How to fix Samsung Galaxy J5 that started heating up or overheating after an update [Troubleshooting Guide]

Some of our readers who own the Samsung Galaxy J5 received an update for their phone and a few of them complained about overheating. According to them, their phones started to heat up even to the point that the phone overheats shortly after an update. Is this problem caused by the update or is it just a coincidence that started to show up after the update?

We will try to look into this problem in this post with the Galaxy J5 being the subject of our troubleshooting. Let’s consider every possibility including the chance that the update may have caused the phone to overheat after it was installed. We will rule out every possibility until we can pinpoint what the problem really is and what needs to be done to fix it. So, if you own this phone and are currently bugged by a similar issue, continue reading below as this post may be able to help you.

Before anything else though, if you have other issues with your device, then visit our Galaxy J5 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed several common problems with this phone. Odds are that there are already existing solutions to your problems so just take time finding issues that are similar with yours. If you can’t find one or if you need further assistance, feel free to contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire. Please provide us with as much information as possible so that it would also be easier for us to troubleshoot the problem. Don’t worry as we offer this service for free, so all you have to do is give us sufficient information about the problem.

How to troubleshoot a Galaxy J5 that’s overheating after an update

We have encountered overheating issues that were caused by apps as well as firmware problems. There were also those that were caused by hardware faults so just by reading the description sent by one of our readers below, we can’t determine what the problem really is or what really caused it.

Problem: Hi. I have a Galaxy J5 that I bought brand new in 2016 and since then it worked without a flaw but recently I received a notification about an update. It was downloaded and installed on my  phone and shortly after that, my phone seemed to have started heating up to the point that it’s not already comfortable holding it in my hands. I know for a fact it’s not its normal performance but I don’t know what to do about it. Please help me. Thanks.

Troubleshooting: Now that you know how this problem occurs to other users, here are the things we suggest you do to try to fix the problem…

Step 1: Reboot your phone in Safe mode to know if it overheats in that state

It is imperative you do this procedure as it immediately eliminates the possibility that the problem is caused by one or some of the apps you installed. Assuming there’s an app that’s creating a lot of conflicts in the system, then phone should not overheat while in safe mode because all third-party elements are temporarily disabled in this environment.

Here’s how you restart your J5 in Safe mode…

1. Turn the device off.
2. Press and hold the Power key past the screen with the device name.
3. When ‘SAMSUNG’ appears on the screen, release the Power key.
4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
7. Release the Volume down key when you see ‘Safe Mode’.

Either the phone still heats up or not in this mode so if the problem persists even while in this state, then move on to the next step, otherwise, find the app that’s causing the problem and do appropriate measures to fix the problem. Here are some of the things you can do about it…

Update apps that are installed on your Galaxy J5

1. From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
2. Tap Play Store.
3. Tap the Menu key and then tap My Apps. To keep your apps automatically updated, tap the Menu key, tap Settings, and then tap Auto-update apps to select the check box.
4. Choose one of the following options:
   • Tap Update [xx] to update all applications with updates available.
   • Tap an individual application and then tap Update to update a single application.

Clear app cache and data on your Galaxy J5

1. From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Applications.
4. Tap Application manager.
5. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap MORE > Show system apps to display preinstalled apps.
6. Tap Storage.
7. Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
8. Tap Clear cache.

Uninstall apps from your Galaxy J5 that cause the problem

1. From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Applications.
4. Tap Application manager.
5. Tap the desired application
6. Tap Uninstall.
7. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

Step 2: Turn off your phone and charge it to see if it heats up

It’s a very simple procedure but very important in determining whether the overheating issue only occurs when the phone is powered on or if it also happens even when the device is turned off. Please note that overheating issues may be caused by hardware problems which may include the battery and other components. If your phone still heats up even if it’s turned off, then as early as now, you should bring your phone to a shop or send it in so the tech can fix it for you. However, if the phone only heats up when powered on, then there’s still a chance the problem is only with the firmware.

Step 3: Reboot in Recovery mode and wipe the cache partition

You only have to do this if the phone overheats only when powered on, then try to delete all the system caches so they’ll be replaced. It’s possible some of those files got corrupted for some reason that’s why you need to delete them so that they’ll be replaced. Here’s how you do it:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
3. When the device logo screen displays, release only the Power key
4. When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
5. Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
6. Press the Power key to select.
7. Press the Volume down key to highlight ‘yes’ and press the Power key to select.
8. When the wipe cache partition is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

If the phone is still overheating after this procedure, then do the next step.

Step 4: Backup your files and data and reset your Galaxy J5

This is your last resort to rule out the possibility that the cause of the overheating is a firmware issue. You have to do this prior to bringing your phone to a shop and let a tech fix the problem. As I said earlier, we’ve encountered cases of overheating that were caused by a firmware problem that’s why it’s necessary to do this. Aside from the fact that this could fix the problem, it’s also a preparatory procedure to delete all your personal information before letting a third-party to take a look at your phone. The catch is that all your files and data saved in the phone’s internal storage will be deleted so you need to make a backup of things you don’t want to lose. After the backup, disable the Factory Reset Protection so you won’t be locked out of your device after the reset.

How to disable the Factory Reset Protection on Galaxy J5

1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Accounts.
4. Tap Google.
5. Tap your Google ID email address. If you have multiple accounts setup, you will need to repeat these steps for each account.
6. Tap More.
7. Tap Remove account.
8. Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.

How to reset your Galaxy J5

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
3. When the device logo screen displays, release only the Power key
4. When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
5. Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
6. Press Power button to select.
7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
9. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

You can also reset your phone from the Settings menu…

1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Backup and reset.
4. If desired, tap Back up my data to move the slider to ON or OFF.
5. If desired, tap Restore to move the slider to ON or OFF.
6. Tap Factory data reset.
7. Tap Reset device.
8. If you have screen lock turned on, enter your PIN or password.
9. Tap Continue.
10. Tap Delete all.

If the phone is still overheating after the reset, then it’s time you brought the phone to a shop and let the phone be fixed by a tech.

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