Top Reasons Phones Overheat in NZ & How to Fix It

Is Your Phone Overheating? You’re Not Alone in NZ

Phone overheating is one of the most common issues faced by users across New Zealand especially during summer, while charging, or when using heavy apps. A hot phone isn’t just uncomfortable to hold; it can cause battery damage, performance slowdowns, forced shutdowns, and even internal hardware failure.

The good news? Most overheating issues can be prevented or fixed with simple steps. And when the problem is more serious, a professional technician can restore your phone safely.

In this guide, we explain the top reasons phones overheat in NZ and exactly how to fix them.

1. New Zealand’s Climate Plays a Bigger Role Than You Think

Although NZ isn’t tropical, temperatures rise significantly during summer. Phones exposed to direct sunlight, especially in cars, beaches, parks, and building sites, heat up very fast.

Common NZ situations:

• Leaving your phone on the dashboard

• Using your phone outdoors during hot afternoons

• Fast charging while device is already warm

• Using GPS while driving

How to fix: ✔ Keep the phone in the shade ✔ Don’t leave devices inside hot cars ✔ Avoid direct sun while charging

2. Heavy Apps & Background Processes

Gaming, video streaming, Instagram Reels, Snapchat filters, TikTok, and GPS navigation use a lot of:

• CPU

• GPU

• RAM

• Battery power

When these components work harder, the phone naturally overheats.

How to fix: ✔ Close unused apps ✔ Reduce camera usage in direct sunlight ✔ Turn off background refresh ✔ Lower screen brightness ✔ Restart the phone daily

3. Faulty or Cheap Chargers (VERY common in NZ)

Many NZ users buy cheap chargers from dairies, markets, and $2 shops. These chargers:

• Overload the battery

• Supply unstable power

• Cause overheating

• Damage charging IC

How to fix: ✔ Only use original or certified chargers ✔ Avoid super-cheap cables ✔ Replace frayed or bent cables ✔ Stop using fast charging if the phone gets too warm

4. Battery Health is Low or Aging

Batteries naturally degrade over time. Older batteries struggle to handle power demands and heat up quickly.

Signs your battery is the problem:

• Phone gets hot even when idle

• Battery drains quickly

• Phone shuts down randomly

• Battery percentage jumps up/down

How to fix: ✔ Replace the battery (fast & affordable) ✔ Avoid heavy use during charging ✔ Get a battery health check at Tech4You

5. Running Out of Storage or RAM

When your phone is almost full, the system works overtime. Apps reload frequently, background tasks pile up, and the processor becomes overloaded.

How to fix: ✔ Delete unused apps & large files ✔ Move photos to cloud storage ✔ Close apps running in background ✔ Update to the latest software

6. Poor Network or Weak Signal

Many areas in NZ - rural towns, coastal areas, basements, older buildings - have weak reception. Your phone boosts power to search for signal, causing heat.

How to fix: ✔ Switch to Airplane mode temporarily ✔ Connect to WiFi ✔ Avoid calls in low-signal areas

7. Malware or Hidden Background Apps

Malware is rare in NZ but still possible - especially on Android devices. Malicious apps often run silently in the background, overheating the phone.

Signs of malware:

• Pop-up ads

• Apps you didn’t install

• Fast battery drain

• Phone hot even without use

How to fix: ✔ Install a trusted antivirus ✔ Delete suspicious apps ✔ Reset the phone (backup first) ✔ Visit Tech4You for malware cleaning

8. Hardware Damage After Drops or Water Exposure

Even if your phone looks fine on the outside, internal components may be damaged. This causes the battery or motherboard to heat more than usual.

Signs include:

• Overheating while charging

• Heat around camera area

• Unexpected restart

• Phone switching off

This requires professional repair, not DIY.

When Is Overheating Serious?

You MUST get your phone checked if:

• It heats up within minutes

• The back of the phone becomes extremely hot

• It doesn’t charge properly

• Phone shuts down to cool itself

• Battery starts swelling

• Burning smell or discoloration appears

These can indicate dangerous faults in:

• Battery

• Charging IC

• Power IC

• Motherboard

  

How Tech4You Fixes Overheating Phones (NZ-Wide)

At Tech4You, we diagnose and repair overheating issues for all major brands:

• iPhone

• Samsung

• Oppo

• Huawei

• Xiaomi

• Google Pixel

• Tablets and iPads

We provide:

✔ Battery replacement ✔ Charging port repair ✔ Power IC repair ✔ Motherboard repair ✔ Thermal cleaning ✔ Software optimisation ✔ Virus & malware removal

Most fixes are completed same day.

Serving All NZ Customers

Tech4You offers professional device repair across multiple NZ locations, including:

• Auckland

• Hamilton

• Newmarket

• Ellerslie

• And surrounding regions

Book online anytime - drop-off, walk-in, or courier repair options available.

Fix Your Overheating Phone Today

Don’t ignore an overheating phone small issues can turn into major damage.Tech4You provides fast, expert repairs to keep your device running safely and smoothly.

📍 Visit: Book Now 📞 Call: 0800 326 678