High temperatures spell death for smartphones, melting the solder that connects components, distorting the screen, and draining the battery capacity. On a hot day, you could climb out of the pool to find your phone battery smoldering in a puddle of glass and plastic.

Fortunately, there are apps that can help prevent it. Here are three apps that alert you when your Android's battery temperature is rising to dangerous levels.

Why Do Phones Overheat?

A black android phone with the battery and circuitry exposed
Ryan Adams/Flickr

Before we look at the apps, you might be wondering why can't you rely on the thermal shutdown function built into Android itself?

A thermal shutdown happens when the phone's operating system starts having trouble functioning as a result of heat damage. Shortly after, the phone automatically shuts down in response to fried circuits and melted connections that prevent it from accessing the data it needs to function.

In other words, by the time a thermal shutdown occurs, your phone has already been damaged and is trying to protect itself from further trouble.

It doesn't prevent all damage and it won't protect an unattended phone that is heating because of its environment. For instance, a phone set down in a windowsill will continue to bake in the magnified sunlight even after the power is off.

How to Use Android Cooling Apps

The normal operating temperature of a smartphone varies between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit (20-30 degrees Celsius). This is the same between Androids and iPhones, but some methods for cooling an overheated iOS device are different.

It's best to keep your phone running on the lower end of that range, between 68 and 73 Fahrenheit (20-25 Celsius) and set alerts for two degrees above the device's normal charging temperature. You should also avoid charging your phone overnight to avoid any problems while you aren't able to monitor your device.

Unlike the thermal shutdown, these apps let you customize temperature preferences for your phone.

1. Cooling Master—Phone Cooler—CPU Heat Minimizer

Cooling Master is one app that can alert you of your phone's temperature. Highly customizable, this app lets you set the alert temperature, and you can equip the alerts with sound and animation that make them difficult to ignore. It also scans your apps and shuts down the biggest battery eaters.

It also gives data on the welfare and live temperature of your battery. Also, it monitors the current CPU capacity, which can get sluggish during an overheat, and offers tips for preventing heat damage.

Download: Cooling Master—Phone Cooler—CPU Heat Minimizer (Free)

2. Battery Temperature

This simplified app helps you be aware of your phone's temperature at all times by adding the temperature to the notification tray, next to the time. Since an over-strained battery is the main cause of heat damage, this is a great addition.

You can also set a custom temperature to receive an overheat warning, and customize the notification size to make it harder to ignore. This app also includes information on heat damage and prevention.

Download: Battery Temperature (Free, premium version available)

3. Cooling Master—Phone Cooler Free, CPU Better

This app offers a nice blend of cooldown and monitoring. Cooling Master provides you with a live read of your phone's internal temperature, CPU capacity, and RAM usage, so you can see how the current temperature is affecting them.

It also offers alerts at a custom threshold and shuts down apps that are running unnoticed in the background rather than only the ones that are open.

Download: Cooling Master—Phone Cooler Free, CPU Better (Free, subscription available)

Benefits of Using a Temperature Alert App

By increasing awareness of your Android phone's temperature and getting an alert before the heat starts causing damage, you can improve your battery life, preserve your data, and learn better habits for protecting your hardware.

It's also worth trying to figure out why your phone is overheating in the first place, and how you can stop it. After all, prevention is always better than cure!