Google's 'Adaptive Thermal' feature to help with Pixel's overheating issues
What's the story
Google is preparing to launch an innovative feature, called "Adaptive Thermal," for its Pixel phones.
This feature is engineered to handle overheating issues, by offering users comprehensive data about the steps their device is implementing to decrease heat.
It will also propose manual cooling down actions for users.
The specifics of this new addition were discovered by Android expert Mishaal Rahman in the recent Device Health Services app v1.27 for Pixel devices.
Pre-emergency alert
The feature will alert users of high temperatures
The "Adaptive Thermal" feature is programed to activate a "pre-emergency" alert when the phone's temperature hits 49°C.
Users will be notified that their device needs to cool down and that its performance might be negatively impacted due to the high temperature.
By clicking the "See care steps" button in the notification, users can see a list of measures their phone is taking to reduce heat, and also get suggestions for actions they can take.
Cooling measures
Suggested actions to combat overheating
The suggested actions to combat overheating include moving the device away from direct sunlight, placing the phone in an open area for better airflow, and closing all battery-intensive apps such as games, videos, and the camera.
The phone will also try to cool itself down by temporarily limiting performance speed and disabling 5G network among other measures.
If these steps fail to lower the temperature and it reaches 52°C, "Adaptive Thermal" feature will put the phone into an "emergency" state.
Safety measure
Phone will shut down at extremely high temperatures
The specific actions taken by Pixel phones in the "emergency" state are not yet clear.
However, if the temperature continues to rise and crosses 55°C, the phone will shut itself down after showing a 30-second countdown.
While none of these actions are new and are already built into Pixel phones as overheating protections, "Adaptive Thermal" will make users more aware of what's happening in their phones when temperatures start reaching uncomfortable levels.