iPhone is overheating? Or it says “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it”. It’s really annoying when you hold the overheated iPhone playing games or talking with others. When smartphones get too hot they start to misbehave and may suffer long-term damage.
There have even been a few cases where phones have exploded or burst into flame, although in these cases heat is generally the symptom (of a battery malfunction, for example) rather than the underlying cause of the issue. Then how can you fix this? This article will tell you why the iPhone gets hot and some essential tips about how to cool down your iPhone and how to prevent it from overheating.
Store the device where the temperature is between -20º and 45º C (-4º to 113º F). Don’t leave the device in your car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.
When you use the device or charge the battery, the device might get warm. You might notice that your device feels warmer in these situations:
- When you set up your device the first time
- When you restore from a backup
- When apps reindex or reanalyze data, like Photos tagging for faces, places, or keywords after a software update
- When you use graphics-intensive or augmented-reality apps or features
These conditions are normal, and your device will return to a regular temperature when complete.
Here are some of the higher ambient-temperature conditions and activities that might cause the device to change performance and behavior:
- Leaving the device in a car on a hot day.
- Leaving the device in direct sunlight for an extended period of time.
- Using certain features in hot conditions or direct sunlight for an extended period of time, such as GPS tracking or navigation in a car, playing a graphics-intensive game, or using augmented-reality apps.
If Your Device Gets Too Warm
If the interior temperature of the device exceeds the normal operating range, the device will protect its internal components by attempting to regulate its temperature. If this happens, you might notice these changes:
- Charging, including wireless charging, slows or stops.
- The display dims or goes black.
- Cellular radios enter a low-power state. The signal might weaken during this time.
- The camera flash is temporarily disabled.
- Performance slows with graphics-intensive or augmented-reality apps or features.
Additionally, if you’re navigating, the device might show this alert and turn off the display: “Temperature: iPhone needs to cool down.” Navigation still provides audible turn-by-turn directions. When approaching a turn, the display will illuminate to guide you through the turn.
Tips To Keep An iPhone Cool
If your iPhone keeps overheating, you should look into where and how you are using it. These tips will help:
- Remove the case. An extra layer of insulation makes it harder for your phone to cool down.
- Don’t leave it in a car in the sun, where temperatures can rise rapidly. Take the iPhone with you when parked.
- You may need to avoid direct sunlight entirely if you’re somewhere extremely hot. If you’re on holiday somewhere fiercely sunny, keep the iPhone in a bag or in the shade. Refrain from using the phone if possible.
- Avoid playing games. Games, and particularly graphically advanced ones, tax the processor, which heats up the device. AR apps can be particularly taxing.
- Stop using Bluetooth, because it provides an additional source of heat. You can do this from the Control Centre: swipe up (or down from the top right on an iPhone without a Home button) and tap the Bluetooth icon.
- Turn off Location Services. GPS is probably the single function that heats up an iDevice the most. Turn it off using Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
- Avoid using Maps turn-by-turn directions. This mode generates a lot of heat.
- Avoid charging until you get somewhere cooler, or until the iPhone has had a chance to cool down. Charging heats up the device.
- Turn on Airplane mode. This turns off GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Cellular data. It’s in the Control Centre: tap the plane icon.
- If you can manage without notifications, we’d suggest turning the iPhone off entirely when not in use. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button and slide to power off the device. (If you’ve got an iPhone 11 or other handset without a Home button, you should instead hold down the power button and one of the volume buttons.)
Just like other phones, the iPhone also generates heat while being using for a long time. Of course, it’s normal. If your iPhone is getting hot, please take measures we suggested above to cool it down. For serious problem of overheating the iPhone, please contact a professional or Apple to have a look.
