Google Pixel phones can tell you how hot they are now

Smartphones can overheat, something that’s not news to anyone who’s tried to use wireless charging and GPS navigation at the same time. But Google’s latest update to Pixel phones is giving you a little more granular information. New and more complex info can show you exactly how hot your phone is, and whether that should worry you.

9to5Google breaks down the new options, which are spread across the Battery Diagnostics settings panel and the official Pixel Troubleshooting app in the Play Store. Both require the latest version of Android (November) delivered to Pixel 6, 7, 8, and 9 devices, apparently not yet available to the Pixel Tablet. What a surprise.

The new interface is pretty good, showing a temperature readout from the phone’s internal sensors in an easy-to-read scale. Stick to the green for “normal” phone use, yellow if you’re doing something particularly taxing like gaming or navigating or trying to mine cryptocurrency while you wait for your Starbucks order. If you’re dipping into the red multiple times a day, it might be worth looking into repair options. And whaddya know, there’s a “contact support” button right there.

More helpful information can be delivered contextually, according to the testing done by 9to5Google. “Your phone is slightly warm, but this is normal during use,” says one warning. “To prevent further temperature increases, charging is paused, and screen brightness and network speeds may be reduced.” More proactive instructions can tell users to increase airflow around their phone (don’t charge it in a pocket, et cetera) or close intensive apps.

I think this is good info, helping to demystify some of the processes going on in your very expensive and vitally important communication tool. A hot phone is worrying if you’re not familiar with the complex workings of your phone — and as someone who’s been reporting on phones for over a decade, even I couldn’t parse the actual computer science a lot of the time. It’s a positive step.