Overheating issues in mobile devices are not always associated with a faulty hardware like defective battery or other components. In fact, most cases of iPhone overheating are linked to rogue apps, misconfigured settings, bugs and malware, and even faulty updates. To make it more specific, we will tackle the last factor which is on faulty updates on an iPhone 7 Plus. Read on to find out what to do whenever you bump into the same scenario in which your iPhone starts to overheat after installing iOS 11.3 or 11.3.1 update.
What to do if your iPhone 7 Plus overheats after iOS update
Before you begin troubleshooting software problems, give your iPhone some breaktime. The new update might be too complex or huge, so it takes a lot of time for the processor to complete the update implementation. Some major updates could even take more than a day to become fully implemented. This denotes more work time for the processor and so you can expect your device to heat up during this period. After giving it enough time to rest and yet it is still overheating, then you can move on and troubleshoot your iPhone system to get rid of certain bugs or errant apps. Here are your options.
First solution: Force close background apps
While many people would not recommend force closing apps on iOS devices, there are times when it becomes a must. Apps that you used recently will stay running in the background unless you quit them. They are designed to work that way for multitasking purposes since it would be a lot quicker for your device to reload the same app the next time you’ll use it. But the thing is, any of these background apps can go rogue especially when they get corrupted. And should this happen, it is very likely for your other apps or device itself to become affected. This is when you will begin to encounter adverse symptoms and overheating is one of them. To rule this out from the culprits, try clearing apps or force close any background apps on your iPhone 7 Plus. Here’s how it’s done:
- Press the Home button twice quickly. Doing so will show up a list of your recently used apps.
- Swipe up on each app to clear it.
With iOS 11.1, you can use a gesture to activate multitasking on a 3D-Touch iOS device. And this is how it’s done:
- Press firmly on the left corner of your iPhone screen.
- Move that same finger towards the center of the screen.
- Then swipe up on the app preview that you want to force close and flick it up and off the screen.
Once you’re done closing background apps, reboot your iPhone the usual way. For starters, here’s how:
- Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds until the Slide to Power off prompt is displayed.
- Drag the slider to power off your device completely.
- After 30 seconds, press and hold the Power button again until the Apple logo appears.
Wait until it boots up completely then test to see if it is still overheating or not anymore.
Second solution: Install app updates
Some apps may also require new app update to keep up or stay compatible with the new iOS platform your iPhone is running on. This is why app developers also roll out new updates for their apps everytime a new iOS version is released. Unless you have configured your iPhone to auto-install updates, you will need to update apps manually. Here’s how:
- Tap the App Store icon from the Home screen.
- From the App Store screen, tap the Updates icon located at the bottom right. A list of apps will show up. These are the apps with new updates available.
- To update individual apps, tap the Update button next to that app.
- To update all apps at once, tap the Update All button. This button only becomes available if multiple app updates are available.
After updating apps, reboot your iPhone once again to implement the new changes and refresh the system. Then observe your device and see if it still overheats.
If there are no updates available for your apps, try to check your iPhone’s battery usage and find out which app is using the most of power. That app might be glitching and is revving the processor up to the fullest. Your options in this case would be to disable the errant app or just delete it completely (if it’s no longer needed).
- To uninstall or delete apps from your iPhone 7 Plus, simply tap and hold on any app icon from the Home screen and when the icons start to jiggle, tap the X in the corner of the app you want to remove or uninstall. Finally, tap Delete to confirm deletion of the app.
Again don’t forget to reboot your iPhone afterwards.
Third solution: Reset all settings
Invalid or misconfigured settings on the iPhone can also cause it to heat up so quick to the point of overheating. The new system update might have automatically altered or override your device settings and that might have triggered your phone system or certain apps to go rogue. To make sure this isn’t the trigger, try to reset all settings on your iPhone to restore the default values and then configure necessary features and options individually. Here’s how it’s done:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap General.
- Scroll to and tap Reset.
- Select the option to Reset all settings. This will erase your settings and restore the defaults without affecting your data stored in the internal memory. In other words, this reset will not result to data loss.
After the reset, reboot your iPhone then start configuring necessary features and options including Wi-Fi networks and other network functions.
Fourth solution: Factory reset/master reset
Performing a factory reset or master reset can be considered among your last options if the problem continues after performing all applicable workarounds. The update might have caused complex system errors, if not contained serious bugs that eventually caused the device to overheat. All your data and personal information will be deleted in the process so creating a backup is recommended. Once you’re all set, follow these steps to perform a master reset or factory reset through your iPhone settings:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap General.
- Scroll to and tap Reset.
- Select the option to Erase all content and settings. This will wipe everything out from your phone system, allowing it to start up like new and fresh.
- If prompted, enter your device passcode to continue.
- Then tap the option to confirm system reset.
Your iPhone will reboot automatically when the reset is finished and the loads up with the factory default settings. This means the need for you to set it up according to your preferences.
Fifth solution: Restore iOS in iTunes
If a factory reset via settings failed, your last best hope to fix the problem is by performing a system restore or restore iOS in recovery mode or DFU mode using iTunes. You may opt to restore your iPhone to a previous iOS backup or downgrade iOS, if necessary. In order to get started, you will need to secure a Windows PC or Mac computer with the latest version of operating system and iTunes software. Whenever you’re all set, you can proceed with either iOS restore methods. A more detailed walkthrough on how to restore an iPhone 7 Plus in recovery mode and DFU mode is available on our Tutorials section. Just visit our Troubleshooting page if ever you need help with the steps.
Seek more help
After exhausting all possible means to fix the problem on your end but to no avail, you can report the matter to your carrier or Apple Support so that they can further assess the issue and likewise give you other options. Doing so is also a requisite to make the problem listed among other priority issues to be resolved in the next update roll out.