Why your Google Pixel is overheating and how to fix it

Why's my Google Pixel™ getting so hot? If you’ve ever grabbed your phone and it felt like a hot and ready pizza, you’ve probably asked yourself this question.  

The answer is usually that your device has been working too hard. Whether you’ve been talking on the phone all day or keeping too many apps open in the background, all that work is causing your phone to overheat. That can damage your Pixel device’s battery and other parts over time.  

Don’t worry though. We’ve got some quick, easy tips that'll keep your phone working as it should. At Asurion, we can handle all of your tech care needs–from protection to repair. Here’s why your Google Pixel may be overheating and what you can do to fix it. 

Stop using your Pixel while you’re charging it 

It's normal for your phone to feel warmer than usual while it’s charging. But browsing the internet or chatting with a friend takes extra energy—and causes it to heat up even more. Try not using your device while it’s charging—it should make a big difference.  

Lower your screen’s brightness 

Turning your screen’s brightness up will force your battery to work harder and create more heat. The opposite is also true. Lower your screen’s brightness to help keep the temperature down.  

Here’s how: 

1. Open Settings.  
2. Tap Display > Brightness level. Then adjust the slider as desired. 
3. Tap Adaptive brightness, and hit the switch to use this feature to automatically adjust your screen’s brightness. 
4. Then, tap Dark theme. This setting will help save your phone's battery and avoid overheating by darkening the background. 

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Reduce the time you spend as a Wi-Fi hotspot 

Letting your friends use your Pixel™ as a hotspot is great, but it can also cause your phone to overheat—especially if you’re, say, also scrolling the web. If you’re having overheating issues, use the hotspot feature sparingly. If you have to use it as a hotspot, try not to give your Pixel other tasks in the meantime.

Test your apps 

Have you noticed your Pixel overheats when you use a particular app? That app might put more strain on your phone than it can handle. Or worse, it could be eating up a lot of battery power. Either way, it’s not good for your phone. Try to update the problem app. If there isn’t an update available, delete it, then redownload the app to see if that helps.   

Wipe your cache partition 

Your phone’s cache partition is a section of storage set aside for temporary files that make using your device faster and easier. Those files build up over time—even if you aren’t using them anymore. Clearing your cache gets rid of information your phone doesn’t need to waste energy on. 

The Google Pixel doesn’t have a cache partition like other Android™ phones, so you can’t clear it manually.  But your individual apps do have cache partitions, and you can clear those and accomplish the same goal.  

To clear the cache for an app, follow these steps: 

1. Open the Settings app. 
2. Tap Apps, and select an app. 
3. Tap Storage & cache. 
4. Tap Clear cache or Clear storage. 

You can also clear temporary app files by opening the Files app and then tapping Clean. 

Update your system software 

Still no luck? The problem might be your software. Check to see if your Pixel needs an update. 

1. Open Settings.  
2. Tap System > System update. 
3. Tap Check for update. If your operating system is up to date, you should see a message saying “Current software is up to date.” If a new update is available, follow the instructions to download it. 
4. When you're ready to install, tap OK.  

After your Pixel finishes the update, open some apps and see if it starts to overheat again.  

Try your Pixel in Safe Mode 

Safe Mode forces your device to run only essential or factory-downloaded apps. Pausing for anything that could cause your phone to overheat can help pinpoint what is driving the temperature up.  

Follow these steps to place your Pixel into Safe Mode:  

1. On the Pixel 6 and later versions of your phone, press and hold the Power and Volume Up buttons for a few seconds. Then tap Power off.  
   1. On a Pixel 5a and earlier versions of your phone, press and hold the Power button for a few seconds. Then tap Power off.  
2. After your phone turns off, press and hold the Power button until your phone turns back on. You should see the words "Safe mode" at the bottom of your screen.  

Back up your Pixel and factory reset it 

A factory reset is one of the last things you can try to stop your Pixel from overheating. This step will remove everything that didn’t come pre-downloaded on your phone when you bought it. This step will delete all your data permanently.  

Before you start it, make sure to back up your device so you don’t lose any photos or personal information.  

How to back up your Pixel to Google: 

1. Download the Google One™ app in the Google Play™ Store. 
2. Go to Settings. 
3. Tap Google, then tap Backup. 
4. If prompted, enter your Google® username and password. 
5. Make sure the Backup by Google One switch is on, then tap Back up now. 

How to factory reset your Pixel: 

1. Open your phone's Settings app. 
2. Tap System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset). 
3. To erase all data from your phone's internal storage, tap Erase all data. If needed, your phone asks for your PIN. Enter your PIN, and then tap Erase all data. 
4. When your phone finishes the reset, pick the option to restart. 
5. Set up your phone, and restore your backed-up data.