Android

Stop Your Pixel 6 From Overheating

Smartphones, like most computers, can get hot from time to time. It’s especially a problem in hot, sunny weather or when using demanding apps and games. We’ve talked about generic cooling solutions in the past, but when it comes to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, those tips may not be enough. These devices seem to run hotter than the average phone – when your phone costs more than $900, you want it to perform better than average.

Redditors took to a thread on r/google pixel on Sunday to express their negative experiences with their Pixel 6s’ cooling solutions (or lack thereof). User u/_Sway started the conversation, complaining that their Pixel 6 Pro was heating up significantly while using a lot of mobile data, causing the added side effect of burning through the battery.

The discussion currently has dozens of comments echoing similar sentiments and various issues noted, making it an interesting case study of the myriad triggers for pixel overheating. If your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro is getting unreasonably hot, you may want to consider the following fixes suggested by Redditors.

Disable 5G

5G is the latest and perfect in cellular data connections and a big selling point for the new phones, including the 6 and 6 Pro. As many Pixel owners are discovering, a 5G device can be taxing. If your device doesn’t cool down when connected to 5G, consider turning off the feature and reverting to 4G LTE. To do so, go to Settings > Network & Internet > SIM > Preferred network type and select the next best option to 5G.

As one Redditor points out, you shouldn’t have to disable a key feature of a smartphone in order to use the device as you would expect. They point to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which, in their experience, doesn’t heat up when using 5G (and manages good battery life to boot). I agree. Google should do something about this problem. For now, though, putting a slight dent in your Pixel’s cellular speed might just make it cooler.

Identify a problematic app

There might be an app on your Pixel that is causing the processor to mess up for one reason or another. For this Redditor, that app was Reddit. They say their Pixel got noticeably hotter within 10 minutes of using the official Reddit app. After switching to an alternative Reddit app like Boost, things stayed cool.

Keep this in mind if your Pixel heats up while using any particular app. Hopefully, whatever program you’re using has a lightweight option that can give you the same experience without the heat. If not, and that particular app is the same version of that program, try uninstalling and reinstalling it.

Perform a factory reset

If the two simple solutions above don’t solve your problem, consider a factory reset. No one wants to go through the hassle of wiping their entire phone, but there are anecdotal evidence that a factory reset can help with overheating issues.

A full restore can often fix weird software problems for one reason or another. Sometimes your Pixel is dealing with a weird bug, and installing a fresh copy of Android can clear it up. But don’t forget to backup everything important on your Pixel before proceeding, as a factory reset will erase all your data.

Frequently Ask Questions

Does pixel 6 have overheating issues?

With several parts of the planet heating up, Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro owners are now reporting that the device overheats while browsing, playing Pokemon Go, listening to Spotify, recording videos and making Microsoft video calls.