Samsung Galaxy Note 5 started heating up after the Nougat update [Troubleshooting Guide]

It is normal for phones, especially powerful ones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 to heat up a little while charging and when used for hours. However, it’s not normal if the heat causes discomfort on the part of the user when the phone is held. There are also times when the phone lags, freezes or even shuts down due to heat; this case is already called “overheating,”  which is similar to “heating up” but more severe in a sense that it causes performance related issues.

In this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Note 5 that’s heating up so as to prevent it from overheating. While the issue may seem like a problem with the hardware, there are cases wherein third-party apps cause the phone to heat up. There were also cases wherein the firmware was the one that caused overheating. In other words, anything could happen and we really don’t know for sure the cause. That’s the reason why we need to troubleshoot.

But before we jump right into our troubleshooting, try to visit our troubleshooting page if you happen to have a problem that’s not the same as the one we’re trying to fix here. We have already addressed hundreds of problems since the phone was released and odds are that there are already existing solutions to your problems. Find ones that are similar with yours and use the solutions and/or troubleshooting guides we suggested. If they don’t work for you, then contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire.

Troubleshooting Galaxy Note 5 that heats up

The purpose of our troubleshooting is for us to know what the problem is all about, what caused it and what needs to be done to bring the phone back to its normal performance without heating up. Continue reading below for the steps but before that, here’s one of the messages we received from our readers that best explains this problem…

“Hi droid guy. I own the Galaxy Note 5 and it’s been more than a year now since I got it. I didn’t upgrade to Note 7 due to the problem that was reported on TV. My problem is that the phone is heating up even if I’m not using it. It scares me because I’ve read some owners got burnt with their Note 7 so I’m not really comfortable using my phone now that it’s heating up. So, if you guys can help me out, that would be great. Please help me.”

Yeah, after the Note 7 debacle, I think it’s normal for some Galaxy device owners to feel the same way as our reader when their phones start to heat up without apparent reason despite the fact that Samsung repeatedly said that other devices don’t have the same issue as with the Note 7.

Step 1: Reboot your Note 5 in safe mode

This doesn’t fix the problem per se but it gives you an idea as to what causes the heating up. When you start your device up in safe mode, all third-party apps will be temporarily disabled and all other apps that have been running in the background will be closed leaving the phone running with default apps and services. Usually, the device won’t heat up in safe mode so if this is the case, then it’s confirmed that one or some of the apps you installed is causing the problem. You have to find each one of them and uninstall them to fix this problem.

Here’s how you start your Note 5 in safe mode:

s have something to do with the error message and this is how you do it:

1. Turn off the phone completely.
2. Press and hold the Power key.
3. Once ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
4. The phone will restart but keep the Vol Down button pressed.
5. Once the phone has finished restarting, ‘Safe mode’ will be display in the lower-left corner of the screen.
6. You may now release the Volume Down button.

You may also try clearing the cache and data of suspected apps and if that won’t work, proceed with uninstallation. This is how you reset an app…

1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
2. Find and tap Settings.
3. Under the ‘APPLICATIONS’ section, find and touch Application manager.
4. Swipe to the left or to the right to display the appropriate screen but to display all apps, choose the ‘ALL’ screen.
5. Find and tap app in question.
6. Touch Clear cache to delete its cached files.
7. Touch Clear data and then OK to delete downloaded messages, login information, settings, etc.

If the phone still heats up even in safe mode, then move on to the next step.

Step 2: Turn off the phone and charge

We’re charging the phone not because it has a low battery but because we want to know if it heats up even if it’s turned off. If so, then it’s most likely a battery problem and as early as now I would suggest you have a technician do further tests or even repair it for you. The battery may need replacement and you should not do it yourself.

But assuming the phone doesn’t heat up when powered down and charged, then try turning it back on and charge it. If it heats up, move on to the next step but if it doesn’t, continue your observation until you’re satisfied it doesn’t heat up anymore, however, I would still suggest you do the next step.

Step 3: Reset your Galaxy Note 5

There’s no guarantee that the problem will be fixed by doing a reset, however, we have to rule out the possibility that there could be hundreds of apps and services that are running in the background using the phone’s resources and causing it to heat up. It’s also best to know how the phone would work when given a fresh start. So, backup your important files and data, disable anti-theft and then reset your phone.

How to disable Note 5 anti-theft

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 Master reset your Note 5

1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
2. Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
3. Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
4. Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
5. The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
6. Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.
7. When the process is complete, use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
8. The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

If the problem still persists after the reset, then bring it to the shop and have it checked.

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