Why Putting Your Phone in the Refrigerator Is the Worst Thing You Can Do

Written by Bruno Teles

Published on 14/07/2025 at 18:14

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Thermal Shock And Condensation Can Damage Internal Components And Destroy Your Device’s Battery Irreversibly. Here’s What To Do.

On a hot summer day, or after using a heavy app, it’s common to feel your phone heat up to the point of burning your hand. Many people’s first impulse is to rush to the fridge or even the freezer in search of a quick solution. However, this action, which seems logical, is one of the worst mistakes you can make and can cost your device’s life.

It’s better to let the phone cool down on its own than to subject it to such a drastic temperature change. The science behind this is simple and involves two major villains: condensation and thermal shock.

The Danger of Condensation: Water Inside Your Phone

When you take a cold object out of the fridge, doesn’t it “sweat”? The same happens with your phone, but on the inside. When you place the hot device in a cold and humid environment like the fridge, the moisture in the air condenses into small water droplets on the internal electronic components.

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Thermal Shock: The Invisible Enemy of Components

The second major risk is thermal shock. The materials that make up your phone (metal, glass, plastic, silicon) expand with heat and contract with cold. A too rapid temperature change forces these materials to contract abruptly and unevenly, which can cause:

Microcracks on the screen: Even if they are not visible, small cracks can compromise the integrity of the glass.
Damage to the solder: The solder points that connect the components on the board can crack, causing malfunction.
Battery damage: Lithium-ion batteries are extremely sensitive to extreme temperatures. Sudden cold can permanently reduce their capacity to hold a charge, shortening your phone’s lifespan.

How To Properly Cool Your Phone

If your phone has overheated, patience is your best friend. The correct way to cool it down is to allow it to dissipate heat naturally. Follow these steps:

Stop using it immediately: Close all apps, especially games or video editing apps.
Remove the case: The case acts as a thermal insulator, trapping heat.
Unplug from the charger: Charging the device generates even more heat.
Reduce the screen brightness and activate airplane mode. If possible, turn the device off completely.
Leave it in a cool and well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight. A fan can help, but never place it directly in front of an air conditioning vent.

Have you ever made the mistake of putting your phone in the fridge to cool down? What’s your trick for dealing with overheating? Share in the comments!

Why Putting Your Phone in the Refrigerator Is the Worst Thing You Can Do

Thermal Shock And Condensation Can Damage Internal Components And Destroy Your Device’s Battery Irreversibly. Here’s What To Do.

The Danger of Condensation: Water Inside Your Phone

Thermal Shock: The Invisible Enemy of Components

How To Properly Cool Your Phone

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Why Putting Your Phone in the Refrigerator Is the Worst Thing You Can Do

Thermal Shock And Condensation Can Damage Internal Components And Destroy Your Device’s Battery Irreversibly. Here’s What To Do.

The Danger of Condensation: Water Inside Your Phone

Thermal Shock: The Invisible Enemy of Components

How To Properly Cool Your Phone

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The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Discovery in Africa scares even scientists: a study published on April 23 reveals that the crust in Turkana has become so thin that it could pave the way for the continent’s division and the emergence of an ocean in the future, in a gigantic geological transformation.

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During works to build an artificial island in Indonesia, workers dredged 5 million cubic meters of sand from the seabed and found over 6,000 fossils from a lost continent that submerged 10,000 years ago.

Brazil spent R$ 1.9 billion on a giant bridge to Paraguay, and it is already finished, but no one can use it properly because the access points are not ready, and traffic remains blocked months later.

A fossil remained forgotten for 70 years in a museum drawer — when re-examined with tomography, they discovered a 200-million-year-old predator with a bite that challenges what was known about crocodiles.

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