iPhones, including the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus and the X models can experience overheating. An iPhone overheating can be caused by many different factors, depending on its health and how it’s used.

Normal Reasons for iPhone Warmth

There is a difference between an iPhone that’s hot to the touch and an iPhone that’s warm. In fact, there are many reasons why your device might feel warm at times. Some of these reasons include:

This guide applies to all models of iPhone, including the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and the X models.

  • Using your iPhone and charging it at the same time.Watching high-quality video for long periods of time.Using your GPS for long periods of time.Playing video games or streaming video-intensive apps.

A warm iPhone isn’t a cause for alarm and is a normal occurrence. If you experience a warm iPhone, simply let it cool before continuing to use it.

How to Fix Your iPhone When It’s Getting Hot

  • Check to make sure the heavy case surrounding your iPhone isn’t causing the overheating. To do this, remove the case from your iPhone and test by using it for a day or so.
  • Don’t place your iPhone directly into cold air such as in the fridge. This can cause condensation to form on the inside of your phone, causing internal water damage.
  • Check your iPhone for crashing apps. Certain apps that are crashing in the background on your iPhone could be causing your phone to overheat. To check, go to Settings > Privacy > Analytics > Analytics Data. See an app crashing often? Delete the app and try another one. Or, delete the app and download it again.
  • Don’t want to lose your favorite app? Conduct a quick online search to find comparable apps for your iPhone.
  • Update your iPhone apps that need updating. There are some apps that don’t update automatically. Outdated apps with bugs can drain your iPhone’s power, causing overheating.
  • Check for apps using all of your iPhone’s battery and draining your iPhone’s CPU. Go to Settings > Battery, then check the list of apps. Is there an app using a lot of your battery or draining it quickly? It’s time to delete it and replace it.
  • Make sure your iPhone is updated by installing any new updates. An outdated iPhone can cause an overloaded CPU, resulting in overheating. It’s critical to keep your iPhone updated each time a new update is released.
  • Check your iPhone’s network connection. Sometimes, a bad network connection can also cause your iPhone to go into overdrive while searching for a signal. This can happen in areas with bad service or when Wi-Fi isn’t detected.
  • Try changing the brightness of your iPhone’s screen. Sometimes, having your iPhone’s brightness on the maximum level can cause it to overheat while in use. Simply access the iOS control center and use the brightness slider to decrease it.
  • Remove widgets running in the background of your iPhone. When multiple widgets work in the background at once, it can overload the CPU. Swipe right on either your lock or home screen to view your widgets, then tap Edit at the bottom of the screen to add or remove them.
  • Try turning off background app refresh. Background app refresh allows your apps to look for new information at all times. When all of your apps refresh together, it can drain your iPhone’s CPU. To turn it off, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh > Background App Refresh, then tap Off.
  • Try to reset your iPhone’s settings. If you want to ensure none of your settings are causing the overheating, you can reset them all without losing any data. This might be helpful in finding a rogue app or a problematic setting.
  • You can reset your iPhone’s settings without losing any data. But, it’s important to backup your iPhone regardless, just in case the worst case scenario should happen.
  • Consider completely resetting your iPhone back to its original state. You can also try a forced restart.
  • Check your iPhone’s charger. Do you use a charger that isn’t Apple certified? Cheap chargers purchased from different companies or online have the potential to be defective. Use the original Apple charger that came with your phone, or order a new one.
  • Call the Apple Genius Bar and schedule an appointment. If your iPhone is still having trouble with overheating, it could be time to ask for help from the Apple Genius Bar.

If your iPhone overheats, stop using it immediately. Completely turn it off. You should allow your device time to cool down to avoid any further damage. You can troubleshoot once your iPhone is cool.

Check to make sure the heavy case surrounding your iPhone isn’t causing the overheating. To do this, remove the case from your iPhone and test by using it for a day or so.

Don’t place your iPhone directly into cold air such as in the fridge. This can cause condensation to form on the inside of your phone, causing internal water damage.

Check your iPhone for crashing apps. Certain apps that are crashing in the background on your iPhone could be causing your phone to overheat. To check, go to Settings > Privacy > Analytics > Analytics Data. See an app crashing often? Delete the app and try another one. Or, delete the app and download it again.

Don’t want to lose your favorite app? Conduct a quick online search to find comparable apps for your iPhone.

Update your iPhone apps that need updating. There are some apps that don’t update automatically. Outdated apps with bugs can drain your iPhone’s power, causing overheating.

Check for apps using all of your iPhone’s battery and draining your iPhone’s CPU. Go to Settings > Battery, then check the list of apps. Is there an app using a lot of your battery or draining it quickly? It’s time to delete it and replace it.

Make sure your iPhone is updated by installing any new updates. An outdated iPhone can cause an overloaded CPU, resulting in overheating. It’s critical to keep your iPhone updated each time a new update is released.

Check your iPhone’s network connection. Sometimes, a bad network connection can also cause your iPhone to go into overdrive while searching for a signal. This can happen in areas with bad service or when Wi-Fi isn’t detected.

Try changing the brightness of your iPhone’s screen. Sometimes, having your iPhone’s brightness on the maximum level can cause it to overheat while in use. Simply access the iOS control center and use the brightness slider to decrease it.

Remove widgets running in the background of your iPhone. When multiple widgets work in the background at once, it can overload the CPU. Swipe right on either your lock or home screen to view your widgets, then tap Edit at the bottom of the screen to add or remove them.

Try turning off background app refresh. Background app refresh allows your apps to look for new information at all times. When all of your apps refresh together, it can drain your iPhone’s CPU. To turn it off, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh > Background App Refresh, then tap Off.

Try to reset your iPhone’s settings. If you want to ensure none of your settings are causing the overheating, you can reset them all without losing any data. This might be helpful in finding a rogue app or a problematic setting.

You can reset your iPhone’s settings without losing any data. But, it’s important to backup your iPhone regardless, just in case the worst case scenario should happen.

Consider completely resetting your iPhone back to its original state. You can also try a forced restart.

Check your iPhone’s charger. Do you use a charger that isn’t Apple certified? Cheap chargers purchased from different companies or online have the potential to be defective. Use the original Apple charger that came with your phone, or order a new one.

Call the Apple Genius Bar and schedule an appointment. If your iPhone is still having trouble with overheating, it could be time to ask for help from the Apple Genius Bar.

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