Shropshire phone shop warns users not to do this one thing in summer heat after being flooded with repairs

A Shropshire phone shop has said it has been “flooded” with repairs after mobile phone owners have been trying to keep their phones cool.

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Jamie Farnell, who runs Shropshire Phone Repairs, in Wem, said the rise in phone repairs is not only down to the “intense heat” but by customers taking drastic measures.

He said: “We are currently flooded with repairs at the shop, and almost all of them are due to this intense heat. If your phone is acting up, you are definitely not alone.”

But he said a raft of repairs have been because mobile users are trying to cool their phone by placing them in the fridge or freezer.

He warned his customers: “Do not put your phone in a fridge or freezer in this heat.”

He said this has led to the shop seeing a number of cases of "mysterious water damage”.

“We've had a lot of phones come in with internal moisture damage, and we have a strong feeling it’s from people putting their hot phones into the fridge or freezer. Please don't do this.

“The sudden temperature drop causes instant internal condensation (moisture inside the screen and logic board), which can completely kill the phone and causes a number of issues.”

He added other heat-related issues they are seeing include swollen batteries, which is a “massive safety hazard” and screens becoming unglued.

He added the following advice to keep your phone cool:

1. Take your phone case off for a bit. Heavy or rubber cases trap heat.

2. Never leave your phone in direct sunlight, on a hot car dashboard, or buried under a towel/pillow.

3. Lower your screen brightness. High brightness forces the screen to pull more power, creating internal heat.

4. Turn on Airplane Mode or turn off Bluetooth and GPS for a while to give the processors a break.

5. Minimal use. Hold off on intensive gaming, streaming long videos, or shooting high-res videos until you're somewhere cooler.

6. Smart charging choices. Charging creates natural heat. Avoid charging your phone in a hot room or on soft surfaces like a bed or couch that trap heat.