Can your phone get too cold?

If you’ve ever found yourself with a phone in your pocket in extremely cold temperatures, like in the midst of shoveling snow or tobogganing down Mount Everest, you might have wondered, “can your phone get too cold?” The short answer is, yes. Just like your physical bod, there are certain temperatures that your phone should stay within in order to operate at its best. 

In the next few paragraphs, we’ll go over the temperature range you’ll want to keep your phone at when possible, what happens if your phone gets too cold, how to warm it up if you need to, and how to safely protect your investment to prevent phone-hypothermia. Or at least that’s what we’re calling it.

Let’s get into it.

What temperature is too cold for my phone?

The ideal operating temperature for smartphones is above 32°F (0°C) and below 95°F (35°C). Operating your phone in near-freezing temperatures, or even just leaving your phone in super cold environments can result in long term damage, such as faster battery drainage or delayed processes. 

Btw, it doesn’t need to be below freezing for your smartphone to be affected by the temperature. Even keeping your phone at temps just above freezing can begin to impact battery performance. Just think: if it’s cold enough to make ice cubes for a minty refreshmint, it’s too cold for your phone.

Next we’ll get into what can actually happen to your device if it does get too cold.

What happens when your phone gets too cold?

Repeated and prolonged exposure to the cold may lead to permanent damage to your phone over time, but in most cases the effects are temporary. When your phone warms up, your phone should start functioning properly again. In worse cases, your phone can experience water damage due to condensation, screen crack, and/or touch sensitivity may be malfunctioning. 

What can be affected if my phone gets too cold?

Smartphones are complex pieces of technology with delicate components, not meant for extremes. Unfortunately, that means that there’s a lot that can be affected due to long term exposure to too cold temperatures. Fortunately, many of these adverse effects can be fixed, if not exposed to cold temps for too long.

Here are some of the most common risks:

Reduced battery life

The most common effect of prolonged exposure to cold temperatures is impacted battery life. This is due to the lithium batteries that most smartphone devices use being extremely sensitive to temperature. This can result in a fast battery drain, and, in extreme cold, the battery may be too cold to even be turned on. (Cue the “that’s what she said” jokes). 

Adverse effects on the screen

Touch screens can become sluggish and slow to respond due to the temperature affecting the touch sensors. Similarly, your display may not work properly or result in image distortion or fading, which can be a major bummer and expensive to replace. 

Potential for cracking

In extreme cases where your phone may be left in freezing temperatures for extended periods of time, the screen and batteries are capable of being vulnerable to cracks. And no one likes seeing a crack they weren’t prepared for. 

Internal components

These may be more resilient but prolonged exposure to very cold temperatures could cause other internal components to experience malfunctions. These risks may get you feeling a little icy about having your phone in cold temps, but don’t worry. There are things you can do to prevent your phone from taking a polar plunge with just a little bit of knowledge and preparation.

How to protect your phone from cold weather

There are five easy ways to protect your phone from the cold, and slowed performance, battery drainage or risk of shutdown. 

Avoid using your device in freezing temperatures

Your phone can’t be negatively impacted by freezing cold weather if it’s not exposed to it. Try leaving your phone inside while you shovel the driveway, so at least you’ll know it’s out of harm’s way. Just as a reminder, iPhones and Androids work best above 32°F (but it’s probably safe to avoid any temperature near freezing) unless you try our next tip and bundle it up. 

Protect your phone by using an insulated or thermal case

Using an insulated or thermal case for the winter can help protect your phone from the elements. A cold chill can make devices more brittle and likely to be damaged, especially if dropped on a hard or frozen surface (hello black ice). There are several thermal cases available that are capable of adding insulation in extreme cold if you live in a place that has long or extreme winters, or if ice-fishing in the arctic circle is your preferred way to relax. 

Don’t leave your phone in the car

A common mistake is when a phone is left behind in a bag or console in a car that’s parked in frozen temps. Or at least that’s what we hear from people who don’t have phone separation anxiety. When the temps drop, just make sure not to leave your phone behind in order to protect it. For more pro tips on how to keep your phone safe and secure, check out our blog on phone security here. It could save your life… or at least your travel pics.

Keep your phone warm by keeping it close to your body

If you’re going to be outside for a while and need your phone on you, keep it in warm pockets that are close to the body, perhaps an inside pocket if possible, so it can benefit from your natural body temperature.

If you love your phone as much as we do, you could even strap it to your chest like a baby kangaroo. We’re not saying that’s necessary, just saying that it’s not not an option. You can also utilize Bluetooth to avoid using your phone in cold temps altogether by using headphones to call or connect to your phone so you don’t even have to take it out. Work warmer, not harder.

How to safely warm up your phone

Okay, so we’ve obviously drilled down now how important it is to keep your phone away from very cold temperatures, which might lead you to believe that if your phone has been exposed that you should try to warm it up quickly, right? Well, no not exactly. It’s actually very important to safely warm your phone up slowly in order to avoid condensation from building up in the battery. Turns out phones are more high maintenance than you may have realized…kind of like your ex. 

Get your phone back to room temperature by bringing it inside. Keep it off for a while and don’t try to charge your cold phone until it’s reached room temperature. Once it is, you should be good to charge. And if you should need your phone to charge faster so you can post your sweet snowboarding pics, we’ve got you.

In conclusion, extremely cold temperature is an enemy to your phone, but fortunately there are lots of ways outlined above to avoid exposing your phone to the elements. For more information on how your phone responds to water, check out this blog to find out is my phone waterproof? At Mint, we care about keeping your phone safe. After all, you pretty much go everywhere with it. If you’re here because you’ve lost a phone to arctic chill or a polar bear encounter, we’ve got loads of device deals and great prices on premium wireless. Learn more at the link below.