S25 Ultra Overheating During Camera Use? Here’s the Fix

When I first unboxed the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, I’ll admit it—I felt like a kid at a tech carnival. The buzz was wild: a 200MP quad-camera, Snapdragon X3 processor, and next-gen AI image processing that’s supposed to outdo professional cameras. As a weekend content creator with a passion for travel photos, I was eager to see this “mobile DSLR” in action.

But fast forward just one week, and instead of wowed, I was worried. Every time I used the camera—even for casual holiday shots—the phone would heat up alarmingly, especially during video recording. Not gaming. Not charging. It was just the camera mode. For a flagship costing over a lakh, that’s not what you expect.

When the Camera Catches Fire

My problems started on a sunny trip while filming with the new AI Pro Lens. About six or seven minutes in, I noticed the S25 Ultra’s top right corner getting hot. Not just “oh well, smartphones get warm” hot—but “I’m sweating through my palm” hot. Moments later, the camera crashed with the message:

“Camera will close due to device overheating.”

To test if this was a random glitch, I tried again—4K 60fps shoots, portrait shots, playing with AI filters. The symptoms persisted: heat build-up, warnings, and sometimes the phone auto-shutdown mid-video. I didn’t dare try 8K after reading others’ horror stories.

🔎 It’s Not Just Me: This Is Global

Social media confirmed my fears—Reddit threads, Samsung forums, and tech Twitter (or X) were ablaze. Users from India, Singapore, and the Middle East especially were venting:

• “S25 Ultra gets hot in just 5 minutes of 4K recording.”
• “My camera shut down on a family trip—the phone was barely warm indoors!”
• “Even indoor use triggers this in moderate weather.”

Manufacturing defect? Not quite. It’s everywhere, and it’s real.

My (Somewhat Scientific) Camera Stress Tests

Determined to get to the bottom of it, I ran my own stress tests:

• 4K 60fps video: Significant heat in 6–7 minutes. shutoff warning.
• 8K recording: Overheating in just 2–3 minutes (couldn’t even complete a test clip!).
• 100x Zoom shots: After 10–15 rapid-fire photos, the camera app started stuttering and heating up.
• Instagram/WhatsApp reels: Warmer than casual use, but no full shutdown.

Worst of all, during important long video recordings for work, the phone throttled performance or shutdown, resulting in dropped frames and ruined footage.

Why Is This Happening?

Multiple factors are behind the S25 Ultra’s overheating—here’s what I learned from teardowns, reviewers, and engineers:

• High Processor and ISP Load: The Snapdragon X3’s internal image signal processor is powerful but also hungry and hot, especially during sustained 4K/8K captures plus live AI enhancements.
• Stacked Camera Hardware: The 200MP main sensor and periscopic zoom physically generate and trap more heat, which is harder to disperse in a slim frame.
• Compromised Cooling: In the pursuit of thinness, Samsung seems to have scaled back the copper vapor chamber cooling (the bit that helps traditional flagships cool off).
• Software Glitches (August Update): Many—myself included—saw issues get worse after the August 2025 security patch, hinting at a possible software-level overheating bug with camera processing.

My Step-By-Step Fixes (What Actually Helped Me)

I tried everything. Some ideas failed (keep the phone near an AC vent—not practical). But these five tactics consistently made a difference:

1. Disable Scene Optimizer & Auto HDR

• Go to Camera → Settings.
• Turn off “Scene Optimizer” and “Auto HDR.”
• These AI features eat up processor headroom, and disabling them gave me about 2–3 minutes longer before heat warnings.

2. Use Airplane Mode While Shooting

• Unless you’re live-streaming, flip on Airplane Mode before using the camera.
• This halts background sync and radio activity, helping reduce temperature by about 5–6°C in my own tests.

3. Drop to 1080p 60fps for Long Videos

• Switching from 4K to 1080p 60fps let me record longer than 15 minutes with barely any heat build up and zero shutdowns. Ideal for vlogs, Reels, or Shorts.

4. Try Third-Party Camera Apps

• Apps like Open Camera or Filmic Pro seem less aggressive with live AI features and didn’t trip the overheating warning as quickly. Plus, they have better manual controls.

5. Lower Screen Settings

• Drop your display refresh to 60Hz and toggle adaptive brightness off.
• Less GPU strain = less heat during photo or video marathons.

Samsung Support: “We’re Looking Into It…”

I reported my problems. Samsung support acknowledged the issue but only offered basic fixes: clear the camera cache, restart, apply updates. Some users in the U.S. and Europe have received replacement units, while most everywhere else are told to wait for a big software patch promised for late August or September. For official device specifications and support, visit the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Product Page for firmware updates and camera-related troubleshooting.

My Honest Take

I love this phone—especially its camera power and screen. But, honestly? When you pay flagship prices, you shouldn’t have to pause in the middle of a family vacation to cool down your phone or risk missing key footage because of thermal shutdown.

My advice until Samsung drops a proper patch:

• Don’t use high-res video for long stretches in hot conditions.
• Turn off extra AI and HDR features for casual shooting.
• Keep backup options (and maybe a cool towel) handy for important shoots.

TL;DR (In Real-World Language):

• Yes, the S25 Ultra can overheat in camera mode, even without gaming or charging.
• The issue is hardware and software: powerful chips, stacked sensors, and some bugs in recent updates.
• Mitigate by lowering video quality, trimming extra features, using airplane mode, and keeping the display cool.
• Watch for a Samsung patch, and keep reporting your issues—they need to know real users care.

The S25 Ultra can deliver stunning shots—it’s just not quite as “unstoppable” out-of-the-box as the hype suggests. But with a few tweaks (and hopefully a fix), you can still make it work for you.

While Samsung’s future tech looks promising, including its upcoming tri-fold phone and XR headset, the present reality with the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s overheating issues is something users are actively struggling with.