Samsung Phone Blowing Up In Pocket

Sometimes smartphones explode. This summer alone, an Alaska Airlines flight was evacuated afterwards a Samsung Milky way A21 caught burn down, a Galaxy A02 caused a house fire(Opens in a new window) in Glasgow, a device exploded within a man'southward pocket(Opens in a new window) in Vietnam, and a battery blew up in a man's hand(Opens in a new window) in China.

The likelihood of your smartphone exploding is slim, just it happens, every bit demonstrated by Samsung's Galaxy Note vii fiasco a few years ago. Simply why does it happen and what, if anything, can you do to avoid it?

Why Do Smartphones Explode?

(Prototype: Samsung)

There are many reasons a smartphone may take hold of burn or explode, and it near e'er has to do with the device's battery. Modern mobile devices are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which contain a careful balance of positive and negative electrodes to permit for recharging. When something goes wrong, the inner components of the battery can interruption down and create a volatile reaction that can lead to fires.

This can happen for multiple reasons, just the most common problem is excessive heat. If a charging battery or overworked processor becomes as well hot too quickly, information technology can ruin the chemical makeup of the telephone's components. With batteries, a chain reaction chosen thermal runaway can crusade the battery to generate even more than heat and eventually catch fire or explode.

The reason for your phone overheating will vary. Concrete impairment—the kind sustained from a autumn or excessive bending—tin can disrupt the inner workings of the bombardment. Leaving the telephone out in the sunday for too long, malware overworking the CPU, or a charging debacle tin can all cause short circuiting within the device.

Or it could be something outside your direct control. Batteries degrade over fourth dimension, so if a device has been used for several years, it'southward possible for the internal components to fade, leading to swelling and overheating. Or an issue with the telephone's production may be to blame, which you tin can't actually account for.

Alarm Signs

(Prototype: Vlad Kagoshima/Shutterstock)

Yous may not get a warning, only if you hear hissing or popping sounds coming from the phone or aroma burning plastic or chemicals, it may be damaged and on the verge of exploding. (Don't put your face almost it, obviously.) Similarly, expect out for excessive heat coming from the device, particularly when charging. If it'due south burning hot to the touch on, unplug it immediately.

Some other large warning sign is a bloated battery, which can happen if it has been damaged or internal components have degraded. Look out for any changes in your device'south shape, including a protruding screen, an enlarged seam, or a distended chassis that may cause the phone to no longer sit affluent with a flat surface.

PCMag's Senior Security Analyst Max Boil most blew up his aging Android phone while trying to remove all traces of Google services in 2019. All he got for his trouble was a jutting battery.

Nearly modern smartphones no longer permit you lot to remove the battery, so if y'all're concerned about your device, plow it off and have it in for service immediately.

Can Yous Preclude Your Phone From Exploding?

(Photograph Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd)

While at that place are steps you lot can have to alleviate some of the strain you may put on your phone'southward bombardment, in that location's not a whole lot you can do if the event is a manufacturing defect or naturally degrading ability source. Batteries must exist rigorously tested for faulty components, but cheaply fabricated units may possess imperfections that can cause a phone to overheat. There'southward no quick ready when it comes to shoddy battery construction.

(Illustration: Samsung)

In the case of the Note 7, a design flaw was to arraign(Opens in a new window); in that location was nothing the average consumer could do to fix information technology. Nevertheless, there are several dos and don'ts that may help you maintain the wellness of your device and avoid a burn down.

Become a Telephone Case

(Photo: Steven Winkelman)

While it isn't common, dropping your telephone can damage the bombardment. Simply ask PCMag's Mobile Analyst Steven Winkelman, who received a Chinese-manufactured telephone in the mail for review. After accidentally dropping information technology from the kitchen counter to the flooring, though, the phone emitted a chemical olfactory property and burst into flames within minutes.

Non every phone is going to get up in flames subsequently a fall, but one fashion to protect your device's innards is to cover it with a telephone case—preferably one with a lip around the edge of the telephone. These cases aren't as expensive as they once were, and even the cheapest offer more protection than nothing. At this point, in that location's no alibi to go without one. If y'all take an iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, or Samsung Galaxy S21, we accept a few suggestions.

Avert Extreme Temperatures

(Illustration: Alexander Trou/Shutterstock)

You probably know that oestrus is your phone'south worst enemy, but what about cold? Your phone'south battery is optimized to work inside a certain temperature range—between 32-95 degrees Fahrenheit. Regularly exposing the battery to harsh weather tin damage the components within and cause long-term damage.

This ways you should avoid leaving your device in directly sunlight, or on tiptop of a hot radiator, for long periods of fourth dimension, especially when charging. You should too avert freezing cold temperatures whenever possible. And then don't place your telephone within the freezer, if you still believe in that myth, or go out it in your automobile on especially frigid days.

Don't Cover Your Phone While It's Charging

(Image: spyarm/Shutterstock)

This one sounds silly, but I tin personally attest to this; don't cover your phone with anything while it's charging and don't charge the device in bed. Years ago, I woke up one morning to observe my telephone underneath my body and burning my bare chest. At some indicate in the dark, I had rolled onto the telephone, causing the device to overheat. Not only did it burn my torso, simply it burned itself out and stopped working.

Your best pick is to place your telephone on a flat, hard surface—like a table or desk—when it's time to charge the device. Snuggling up to it at nighttime runs the risk of you rolling on tiptop of information technology, wrapping it in blankets, or roofing it with a pillow. To exist rubber, go along the device gratuitous from costly surfaces, papers, or general clutter.

Practice Adept Battery Hygiene

At that place are a lot of battery myths out there. We shot downwardly many of them, similar the idea that charging your phone overnight will cause it to explode (it won't). For our purposes, remember that batteries naturally deteriorate over fourth dimension, and the best you can practice is delay that erosion.

We recommend keeping your phone charged betwixt 30-80% near of the time (there's no reason to e'er insist the battery be at 100%) and refrain from fast charging overnight, if yous tin help it. Still, don't get too worried most this; it will take a few years for your battery to naturally deteriorate. If you switch out phones every yr or and so, you'll be fine.

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Utilise the Right Charger

(Image: inspire finder/Shutterstock)

Your device needs optimal voltage and electric current to charge properly, so we recommend sticking with the charger that came in the box or grabbing one directly from the phone'southward manufacturer. That means if y'all have a Samsung phone, buy a cable from Samsung; if you accept an iPhone, go a Lightning cable from the Apple Store.

You besides shouldn't mix and match cables and power bricks considering dissimilar units have dissimilar wattage levels. Information technology may be tempting to salvage some money and get a cheap charger off Amazon or use whatsoever you have around the firm, only this is a practiced fashion to ruin your battery.

If you lot absolutely must get a tertiary-party charger, stick with a known make like Anker and not a no-name company just because it'southward cheaper. You tin can as well check to see if a USB-C cable is certified by the USB-IF(Opens in a new window) or a Lightning charger has the MFi badge(Opens in a new window) (and is authentic if it does). It may exist a trivial more expensive, but information technology will be worth it in the long run.

Take Care of Your Cables

(Image: Aleksandrs Muiznieks/Shutterstock)

One time you take a charger, you demand to take care of your cables; damaged wires tin atomic number 82 to charging issues and even cause their ain fire hazard. Dorsum in the solar day, my MacBook Pro's MagSafe charger frayed until the wiring became exposed. Somewhen, the charger shorted out and caught fire. The aforementioned can happen to your phone plug.

There are a few all-time practices you should keep in mind when managing your telephone charger, or really any wire that connects to your devices. Avoid wrapping wires too tightly and remember to unplug the charger from the bodily plug instead of yanking it out from the cord. If your current charger is fraying or seems to take melted, it'south fourth dimension to become a new cable.

Look Out for Malware

(Illustration: Promon)

If you become infected with malware, the nefarious program may hog your phone'southward resource for tasks like cryptomining, which can overheat the battery and potentially damage the phone. Does your telephone run slower than it probably should? Get hot for no practiced reason? Striking you lot with nonstop pop-ups? You could be infected with malware.

Thank you to the closed-off nature of Apple's App Store, the iPhone tends to be less susceptible to malware. The same can't be said well-nigh the Google Play Store, but many popular antivirus companies offer antivirus apps for Android equally part of multi-device subscriptions.

Our Acme-Rated Android Antivirus Apps

Don't Worry, Your Phone Is Unlikely to Explode

(Image: Roman Samborskyi)

In spite of all these warnings—and how common they might appear on the news—exploding phones are still extremely rare. When the Galaxy Note 7 was recalled by Samsung in 2016, only nigh 100 of the 2.5 million units shipped were reported to have exploded. That'southward however scarier than aught, just if you lot're concerned about ruining your phone, at that place are more than common issues to worry nearly.

And recollect, exploding phones brand companies liable for damages, so if in that location is always another widespread recall over again, it's probable to be dealt with relatively apace. For example, Samsung put out software updates that throttled the phone's bombardment capacity earlier somewhen making the device completely unusable as a safe precaution.

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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/why-phones-explode-and-how-to-prevent-it-from-happening-to-you