Protect your tech: How to keep your gadgets cool during the heatwave in the UK


Comments by James Brown, Director at Protect Your Bubble 

It’s been a long hot summer as temperatures continue to soar across the UK. It’s not just people who suffer in the heat, as our gadgets can also get too hot and go into shutdown mode. Therefore, you need to keep an eye on them, how you’re using them and their whereabouts too. Below, I will suggest some of the best ways to keep your phones, laptops, and consoles cool during this week’s heatwave in the UK.  

Phones 

Our phones are very rarely away from our hands, but during a heatwave, it’s all too easy for these devices to get dangerously hot, which affects battery life and may cause the device to temporarily shut down. 

It goes without saying but keep your phone in the shade and try and reduce the amount of time spent on your phone. By keeping the screen off and engagement with the device reduced, it will impact the heat produced. You can also activate battery saver mode to limit app functionality. 

You could also look to remove any additional cases or covers you may use to aid airflow and prevent temperatures from rising to higher levels. But be careful, you don’t want to drop, scratch, or smash your device without its protective casing on it.  

Laptops 

With many of us using laptops all day long as part of our job, there is no escaping this necessity.  

However, not all laptops are created equally, so be sure to check if yours has a fan cooling system. If it does, there will be small openings (vents) on your machine, and it would be wise to give these a clean to remove any dust that’s built up over time.  

This will help air circulation and permit their in-body cooling systems to work as efficiently as possible. 

Avoid placing your laptops on soft surfaces that will block these vents like a sofa, carpets, bedding, or pillows to maximise their longevity in the heat. 

If you use your laptop over long periods, more screen brightness, in turn, equals more heat, so sit in the shade, avoid the sunlight, and bring the screen brightness down to a sensible.  

And finally, minimise the number of apps and window tabs you use. Try and declutter and open fewer apps and tabs to avoid stressing your system and causing it to further overheat.  

Consoles 

Dust is your enemy; as any games console or PC owner will no doubt know, these machines eat dust to the point it creates a furry blockade around the fan vents.  

Get your duster out to open out airflow, allowing your machine’s internal cooling system to function better.  

If you have your console in a cabinet – while it may look nice – break it free temporarily. Look to place it on a desk or hard surface to allow the airflow to circulate around it.  

And finally, take a break, switch off your device and allow it to cool down. This will put less strain overall on the system and it will less likely overheat.