iPhone and Android owners warned their phone case might actually be zapping their battery – are you at risk?

SMARTPHONE owners may be actively contributing to the demise of their battery by their choice in phone case, an expert has warned.

A novelty phone case may be amusing – but it’s no fun in hot weather.

Chunky phone cases, fluffy ones and even the ‘indestructible’ metal ones, can all cause a device to overheat when you’re lounging in the sun.

Speaking to The Sun, Kewin Charron, senior lead refurbishment operations manager at Back Market, explained: “In the summer months, I recommend using a thinner, lighter phone case.

“Thicker phone cases can increase the risk of your device overheating because they restrict airflow and trap heat, preventing the device from cooling down properly.”

That means you need to ditch the giant novelty phone cases during summer.

Otherwise the device won’t be able to “breathe” properly and expel the heat it generates simply by operating.

“Without proper ventilation, the heat from regular use or charging can’t escape, which can cause your phone to get too hot and possibly lead to performance issues or damage,” Charron continued.

“It’s important to choose a phone case that allows your device to breathe and stay cool.”

Charron reiterated Apple’s advice, saying: “Extreme temperatures can be really damaging to your device and specifically to its battery life.”

“In the event of overheating, it’s important to remove any phone cases or accessories before charging to ensure additional heat isn’t trapped in the device,” he added.

How to cool down phone

Apple has a three steps customers must do to get their device back up and running.

“To resume use of your device as quickly as possible, turn it off, move it to a cooler environment (away from direct sunlight) and allow it to cool down,” Apple said in a support forum on its website.

If you want to prevent your phone getting to the stage of overeating, you should first remove any chunky accessories as Charron advised.

Seek shade

It is smarter and easier to keep your phone in the shade and try to reduce the amount of time spent on it in a bid to get it working again.

Turn down brightness

The brighter and more active the screen is, the more power your phone battery is using, and the hotter your phone can become.  

Cut the performance

It’s advised to avoid any high-performance apps like Netflix or Candy Crush, as these can cause your phone to heat even on a cool day.