Excessive heat isn't good for your iPhone. It can cause more damage to your iPhone's internal components than you might think, especially the battery and processor. Here are several reasons why your iPhone is heating up and how you can prevent it from overheating.
Why is your iPhone getting hot?
Like many other smartphones, iPhones don’t have a heat sink or fan to dissipate heat and keep temperatures down. That’s why it’s common for your iPhone to get hot from time to time. And yes, this is completely normal and usually nothing to worry about.
However, there is a significant difference between a “hot” iPhone and an iPhone that you can barely hold because it is overheating.
Your iPhone gets hot when you engage in certain activities for an extended period of time. The most common causes are:
- Charge and use your iPhone simultaneously : This can cause your iPhone to overheat, and you may receive temperature warning messages like “Charging pending” and “iPhone needs to cool down before it can be used again”
- High ambient temperatures : Exposing your iPhone to high temperatures (>35°), especially in direct sunlight, can cause it to overheat.
- Resource-intensive applications and processes: Performing heavy tasks like streaming high-quality videos or using GPS and real-time navigation can put a strain on your iPhone's resources and lead to overheating.
- Restore your iPhone from a backup: Background processes and data transfers like these consume a lot of processing power, which can temporarily cause your iPhone to overheat.
- Software and system issues: Software bugs and iOS updates can also lead to increased CPU usage and cause a hot iPhone.
- An old or damaged battery: If you receive a notification suggesting that you should replace your battery, take the warning seriously. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery health and charging to check the status of your battery.
How to Cool Down Your iPhone
When you notice that your iPhone is too hot, It is crucial to act quickly to avoid potential damage to its internal components. Here are some quick fixes to try to resolve the issue immediately.
Warning : Cool your iPhone gradually, as a rapid temperature change can harm it more than the heat itself. Never put your iPhone in a refrigerator, freezer, or any freezing place.
Remove the case and ventilate your iPhone
The first step when you notice that your iPhone is getting too hot is to remove any protective case to allow the heat to escape more quickly. Place the iPhone in a cooler environment and make sure it is away from any heat sources. You can also gently fan or blow on your iPhone to help it cool down more efficiently.
Stop charging it immediately
If your iPhone gets hot while charging, immediately unplug it from the charger. Charging can generate additional heat, so unplugging it will help reduce the temperature. Wait a few minutes for it to cool down before charging it again.
Stop using your iPhone to let it cool down
The last but most important thing you can do is to temporarily stop using your iPhone. Close all apps you are using, press the lock button to put your iPhone to sleep, and leave it alone for 10 to 15 minutes to cool down completely. Turning off your iPhone completely can also help speed up the process.
8 Ways to Stop Your iPhone from Overheating
Below are some tips and tricks you can use to prevent your iPhone from getting hot during daily use and potentially extend battery life.
1. Do not use your iPhone while charging
When you charge your iPhone, it's already working hard to recharge the battery, generating heat as a result of that hard work (especially with wireless charging). Using the phone while charging puts extra strain on the processor and other components, which can lead to overheating.
This is especially true if you’re doing something demanding, like playing resource-intensive games or making a video call. Unless it’s an emergency and you really need to use your phone, it’s best to wait until it’s finished charging before using it again.
2. Restart your iPhone
This method may seem generic and obvious, but it is actually an effective solution that helps solve many problems when all else fails.
Restarting can fix any temporary bugs or glitches that may be causing your iPhone to overheat. It can also give your iPhone a little breathing room and help cool it down.
To restart your iPhone, press and hold the power and volume up buttons until the "power off" slider appears. Then, slide it to the right to turn off your iPhone. After a few seconds, simply press the power button again to turn it back on.
You can also ask Siri to “restart my iPhone,” and the voice assistant will turn off your device and restart it, without you having to hold any buttons.
3. Keep your iPhone away from heat or direct sunlight
Exposing your iPhone to direct sunlight or extreme heat can cause it to heat up quickly, especially if you leave it in a hot car or on a sunny windowsill. Even brief exposure to extreme heat can cause damage, so it’s important to be careful where you leave your iPhone.
It's also best not to engage in high-intensity tasks when it's hot outside or when your phone is in direct sunlight, as this can cause your iPhone to heat up even faster.
4. Use official Apple or MFi certified chargers
Using cheap third-party chargers can damage your iPhone battery and cause it to heat up. Try to stick to official chargers Apple or failing that, high-quality third-party chargers that have Made for iPhone (MFi) certification.
5. Turn off automatic brightness
Auto-brightness is a convenient feature that automatically adjusts your iPhone's screen brightness based on ambient light. However, this feature can also be energy-intensive and generate more heat. Therefore, turning off auto-brightness and manually adjusting it to a lower level can help extend your iPhone's battery life and reduce heat generation.
To turn off auto-brightness, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. Scroll down to “ Automatic brightness » and toggle it to off. Then manually reduce your screen brightness.
6. Try using Power Save mode
Low Power Mode reduces background activity and performance to conserve battery life and prevent your iPhone from overheating.
To enable Power Saving mode, go to Settings > Battery and activate " Power Saving Mode ». The battery icon at the top right of your iPhone will appear yellow to indicate that it is in Power Saver mode. You can also turn on Power Saver mode using iPhone Control Center.
7. Update your iPhone and apps
Apple and app developers regularly release updates that include bug fixes and performance improvements. These updates can help prevent your iPhone from overheating. That's why it's a good idea to keep your phone and apps up to date, so you always have the latest version.
To check for iOS updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update.
For app updates, go to the App Store, tap your profile icon in the upper right corner, scroll to “Upcoming automatic updates” and tap “Update all”.
8. Turn off background app refresh
Background App Refresh allows apps to update in the background, even when you're not using them. It consumes battery and CPU resources, which can cause your iPhone to work harder and generate more heat.
You can disable this feature by going to Settings > General > Background App Refresh > Background App Refresh > Off.
Instead of disabling background refresh for all apps, you can also turn it off only for apps that consume significant resources in the background.
There are many reasons why your iPhone is getting hot, and it’s usually a combination of factors. All smartphones get hot, but it’s important to understand the difference between hot and warm. These tips should help you cool down your iPhone and prevent it from overheating in the future. Keep your iPhone in a cool environment whenever possible, avoid using demanding apps for long periods of time, and manage background app refresh settings to reduce heat generation. Also, make sure to use a phone case that’s designed to dissipate heat effectively.
Thank you very much for this tip, thanks to this I knew that my iPhone was in fact reconditioned and not by Apple.