Introduction
Use this guide to re-apply thermal paste to your phone.
The processor in your phone might be small, but it generates a lot of heat. Thermal paste helps transfer this heat from the processor to another part of the phone where the heat can dissipate over a large surface (usually the frame or a cover). When you disassemble your phone, you can often find the goopy opaque thermal paste above or below the motherboard.
Your phone will usually work without thermal paste. However, it will overheat faster and may slow down to keep itself cool. Reusing thermal paste is better than nothing, but should only be done if you don't have access to thermal paste for the moment. Apply new thermal paste to keep your phone working safely and at full capacity.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to scrape away large pieces of old thermal paste from your phone's motherboard.
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Apply a few drops of highly-concentrated isopropyl alcohol (over 90%) to any remaining thermal paste residue.
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Wipe away the residue using a coffee filter or lint-free cloth.
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Apply a small bead of thermal paste to the motherboard in the same location as the old thermal paste.
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3 comments
What kind of thermal paste is best for phones?
Brian K -
Your phone is less demanding than a full-size CPU in terms of heat transfer, so you can use any regular compound thermal paste.
Will applying thermal paste on smartphones be obsolete in the near future? I have a hint that my smartphone that is already 4 years old, now needs to renew its thermal paste because it overheats easily even while using lighter apps like the Calculator.