to protect your gadgets from hot weather

Don't leave gadgets in your car

Much like dogs, you should never leave your devices in a closed car during summer. The oven-like environment can heat up your phone extremely quickly, making it sluggish and more likely to die in the middle of a long trip.

If you need to leave your phone in the car, ensure that it’s safely stored in a well-shaded area to keep it cool and running smoothly.

Keep your devices in the shade

The heat that comes from direct sunlight can seriously damage laptops and other devices. If you have a laptop, think about purchasing a glare screen or a hood to keep the heat to a minimum.

If you’re out in the sun with your laptop, phone or tablet, head to a shadier area, which will not only keep you and your gadgets cool but also make reading the screen easier.

Regulate the temperature

When going from a hot room to a cooler one, let your device cool down before using it. Going from an extreme temperature to a normal one rapidly can damage your device, so let it balance out with its environment first.

Tablets and smartphones are also subject to heat damage and performance issues. Because they can naturally run hot (even can't-even-hold-this hot), it's hard to tell between a normally warm device and one that's overheating. However, the warning signs of your mobile phone or tablet overheating are actually very similar to the laptop’s signs.

When too hot to perform properly, the device won’t be able to do basic tasks (e.g. opening an app), and it may also freeze or abruptly shut down. If this happens, you'll need to power down your tablet or smartphone and let it cool before attempting to use it again.

Turn off battery-draining features and apps

The harder your phone or tablet works, the more heat it generates. You can make your mobile phone battery last longer and also keep it cooler by ensuring that it isn’t working too hard powering up apps that use up a lot of battery life.

Some apps can still drain your phone even when you’re not using them by running in the background, so make sure to check your settings to see how to turn this feature off. Closing all windows, minimising notifications and lowering the screen’s brightness can also work wonders.

Give it some air

Though a protective case might be a necessity when you're exposing your smartphone or tablet to the elements, it can quickly speed up the process of your device overheating.

Take it out of the case every so often to give it some breathing room if you think it’s getting too hot. If you’re carrying your phone in your pocket or a small bag, make sure to take it out to let it cool down.

Whilst modern technology is amazing, we haven’t quite managed to make it prone to the sun and heat. If it’s a day when you need sunscreen and shades, make sure to consider the welfare of your devices too.