My iPhone 12/13 Pro Max is overheating? What do I do?

Overheating doesn’t just make your iPhone hot to touch. It can also lead to rapid battery drain, unresponsive touch screen, and, in extreme cases, automatic shutdown. iPhones, like all smartphones, are designed to work within a certain temperature range. When it exceeds this range, your iPhone alerts you and takes measures to protect itself.

It appears that both the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro Max have overheating problems (especially after iOS updates). This has been reported by several people, and we have seen a number of such phones pass through our store. Due to their hardware, the Pro versions typically run a little hotter, but if the overheating gets out of hand, you run the danger of breaking the phone or worse.

If you’re experiencing this problem, the first thing you must determine is whether your phone just received an iOS update or not. If so, performing a forced restart is the first step in examining it. Take these actions:

Step 1: Forced Restart

1) Push the Volume Up button, then immediately release it.

2) Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.

3) Hold down the SIDE button while waiting for the Apple logo to show. This could take up to 20 seconds. When prompted to slide the power off, DO NOT let go of the side button.

If your phone restarts on its own after the forced reset, Excellent! No big deal. If not, we carry on.

Step 2: Disable Background App Refresh

Background App refresh might be draining your battery and making your phone active even when not in use.  Your phone will be working harder than it should and won’t have adequate down-time to cool off.  It may help you to disable Background App Refresh in the settings:

Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Tap Background App Refresh > Off to turn Background App Refresh off completely.

STEP 3: Disable Airdrop and Bluetooth

Turning off these features may reduce overheating because they place a strain on the processor and they are always active.  To disable:

Sometimes upgrading to the latest iOS release can fix this problem automatically without you having to do anything.  Check your iOS version and see if there’s a new update available.

STEP 5: Exit all open applications

Closing unused apps lessens the demand on the processor and may improve device cooling.  Close everything that is open to see if it lessens the load on your phone.

Step 6: Review battery life and uninstall battery-hungry applications

Overheating can be reduced by locating and deleting apps that use the battery unnecessarily.

Step 7: RESET ALL SETTINGS

The device’s settings can be reset to fix a number of issues, including overheating.

STEP 8: Reinstall iOS (No Data Loss)

The iOS system can be repaired and reinstalled, resolving overheating concerns, by using a utility like UltFone iOS System Repair.  https://www.ultfone.com/ios-system-repair.html

STEP 9: Use iTunes to Factory Reset your iPhone (Data loss)

As a final resort, using iTunes to conduct a factory reset may resolve persistent overheating issues, but data loss will occur.  This would basically restore your phone’s OS back to the factory condition.

If none of the above solutions work, you should take your phone to an iPhone repair shop like GadgetMates to see if disassembling it and inspecting its internal components might reveal any information about the problem.

Here’s some generic information about overheating on iPhones that may also apply to your issue:

Common Reasons for iPhone Overheating

Some of the common reasons for an iPhone 12 or 13 Pro Max overheating include:

• Intensive Apps: High-intensity apps, like games with rich graphics or apps that use augmented reality, can make your iPhone work hard and heat up.
• Background Activities: Features like Background App Refresh can use significant resources, leading to overheating.
• Environmental Conditions: Exposing your iPhone to extremely hot conditions can cause it to overheat.

Effective Solutions to Overheating

Here are some solutions to help cool down your iPhone:

1. Close Unnecessary Apps: Double-click the Home button (or swipe up from the bottom on iPhone X and newer) to view your app switcher. Close the apps you aren’t using by swiping them off the screen.
2. Turn Off Background App Refresh: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and toggle it off.
3. Remove Your iPhone Case: If your iPhone is overheating, removing the case can help it cool down faster.
4. Avoid Direct Sunlight: If you’re in a hot environment, try to keep your iPhone out of direct sunlight.

Preventing iPhone Overheating

To prevent overheating in the future:

• Avoid using intensive apps for extended periods.
• Keep your iPhone software updated.
• Don’t leave your iPhone in hot environments, like a car on a sunny day.

Conclusion

Overheating on your iPhone 12 or 13 Pro Max can be concerning, but with these troubleshooting tips, you can quickly cool down your device and prevent future overheating incidents.

FAQs

1. Why is my iPhone 12/13 Pro Max overheating? Overheating can be caused by intensive apps, background activities, or environmental conditions.

2. How can I cool down my overheating iPhone? You can close unnecessary apps, turn off background app refresh, remove your iPhone case, or avoid direct sunlight.

3. How can I prevent my iPhone from overheating in the future? Avoid using intensive apps for long periods, keep your iPhone software updated, and don’t leave your iPhone in hot environments.

4. Does overheating affect my iPhone’s performance? Yes, overheating can lead to rapid battery drain, unresponsive touch screen, and in extreme cases, automatic shutdown.

5. Can overheating damage my iPhone? Yes, in extreme cases, overheating can damage the internal components of your iPhone.