Heat on a Galaxy S23+ has one cause that its smaller sibling lacks: 45 W fast charging. A 6.6-inch phone pulling that much power through a thick case, on a bed or sofa, or while you play a game, is the most common reason people report one that is too hot to hold. Take the case off, charge on a hard surface and leave the phone alone while it charges. Heat from gaming, navigation or filming in 4K is normal for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phone, but heat with the screen off, or heat that began with an update, is not, and the steps below are the order to chase it.
Differential
Likely causes of “Samsung Galaxy S23+ gets hot or shows a temperature warning”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
45 W charging inside a case
What separates it The area behind the camera is hot and the case holds the warmth after you unplug
How to confirm Remove the case, charge on a hard flat surface and compare the temperature after twenty minutes
- 2
A game or 4K video session
What separates it Heat builds after twenty minutes, brightness drops and the frame rate stutters
How to confirm Rest the phone, lower the brightness and reduce the game's graphics settings
- 3
A camera app fault after an update
What separates it The phone warms as soon as the camera opens and zoom trembles
How to confirm Settings, Apps, Camera, Storage, Clear cache, then install the next patch
- 4
Direct sun or a hot dashboard
What separates it The phone is hot after hours on a car mount in summer
How to confirm Move it to shade and let it cool before you charge or use it
- 5
A stuck app or update job
What separates it The phone is warm in a pocket with the screen off
How to confirm Run Safe mode for a day and remove recent apps one at a time
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- When it heats: charging, camera, gaming, hotspot or idle
- The case and charger in use
- The top app in Settings, Battery, Battery usage
- The One UI version and security patch date
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedCool the phone first
ReversibleClose apps, remove the case and rest the phone in the shade. Cold from a fridge can cause condensation inside.
See what is using power
ReversibleSettings, Battery, Battery usage. A game or camera at the top explains it; a social app with background time does not.
Charge cooler
ReversibleUse a PD 3.0 PPS adapter on a hard surface and keep the phone idle while it charges; avoid wireless charging during heavy use.
Clear the camera cache if heat starts with the camera
ReversibleSettings, Apps, Camera, Storage, Clear cache.
Install updates
ReversibleSettings, Software update. Later One UI 8 patches fixed several heat reports on this series.
Test in Safe mode
ReversibleHold the side key, touch and hold Power off and tap Safe mode, then watch the phone for an hour.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Why this phone heats on charge
- The S23+ is the smallest phone in the family to take a 45 W charge, so its 6.6-inch body is working harder at the plug than the 25 W S23.
- The same chip as the S23
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, which throttles to protect itself when it gets hot, so a dimmed screen is normal behavior, not a fault.
- The family trade-off
- The S23+ gives up the S23's compact body for a 6.6-inch frame and a bigger battery, but takes in power at 45 W. A phone that charges this fast generates heat inside the glass, which is why heat reports on it center on the charger.
- Why a case matters more here
- A thick case on a phone that charges at 45 W holds the warmth against the back panel. Samsung's own guidance for a hot phone is to remove the case and stop using it until it cools.
- The case against blaming the phone first
- S23+ owners who reported heat in Samsung's forums usually found one of three things: a thick case on a fast charger, the camera app after One UI 8, or a background app. Only a minority had a hardware fault, so test the three before booking service.
- Thermal limits you can see
- If the phone shows a thermometer message, dims the screen, or turns off the camera flash, it is applying limits; those are protections and they clear when the phone cools.
- If you game on the S23+
- A game running at the highest frame rate for an hour warms any phone; lowering the graphics preset and taking a break every forty minutes keeps the chip out of sustained throttling.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the phone is hot while idle in Safe mode, book a Samsung check
- !If heat appears only when charging on two adapters with the case off, ask Samsung to test the charging circuit
- !A swollen case or a burning smell means service now
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Does 45 W charging make the S23+ hotter than the S23?+
Fast charging produces more heat than the S23's 25 W, so the S23+ warms more during a charge in a thick case.
Is it safe to use the S23+ while it charges?+
Light use is fine. Heavy use during a 45 W charge stacks two heat sources and is the usual cause of an alarming temperature.
How hot is too hot?+
If the phone shows a temperature warning or limits the camera and charging, stop using it until it cools.
Should I put it in a fridge?+
No. Sudden cold can leave condensation inside the phone.
Does wireless charging make the S23+ hotter than the cable?+
Yes. Wireless charging at 15 W is less efficient than the cable, so more of the energy turns into heat in the phone and the pad.
Why does the S23+ slow its charging when it is hot?+
Charging slows or pauses to protect the battery, so a charge that crawls in a warm room is the phone looking after itself.
Why does the S23+ get hot when it is idle in my pocket?+
A background app or a stuck update job is the usual reason. Check Battery usage and test in Safe mode.
Will a phone cooler help?+
A clip-on cooler can lower the temperature while gaming, but it does not fix a phone that is hot at idle.