In this day and age, internet access is a non-negotiable necessity.
In fact, not having access to an internet connection is regarded as a considerable handicap in most places around the world!
Fortunately, your phone has constant internet access via mobile data, and it can even provide that online gateway to other devices through the use of a mobile hotspot.
However, the question that might be on your mind after using your hotspot feature extensively is:
Does using your phone as a hotspot damage it?
Unfortunately, the answer to that question is yes. Using your phone as a mobile hotspot will quickly use up its battery and cause the device to heat up.
Over time and multiple uses, this can reduce overall battery life and health.
In this article, we’ll take a deeper look into why and how this happens, as well as what you might be able to do about it!
What Is A Mobile Hotspot?
Having constant internet access can be both a blessing and a curse.
The obvious drawback is that everyone expects you to be online all the time!
This is where your phone comes in via a mobile data plan or public Wi-Fi networks; you can be online pretty much anywhere, anytime.
Additionally, a mobile phone can also be used to provide internet access to other devices through a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.
Today, almost all phones can connect to 4G mobile internet networks, and some can even utilize 5G.
At the same time, all modern phones can broadcast a Wi-Fi signal. When you combine these two things, a phone quickly becomes a mobile hotspot device!
What this means is that your cell phone will be able to provide internet access to devices connected to its Wi-Fi network. With that, you can turn your phone into a remote router!
A mobile hotspot comes in handy when you cannot use a public hotspot or when your home or company Wi-Fi is not available.
With a simple tap within your phone’s settings, you can turn on the mobile hotspot function. If you want to, you can even protect it with a password!
From there, connecting your laptop and other devices to the hotspot is the same as with any other Wi-Fi network.
Consequences Of Running A Mobile Hotspot On Your Phone
All of the above sounds wonderful, right? You may even begin to wonder if you need home Wi-Fi at all when you can use your phone for internet access.
However, we bet you’ve also heard the expression, “everything good comes with a price.”
In this case, the price is the functionality and performance of your phone- and it all has to do with your phone’s battery.
Mobile Hotspots And Battery Load
A phone must first connect to a 4G or 5G mobile network in order for a mobile hotspot to work.
This is instrumental as it provides the phone with internet access, but in doing so it also requires a lot of battery to run.
That’s not an all-the second aspect of a mobile hotspot is the actual Wi-Fi broadcast. This component also puts a huge workload on the battery.
And if there’s one thing you need to know about batteries, it’s that heavy workload drastically reduces their overall longevity.
What does that even mean?
One of the ways batteries react to heavy work is by getting very hot.
While running a mobile hotspot, your battery can get so hot that the heat transfers to the other components of your phone.
The whole situation can potentially overheat your phone’s electronic components, which will subsequently negatively affect its performance.
In addition, most mobile operating systems will automatically reduce performance further to relieve the battery and cool down the device.
Whether you’re an Android or iOS user, you’ve probably experienced this overheating slow-down.
In this situation, it’s often best to close all background apps and give your phone some breathing room. If the battery starts draining too quickly, be sure to plug in a charger as well.
It would be even better if you can avoid using your phone altogether while a mobile hotspot is active.
However, this may not always be possible or practical, considering that phones are essential to modern living!
Battery Life-Span
So, what exactly happens with the battery when you use a mobile hotspot?
As we hinted earlier, electronic devices start losing efficiency when they get too hot.
This is the case with batteries as well. An increase in heat means an increase in electrical resistance.
Subsequently, when a battery gets hot, it needs to pump out a lot more juice to keep a phone running.
The need for increased power starts draining the battery much faster than usual.
Therefore, a hot phone will not only become slower, but the battery will also lose power more quickly as well.
As a result, you will need more charging cycles to keep your phone running- resulting in shortened battery life.
Related Questions
1. So, what can I do if my battery fails?
First, you can’t just replace the battery yourself.
You will need to take your phone to a specialist, and good ones are never cheap. In addition, the battery itself can be expensive and difficult to source.
Secondly, the design of modern phones makes repairs challenging.
Most of them aren’t even meant to be repaired!
Phone companies want you to use your phone until it becomes obsolete- and then to buy a new one instead of using the same phone for years.
As a result, modern smartphones use a lot more glue and fewer screws than they used to.
Some even intentionally design the devices delicately so that an attempted repair can easily damage sensitive parts!
So, if you take your phone in for repairs, prepare for a bit of broken trim when you get it back.
2. How do I preserve my battery?
Also, limit the frequency of using your phone as a hotspot- and when you do, use it sparingly.
When using the mobile hotspot function, it would be best not to use the phone until you disconnect it.
Also, try to keep your battery as cool as you can; for example, don’t leave your phone out in the sun!
In Summary
So, does using your phone as hotspot damage it?
As it turns out, yes – it does.
It’s not a catastrophe, but the battery does take a hit each time you turn on the function.
So, you might want to consider going easy with the hotspot function unless you plan to replace your battery- or your entire phone, shortly.
Unfortunately, battery technology is still lacking in development.
While our phones are becoming more power-hungry every day, batteries haven’t changed all that much.
So until they come up with something better, do your best not to overwork your phone!
Just like us, smartphones consist of pretty complex anatomy. Take a close look HERE at all the vital components that make up a modern-day smartphone!