If your iPhone gets very hot, it is often because the software has run wild. See here what you can do yourself to solve the problem.
Have you ever experienced your iPhone getting hot? Sometimes maybe even so hot that it has been too hot to feel comfortable. An iPhone that gets hot is completely normal, but if it gets so hot that you can barely touch it, there is obviously something wrong.
Read along here and see what causes it and what you can do to solve the problem.
In the vast majority of cases, a hot iPhone is caused by the environment. For example, because it lies directly in the sun or in a hot car. In these cases, the explanation and solution are self-explanatory: move the iPhone to a colder place. Apple recommends that you do not store your iPhone at more than 45 degrees and that you do not use it at more than 35 degrees.
In very rare cases, an overheating iPhone is caused by something wrong with the battery. If you suspect that an overheating iPhone is caused by the battery, you must contact Apple or the retailer where you purchased your iPhone. Before you do, however, read this entire article so you can rule out all other things first.
It is normal for the battery to become warm in these situations
There are some situations where it is completely normal for the iPhone to get warm, and where there is nothing wrong.
An iPhone can get hot in these situations without anything being wrong:
- The first time you set up iPhone.
- When restoring from a backup.
- When apps index or analyze data. For example, when Photos tags faces, places, or keywords after a software update.
- When using graphics-intensive apps or features.
- When you charge the iPhone.
When the activity in question ends, the iPhone's temperature will return to normal. In other words, you don't have to react to it. Let the iPhone finish working and see if the temperature does not drop again by itself.
This is how the iPhone protects itself if it gets too hot
If the iPhone doesn't just get hot but too hot, i.e. exceeds the normal operating temperature, it is designed to try to regulate the temperature to protect the electronics from damage. This happens by the iPhone turns down the things that use a lot of power.
These are some of the things you can experience:
- Charging becomes slow or stops completely.
- The screen brightness dims or the screen goes black.
- The wireless activity is turned down, which can mean that the signal becomes weaker or disappears completely.
- The flash on the camera is turned off.
- The general performance becomes worse with graphics-intensive apps or functions.
If you experience one or more of these things, it could signify that the iPhone has become too hot. Usually, you don't need to do anything other than wait for the temperature to return to the operating range.
In these situations, you have to react yourself
But with an iPhone that gets hot again and again for no reason, you definitely have to react to it. It is a sign that something is wrong. If the iPhone is just on standby or all you are doing is reading on a website, the iPhone should of course not get warm. If it does that, it's something wrong and you need to make sure it's stopped. Typically, it will also be connected to rapid draining of the battery. The heat comes from the processor working at full power, and the energy for this comes from the battery.
As I said, when the iPhone gets hot, it is because the processor is working. If there is no immediate explanation, it can only be because some process has run wild. These are five things you can do to fix the problem.
1. Close all apps
Start by closing all apps. Double-tap the home button and close all open apps by sliding them up. Wait a few minutes and see if that helps.
If your iPhone often gets hot, you can try to see if you can narrow down the problem to a single app. If you can identify the culprit, you should contact the developer so that the problem can be fixed. If it only happens once, it is hardly a bug, but just a random occurrence.
2. Restart the iPhone
Rebooting the device is a classic solution that remarkably often helps. It does not fix the underlying error, but typically stops the problem here and now. Maybe it comes back later, which indicates an underlying error somewhere. It is not something you need to do more about, as it is almost impossible to find the cause of the problem.
3. Reset all settings
Another thing you can do is reset all iPhone settings. Sometimes it can be a setting that says "wrong" which is the problem. You can reset your settings under Settings > General > Reset. Select "Reset All Settings". After this, things like Wifi passwords,s, etc. must be created again.
4. Restore the iPhone
If none of the above works, the last option is to restore the iPhone. It's a bigger deal, but may be necessary - and is at least something to try if everything else doesn't work. Remember to make a backup before you start. I recommend using iTunes on a computer to do the restore, as it is the fastest.
Again: Remember backup.
5. Make sure everything is up to date
In addition to the above, you must ensure that everything on your iPhone is up to date, both apps and operating system. If they are, the probability of the error occurring in the first place is lower. Please also note that the iPhone may get a little warm right after an iOS update if there is some processing going on in the background in connection with the update.
Last resort: The workshop
If your iPhone still gets hot even after you have done the above, you cannot do anything more yourself. In that case, it is more indicative of a hardware problem that you need to go to dealers or a repair shop to get fixed. However, it is infrequent that this is the case.