If your iPhone is getting hot and overheating, there are some quick fixes you can try to cool it down and prevent issues. First, close any apps that are using a lot of processing power or cellular data. Streaming video, gaming, and video calls can cause an iPhone to heat up quickly. Also, turn off background app refresh and Location Services for apps that don’t need it. This will reduce processor usage and data usage that causes overheating.
Why is my iPhone overheating?
There are several common reasons why your iPhone may be getting hot and overheating:
- Using processor-intensive apps like streaming video, gaming, or video calls
- Having too many apps open and running in the background
- Background app refresh being enabled for many apps
- Location Services enabled for many apps when not needed
- Poor cell reception forcing the iPhone to work harder to stay connected
- Very bright display settings
- Extensive wi-fi or cellular data usage
- Charging with a bulky phone case on
- Using a damaged or faulty charger
- Hot environment or direct sunlight
Any of these factors or a combination of them can make the iPhone’s processor work harder, generating excess heat that can make the device hot to the touch.
Quick tips to cool down an overheating iPhone
If your iPhone feels hot, here are some quick things you can try to cool it down and prevent overheating:
- Close any apps using a lot of processor power like streaming video or gaming
- Turn off Bluetooth and Location Services if not actively in use
- Disable background app refresh for apps that don’t need it
- Turn down screen brightness
- Put the iPhone in Airplane Mode to stop cellular and wi-fi transmissions
- Place the iPhone somewhere cool like on a stone or tile surface
- Point a fan directly at the iPhone to dissipate heat
- Stop charging the iPhone while it’s hot
Trying these simple tips can often lower iPhone temperature and prevent permanent damage from overheating. If the iPhone remains abnormally hot for more than a few minutes, you may need to try some of the longer term solutions below.
Check for apps draining the battery
One of the most common causes of an iPhone overheating is apps running in the background that are draining your battery life. Apps that use GPS, stream audio or video, or frequently access the internet like social media apps tend to use more processing power and phone resources even while running in the background.
To identify apps that may be overworking your iPhone’s processor and generating excess heat, go to Settings > Battery to access your battery usage information. Check the list of apps and their percentage of battery usage over the last 24 hours or 10 days. Any apps using a very high percentage of battery in the background could be allowing processes to run unchecked, making your iPhone work harder and get hotter. These background processes from apps can start up again even if you force quit the app.
For apps that have high background battery usage but you want to keep, check their settings and turn off Background App Refresh. This prevents the app from accessing the internet and updating in the background when not in use. Social media apps, email, news, and weather apps tend to use Background App Refresh. Turn the feature off for apps that don’t need constant real-time updates.
As another option, force quit or delete apps entirely if you don’t use them regularly or they are not crucial. This prevents them from ever running in the background and draining resources.
Turn off Location Services
constant GPS usage and location tracking in the background can definitely cause an iPhone to overheat. Many apps request access to Location Services even when they realistically don’t need it.
Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and check which apps have access to your location. Turn off access for any apps that don’t really require knowing your location in order to function. Social media apps, calendars, weather, and news apps typically request location access but don’t need constant real-time tracking in the background.
Also on this screen, make sure the overall Location Services setting at the top is not turned on for everything. Only keep it on for specific essential apps. With strict limits on Location Services, your iPhone will use less battery looking for GPS signals and stay cooler.
Disable background app refresh
As mentioned above, it’s a good idea to turn off Background App Refresh for apps that don’t need to constantly update in the background. You can disable it completely to stop all apps accessing the internet when not open.
Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn off the switch at the top. This will stop all apps updating in the background which can really help an overheating iPhone cool down. The downside is you may not get notifications as quickly when new content arrives and you’ll have to update apps manually. But if overheating is a problem, it’s an easy fix.
Alternatively, you can leave Background App Refresh enabled but go through the list of apps underneath and turn it off individually for apps not critical for timely updates and notifications. Social media apps, news apps, email, weather, sports, and any other apps that peak your interest are generally safe to have background updating disabled.
Adjust display and brightness
The iPhone’s display and brightness settings can also play a role in an overheating device. Very bright displays over a long period of time can contribute to heat, as well as interference from other devices.
Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and make sure your screen brightness is set below 75%. Also turn off Auto-Brightness so your display doesn’t unintentionally get brighter than needed in sunny conditions. These steps will limit the display’s contribution to an overheating iPhone.
You can also try adjusting some other display settings like True Tone and Night Shift. True Tone adjusts color temperature based on ambient light while Night Shift introduces a warm yellow tint at night. Try turning these off to see if it reduces display-related heat.
Use Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode, accessible in Settings > Battery, does a great job limiting background activity to reduce power consumption. Using Low Power Mode can be an easy way to keep your iPhone cooler by limiting extraneous processes.
Low Power Mode pauses background app mail fetch, background app refresh, automatic downloads, and some visual effects. Your iPhone will operate slower but should remain cooler with Low Power Mode enabled if you don’t mind the performance trade off.
Low Power mode also dims your display, reduces performance, and throttles background networking. Essentially, it’s putting your iPhone into a low-intensity state perfect for keeping temperatures down.
Consider enabling Low Power mode any time you want to actively cool down an overheated iPhone. It’s also handy to prevent overheating during known power-intensive activities like gaming or streaming video.
Close recently opened apps
If you’ve been actively using your iPhone for a while, check the app switcher to see if you have many apps open in the background. Having many apps running, even if in the background, can start contributing to an overheated iPhone.
Double press the Home button (iPhone 8 or earlier) or swipe up from the bottom (iPhone X or later) to bring up the app switcher. You’ll see thumbnail previews of open apps. Swipe up on each app preview to close the app. Closing out apps not currently in use can allow your iPhone to idle cooler.
Try to make a habit of closing apps when you’re done using them. Apps not in frequent use can almost always be force quit from the app switcher without losing data or impacting their function.
Turn on Airplane Mode
If your iPhone seems to be getting concerningly hot, one quick fix is to enable Airplane Mode from Control Center or Settings. This immediately cuts off all cellular, wi-fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and background connectivity.
Without any ability to transmit or receive data, your iPhone won’t need to power antennas and radios, allowing it to run cooler. The lack of network connections also pauses background app activity that could be overworking the processor.
Enabling Airplane Mode for an hour or two when your iPhone is overheating can help it cool back down to normal levels and potentially prevent permanent damage. Just remember to turn Airplane Mode back off when you want to use wireless functions again.
Take off your phone case
Phone cases, especially thick protective cases, can sometimes contribute to an iPhone overheating by not allowing heat to dissipate properly.
If your phone feels hot, try taking it out of its case for a while. This allows for greater air circulation and heat dissipation from the iPhone’s external surfaces, potentially helping it cool faster.
You can also try wirelessly charging your iPhone for short periods without its case on to see if that prevents overheating issues. If it seems to help, your phone case may not be designed well for heat management.
Replace your charger
In some cases, an iPhone may overheat while charging if there is an issue with the charger itself. Using damaged cables, cheap third-party chargers, or trying to charge through layers of thick phone cases can cause charging inefficiencies.
If your iPhone repetitively gets hot while charging, try replacing your Lightning cable and charger with authentic Apple-certified accessories. Also make sure to remove any thick phone case before charging. This can prevent charging inefficiencies that lead to excess heat.
You can also try charging your iPhone with a lower wattage, 5W charger. Fast chargers have higher wattage that can create excess heat while charging if there are any cable or accessory issues present.
Avoid direct sunlight and heat
Leaving your iPhone directly in sunlight or other hot environments can cause overheating, especially if using the device actively at the same time.
The internal temperature of a car can also get hot very fast on sunny days. Avoid leaving your iPhone in direct sunlight or in an overheated car where internal temperatures can exceed 112°F.
Try to keep your iPhone in controlled ambient temperatures below 95°F whenever possible. Use shaded areas, fans, air conditioning, and water cooling cases if necessary when using the device in hot external environments.
Turn on Auto-Lock
Having your iPhone’s screen stay active for very long periods can contribute to overheating. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and make sure Auto-Lock is enabled and set to 30 seconds or 1 minute.
This will automatically lock your iPhone after short periods of inactivity. A locked iPhone with the screen off will consume much less power and run cooler than with the display continuously on for a long time.
You can also manually lock your iPhone at any time by pressing the power button. Force locking the screen when you’re not actively using the device can be an easy way to prevent overheating issues.
Conclusion
An overheating iPhone can often be fixed with a few tweaks to settings and app usage. Close processor-intensive apps, limit background app activity, adjust display brightness, use Low Power Mode, and avoid direct heat sources. If the iPhone doesn’t cool down, a battery or hardware issue may be developing.
Avoiding excessive power usage, managing settings, and implementing smart charging practices can go a long way towards preventing iPhone overheating in the future. With a few adjustments, you can likely keep your iPhone running cooler and extend its long term lifespan.
| Quick Fixes | Preventative Measures |
|---|---|
| Close power-intensive apps | Disable Background App Refresh |
| Turn off Bluetooth/GPS | Limit Location Services |
| Lower screen brightness | Reduce screen brightness |
| Use Low Power Mode | Avoid excessive power usage |
| Turn on Airplane Mode | Implement smart charging habits |