Android Auto was making my phone overheat until I did this

Saeed Wazir is a South Africa-based journalist with over 15 years of IT experience and a love for reading and writing. He joined Pocket-Lint after writing tech articles for Dot Esports and Screen Rant and now covers the latest in TV, streaming, laptops, tablets, and PCs. When he's not looking for the latest gadgets, he's relaxing on the beach or exploring open-world games.

I live in sunny South Africa, and my Samsung Galaxy phone would often overheat if I connected it to Android Auto on long journeys. My phone would display a warning, and certain apps, like the camera, would stop functioning. I'd then need to disconnect and let it cool before using it again.

This happens because my phone is mirroring its display, running apps, handling connections, and sometimes charging simultaneously. It can only handle so much multitasking, and the excessive heat is no surprise given the higher CPU usage.

Apart from performance issues, repeated overheating can cause long-term damage to my phone and degrade its battery and other components. I'd rather keep my phone in good shape, so I use these five ways to stop it from overheating on Android Auto.

Use wired connections on hot days

Speed and efficiency

Phones are prone to overheating when they are overworked, and using a wired charger instead of wireless is one way to reduce the load. This is because wired charging has a direct and more stable connection that delivers power more efficiently. It's faster than wireless charging and generates less heat.

My car has a built-in wireless charging tray, but I find it convenient to charge my phone in the magnetic phone holder because I can see the screen while I'm driving. Instead of letting my phone charge wirelessly, I simply unplug the USB-C cable from the holder and plug it directly into my phone. It's a win-win because I can still see my screen while my phone charges faster and more efficiently.

Quality cables only

There's a noticeable difference

I only use high-quality USB-C cables on my smartphone for a few reasons. I hate seeing the dreaded slow-charging message when I plug in my phone and get irritated if I keep getting disconnected from Android Auto when I'm using wired mode. Remedying these issues is usually as simple as replacing the cable.

So which cables work best? I prefer shorter cables around three feet long with thick nylon braiding, because they have less signal degradation and offer better shielding against electromagnetic interference. They are also more durable and often last longer with daily use.

I stick to cables with USB 3.0 speeds and above from reputable brands like Anker and Ugreen, because they offer the best power and signal delivery for the best Android Auto experience.

Close unnecessary apps

Reduce CPU and memory usage

Closing unnecessary apps is probably the easiest way to stop my phone from overheating on Android Auto. I usually have several apps and numerous browser apps running on my phone at any given time and each of them uses some of my phone's resources. It isn't an issue until I connect my phone to Android Auto, which gobbles up processing power to stream media and render apps.

I can check which apps are using the most memory, and how much free RAM I have by going into the Device Care menu in Settings. It provides a list of apps and displays how much memory each one is using, and how much I can free by closing them. Alternatively, I can save time by just opening my Recents menu and closing any apps I don't need running.

Invest in an air vent phone holder

Active cooling for my phone

Using an air vent phone holder makes a massive difference to my phone's Android Auto performance on hot days. My phone holder was relatively cheap and doubles as a wireless charger. It's also easy to install in seconds without making any modifications to my car.

The conditioner stays on during road trips, and it cools me and my phone. It works similarly to my gaming PCs' CPU fan with constant airflow combating my phone's heat to cool it down. I've noticed a significant performance difference, and my phone runs cooler even when my air conditioner is on the lowest setting.

Turn off the phone display or adjust the screen brightness

Lower brightness to reduce temperature

Running a bright screen uses a considerable amount of my phone's resources and contributes to a heavy computing load when connected to Android Auto. Turning off my phone's display and using apps through my infotainment unit is another way to reduce battery drain and the heat generated by my phone.

However, this isn't always possible, and I sometimes need to use certain phone apps not supported by Android Auto. I then lower my screen's brightness or activate night mode, although it doesn't always work and visibility depends on the time of day and ambient lighting.