World News: Talking Tech: Yes, your smartphone can overheat in hot weather. Here's how to cool it down

Thursday, July 28

Welcome to Thursday, Talking Tech readers. The final Thursday in July, which means we're a step closer to the back-to-school season. (Yay, parents! Sorry, students.) It's Brett Molina back with more tech headlines.

Just back from vacation, where I learned what can happen if your iPhone starts to get too hot. It started when my youngest child and I discovered a renewed interest in Pokémon Go. (Remember the mobile game that had people wandering through grocery stores and dog parks searching for Pikachu back in 2016?)

It was a warm and humid day out, and as we were playing I noticed my phone warming up. Not only that, but the flash on my camera as well as the iPhone's flashlight were disabled.

Turns out the iPhone does this when it senses your device is getting too hot, a bigger problem especially now as many parts of the U.S. have faced record high temperatures.

If my iPhone got any hotter, it would have completely shut down – only allowing emergency calls – and displayed a warning to let your phone cool before using it.

Luckily, we were only searching for Charmanders when this happened and not using Google Maps or other navigation tools to get to a new destination.

So what to do if your phone gets this warning? A couple tips for cooling it down:

•	Turn off your phone, of course.
•	Take off the case, so your phone can breathe a bit.
•	Get it away from heat and sunlight.
•	If you're charging it, unplug or take it off a wireless charger.

Ever had a similar experience? Let me know on Twitter.

What else happened in tech?

Political ads on Hulu. Disney said it will allow political issue ads on the streaming platform after outcry from Democrats and subscribers..

More tech layoffs. Shopify said it's cutting 1,000 jobs, or 10% of its workforce.

How do you text 911? Depending where you live, you can do this. Here's what to know.

The latest on Elon Musk. Billionaire denies having affair with wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

Thursday's tech tip

Working remotely carries several positive perks, but one of the bigger challenges is separating your home and work lives. These apps can help make that process easier.

One more thing ...

Who's ready for pink sauce? Clearly, TikTok users are, because it has been one of the most popular topics on the platform. Its pink hue resembles Pepto-Bismol, and some people who have tried it said it tastes like ranch dressing.

That's a wrap. Thanks for reading. See you next week.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

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