Apple iPhone 6s Plus Overheating Problem: Why is my iPhone very hot? [Troubleshooting Guide]

The normal operating temperature for iPhones to operate is between 0 and 35 degree Celsius. This denotes that using the device below 0 or beyond 30 degree Celsius could likely cause potential damage or adverse effects like iPhone not charging or overheating. That being said, prudence must be observed when taking or using your iPhone in places with extremely cold or hot temperatures as doing so can likely push the temperature beyond its operating norm.

iPhone 6s plus overheating

Typically, your iPhone can become extremely warm when used in extremely hot places for a long period of time. The same thing can happen when you leave the device inside your car. All these and other factors that can trigger overheating problems on your Apple iPhone 6s Plus handset are tackled in this post so keep reading to learn more.

I will walk you through in troubleshooting your new iPhone 6s Plus that’s currently experiencing this problem. But before anything else, if you have a different issue with your device, visit the troubleshooting page we’ve setup for the iPhone 6s Plus. We list down every problem we address each week in that page so try to see if we’ve already addressed your concern before. If we did, try to use the solutions we suggested and if they won’t work, then you may contact us by filling up this form.

Possible reasons as to why your iPhone 6s Plus overheating or extremely hot

Every iOS device is designed to pass the U.S. safety standard when it comes to normal operating temperature. In line with this, Apple has programmed each of these iOS devices to give every user a heads-up when the device has exceeded a certain temperature threshold. This is why you will see an alert message telling you that the “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it” or other pertinent warnings, which usually shows up on a black background and sometimes appears as an overlay alert when you are using Navigation with your iPhone 6s Plus. In this case, you will have to turn off your iPhone, move it to a cooler place, and then let it cool down for a while so as to resume use of your device as quickly as possible. Once your iPhone has cool down, restart and then use it again.

Other normal instances when your iPhone tends to overheat or become extremely warm usually occur during initial setup, performing iOS backup or restore, and implementing software or apps update on the device. There is nothing to worry though because your iPhone will just go back to its normal temperature once the process is completed.

Other triggers that would require user intervention in order to get fixed would include but not limited to the following:

  • extensive or prolonged usage – it’s when you use your iPhone for extensive gaming or other purposes without having a pause. Doing so can overload the iPhone processor, thus resulting to overheating.
  • weak/no signal or no service – with weak or no signal or service, your device constantly re-try to search for signal or service from available network nearby. This will trigger your iPhone to work hard, which eventually makes the device warmer.  
  • third-party app malfunction or corrupted contents – some third-party apps contain some bugs or glitches that results to iPhone overheating issue. You will know if this is the trigger if your iPhone starts to show symptoms of overheating after installing a new third-party app.
  • bulky file downloads – when attempting to download several huge files at a time, your iPhone can likely become warmer as it could take time for the download process to complete. And lengthy downloads can also cause your device to heat up.
  • bad update or iOS bugs – post-update issues including iPhone overheating is inevitable. This can likely be due to certain bug that is contained in the recent update. Other cases were tied to incompatibility between the software update and certain hardware components, especially among older iPhone variants.
  • bad battery – other overheating issues are linked to a bad battery on the iPhone. For example, using of an old or damaged battery on the iPhone.
  • hardware damage – in worst cases, iPhone overheating can be an indication of hardware damage, either from physical or liquid drop.

Adverse effects of exposing or using your iPhone 6s Plus to extremely cold or hot temperature

Aside from an extremely warm surface, exposing or using your iPhone in an extremely hot place may also affect some of your iPhone functionalities. When this happens, your device would switch to cool down mode. And in this state, you would notice that your iPhone stops charging (if connected to a charger), screen dims or goes black. The camera flash will also be temporarily disabled during this state. Other iPhone services including cellular radios will also enter a low-power state when the device is overheating. When cellular radios enter a low-power state, the signal also weakens.

Overheating problem on an iPhone can also result to a shortened battery life as manifested by quick battery draining issues reported by a number of iPhone owners. The same thing can likely happen when using the iPhone in very cold conditions outside of its lowest operating temperature range.

Potential solutions and recommended workarounds to fix iPhone 6s Plus overheating problem

Setting aside the possibility of a hardware damage existing on the iPhone, overheating problems can still be rectified using any of the subsequent workarounds and potential solutions recommended by Apple Support and other iPhone owners who have dealt with similar issue on the same device. The best way to start is by determining the underlying cause. This means a need for you to look back on what has happened prior to the onset of the problem. For example, did your iPhone 6s Plus start to overheat or become very hot after installing some apps or downloading contents? Or did the symptoms begin to show after an unintended drop or exposure to liquid? Once you have determined the possible cause, then you may proceed with the application of possible solutions.

Step 1. Boot into Safe Mode or DFU Mode

If you suspect that a broken Cydia Tweak is causing your device to overheat, then you can try booting the iPhone 6s Plus into safe mode, otherwise known as DFU mode around the jailbreak community. Several instances of iPhone overheating are tied to two conflicting tweaks or a recently installed tweak is not compatible with the iOS version on your device. You can use Safe Mode or DFU mode for various purposes including software downgrade, restore, as well as uninstallation of bad tweaks through mobile substrate. Should you wish to give a try, here is how to enter Safe mode or DFU mode on your iPhone 6s Plus:

 

  • Connect your iPhone to a computer using the supplied USB cable.
  • Turn off your iPhone.
  • Press and hold the Power or Sleep/Wake button for 3 seconds.
  • Press and hold the Power or Sleep/Wake button and Home button simultaneously for 3 to 5 seconds.

 

  • Release the Power or Sleep/Wake button but keep holding down the Home button for about 15 more seconds.

When you see the iTunes pop-up saying that it has detected your iPhone in recovery mode, this means that you have successfully entered Safe Mode or DFU mode.

You may now start diagnosing your device in Safe mode/DFU mode to determine if the problem is triggered by a faulty Cydia Tweak. If your device does not show any signs of overheating while in Safe Mode or DFU mode, it therefore denotes that the problem is most likely triggered by a third-party app or Cydia Tweak that needs to be removed or disabled.

Once you’re done with apps diagnosis in Safe/DFU mode, restart or reboot your iPhone to exit and return to normal.

Step 2. Reset your iPhone Settings.

Sometimes, changing certain options can somehow affect your iPhone’s performance, which can likewise result to unusual symptoms like overheating. That being said, if your iPhone starts to overheat after making some changes to certain options on your device settings, you might as well consider that as a possible culprit and try to redo the changes or revert settings back to its prior configuration and see what happens. But if you are not sure which options or settings you’ve changed, then you can just proceed to reset all settings or restore your iPhone to a previous backup.

Step 3. Check the battery.

A bad battery can also inflict similar symptoms to occur on your device. Battery depletion is typical in prior devices especially those that have been used for years already. Check the battery and ensure it is not showing any signs of potential damages like swelling or discoloration. If necessary, replace the battery with a new one.

Step 4. Update your iPhone software.

Should your iPhone overheats due to a bad battery, software bugs or other causing factors, updating iOS on your iPhone 6s Plus to the most recent version can be a potential solutions. On top of the newly added features and functions, the latest iOS 10 and iOS 10.3 platforms also contain bug fixes including the ones causing battery draining or other power issues transpiring on the iPhone’s current platform.

Step 5. Turn on Airplane Mode.

If you notice that your iPhone is overheating, try to check if the signal strength is good. One of the factors that can cause your iPhone to become very hot is poor signal or cellular network coverage. With low signal or no service, your device will keep trying to acquire signal from any available cell towers nearby. This triggers your iPhone processor to work hard and eventually makes the device hotter to the point of overheating. Enabling Airplane mode can be used a temporary solution in these situations. This will automatically turn off other connectivity features including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Location services and Cellular Data.

Other Helpful Tips to deal with or prevent iPhone overheating

  • Do not leave your iPhone inside a car or hot day. Temperatures in parked cars can exceed the normal operating temperature of your device. The same thing can happen when leaving your device exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period of time.
  • Minimize gaming. As much as possible, avoid prolonged use of your device like playing video games, streaming videos and downloading music or complex files. These actions can cause your iPhone processor to overload and thereby results to heating up as well as quick battery drain issues.
  • Do not charge your iPhone when it overheats. Charging can also make a device hot. Thus, charging an overheating iPhone will make it worse. For safety reasons, device manufacturers advised users not to charge their device especially when it’s showing symptoms of overheating.
  • Allow your iPhone to cool down. If you notice that your iPhone is already starting to become warmer while using the device for certain purpose, let it rest for quite some time until it cools down. You may power it off for a few minutes and then turn it back on or use it again once its temperature gets back to normal.
  • Remove any third-party accessories like casing. Some iPhone accessories do not actually fit the device’s physical scheme and thereby results to problems like this. Others who have encountered overheating issues on their Phone were able to find temporary remedy by removing third-party casing or accessories.

Contact your carrier or Apple Support for further assistance and recommendations

If your iPhone 6s Plus remains very hot or is still overheating after performing all available workarounds recommended in this content, please contact your device carrier or Apple Support to escalate the problem and request for further assistance or other options. At this point, battery replacement or iPhone repair might be necessary especially if physical or liquid damage is present on the device. Otherwise, you can just take your iPhone to an authorized service center nearby and have your device checked by an iPhone technician for possible damaged and repair, if necessary.

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We are always willing to help fix your problems with your Apple device. Browse through our existing troubleshooting posts or you may contact us directly by completing this form and hitting the Submit button. Make sure you provide all the necessary information about your phone and the problem so that it would be easier for us to help you.

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