Now freaked out about my phone

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I don't know if anyone here has heard on the news about a 13-year-old girl who had a phone what started smoldering in the night, but that story has now made me conscious about my phone.

I use my phone an awful lot because I am always texting and talking on my phone to my new boyfriend, and also my MP3 broke so I am now using my phone as a personal music player too (it has an MP3 on it). Also I use the internet a lot on my phone too.

Now I worry that my phone might get hot during the night and start smoldering, like what this teenage girl's phone did. My phone is a HTC touchscreen, and I've had it for about 2 years. I avoid putting it on charge over night, as I would not be able to relax, but until I read about this girl's phone I didn't know that gadgets can catch fire when not plugged into a mains.

Could this teenager's phone have smoldered because she replaced the battery? Are there easy ways to prevent a phone from smoldering? Should it happen, as many people use their phones a lot?

I think that girl put the phone under the pillow

The odds of you being hurt by your phone are millions to one. You have a greater chance of being struck by lightning.

Maybe someone with better knowledge of the situation could confirm or disconfirm this, but from what I understand, this sort of problem is more likely to occur if the battery is physically damaged. If you tend to drop your phone a lot, the internals of the battery might fracture and cause a reaction that would cause heating and possibly fire.

Of course you could drop your phone a lot and never have a problem or you could be very careful and still have trouble. But on average, if you are kind to your phone, it will probably be kind to you.

I can't say it is impossible but the chance that your phone will do it too is slim.

But if you want to make the chance even less:

- Prevent it from overheating.
Make sure the phone is in a place where the heat can easily escape from. Don't cover it with anything and preferably put in on floor or a bedside table instead of the bedding. Don't keep it close to your body since it will increase its temperature (you create 36,6*C heat!). If possible keep the room temperature cool at night (18-21*C). Make sure the sun won't shine right at your phone in the morning.
Also make sure the phone won't get to hot during the day - don't keep it on sun for too long, stop playing a game etc. if you realize it is getting hot, take it out of your pocket when it doesn't have to be there, especially during a hot day. It will prolong your battery life.
- Use original battery.
And if you have to change battery use one that is compatible with your phone model and the same manufacturer. If you have to use a 3rd party battery make sure it isn't a cheap chinese s**t and it is 100% compatible with the phone (some might fit the shape but the voltage and intensity might be different).
- Use original charger.
Some people say it is save to use chargers of stronger intensify and try to sell you a 2A or stronger chargers because they charge faster - don't trust them. It might work well for some phones but can burn older phones even if the slot fits. Usually the safest option is using a 0,5A charger of a good manufacturer or change phone from computer since it is an intensify of USB - every phone can stand this. Current original chargers usually have 1-1,5A. They are save as long as they came with the phone.
- Check the battery every now and then.
Once a few weeks or after a overheat/drop incident open the back of the phone (if the model allows it) and check if the battery looks OK. If the shape changes or you see some weird substance sticking to/coming out of it replace the battery with a new one as soon as possible.
- Care about the charger.
Unplug it from the power when it is not charging anything, especially if it heats even then. And if it does you might consider changing it to a new model - current chargers have a "charge detection" that turns the charger off when nothing is being charged. Having a "charge detection" charger also prevents phone from overheating by too much charge because the charging stops when the battery level hits 100%.
To see if the charger has such option charge the phone till it is 100% and wait. The charger temperature should drop after a while (about 30 minutes). If it doesn't - consider changing the charger because its not too save.

Mechanical malfunctioning aside, cellular (mobile) telephones are "possibly carcinogenic to humans" http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en according to the World Health Organization. Other researchers including the U.S. National Cancer Institute http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/fact ... cellphones as well as independent researchers including Joseph M. Mercola, D.O., http://articles.mercola.com/sites/artic ... -tips.aspx and even CNET http://www.cnet.com/pictures/highest-ce ... -radiation have shown the risk that phones exhibit.

I avoid using any such phone in ways that increase my risk. Sleeping with a phone beneath your pillow seems to me to be very danegrous. Same thing with men and boys stuffing their phones into their front pants' pockets ... really?!? Think about it.

Joe, have you ever considered cognitive therapy to help you separate all these fears from reality? When I was having panic attacks, it helped me a whole lot. It doesn't take a whole lot of time either, unless you just dig your heals in.