Apple iPhone 7 Overheating Issue: Why does my iPhone 7 get very hot? [Troubleshooting Guide]

This content outlines potential causes of overheating issue on the #Apple iPhone 7 (#iPhone7), in which the device unusually gets hot under any circumstances. In the past few days, an iPhone 7 owner has relayed to us a question as to why his new iPhone gets unusually hot. This post should serve as our response. If you’ve come across this page while in search for possible solutions, answers and/or recommendations to the address the same iPhone issue, then I encourage you to read on.

Before going any further though, if you have other concerns with your new iPhone, make sure you drop by our iPhone 7 troubleshooting page for we have already started supporting the device. Moreover, if you need further assistance, you can always contact us by completing our iPhone issues questionnaire and providing us with sufficient information about the problem.

Factors that can trigger your iPhone to overheat or get very hot

Devices issues like overheating can either be due to a software or hardware problem. Unless you haven’t dropped or exposed your iPhone to any sort of liquid, then more likely the overheating problem is software-related. Here are the things you need to consider should the problem lies within the iPhone system.

Prolonged or Extensive Usage

One of the most common factors that can cause your phone to get extremely hot is prolonged or extensive usage. Majority, if not all mobile electronic devices can develop the same symptom when used for a longer period of time.

Similar to a computer, your iPhone also has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) otherwise known as its brain. The CPU is a tremendously powerful chip that carries out every task or input commands and processes from the user. That being said, the CPU is the one component that heats up the fastest among other parts of your device. Just imagine what would happen if you use your iPhone for hours and hours, pushing the CPU as hard as it can go? Of course, it would overheat and use a lot of power. It’s exactly what happens to the engine of your car. Although car engines are very powerful, pushing it as hard as it can go would make it overheat and use a lot of gas. The same concept applies in mobile devices.

Software/Apps Problem

Your iPhone contains a lot of apps. Each of these apps runs simultaneously and can stimulate the CPU all the way up to a hundred per cent. If one of these apps has gone rogue and is triggering your phone’s CPU to keep working, then most likely it would result to your iPhone overheating.

In order to fix this problem, you would need to find out which app is misbehaving and then put an end to it. You may head to your iPhone’s Battery Usage section to view more details on which app is causing such trouble. To do so, go to Settings-> Battery-> wait for the Battery Usage screen to load all the details.

How to diagnose and fix your iPhone 7 that is overheating

Before you jump into a conclusion that the overheating problem on your iPhone is due to a faulty hardware, consider the following methods and try on to diagnose it further then attempt to fix it on your end.

Step 1. Quit or Close Unnecessary Apps running in the background.

As what I have mentioned previously, prolonged use and too much workload on the CPU can result to overheating. So the first thing you should to do is to lighten the workload on your iPhone as much as possible.

Closing out all unnecessary apps that are still running in the background is the first remedy you can try on.

• To quit apps, double tap the Home button of your iPhone and then swipe each app off the top of the screen.

If closing out apps won’t change a thing and that your iPhone still gets unusually hot, then try to ask yourself when did the problem starts or when did your iPhone first start to overheat. If the problem started after you have installed a certain application, then that particular app may be the culprit. As resolution to this case, head on to your iPhone Settings and follow these steps:

1. From the Settings menu, tap Privacy.
2. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and then tap Diagnostics & Usage.
3. Continue by tapping on Diagnostic & Usage Data for a list of everything that has been crashing on your device.

On the next screen, you should see log files. If you see the same app listed several times already, then it is an indication of a problem with that app.

Step 2. Update iOS to the latest version available.

If the problem has been going on for a while and you are not sure of which app has started the problem, then updating your iPhone software is recommended. Apple periodically rolls out software updates that address existing issues including some bugs that cause certain apps to misbehave and your device to get unusually hot. To check if a software update is available for your device, follow these steps:

1. To get started, tap Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software Update.

If an update is available, try to install it. In case you cannot proceed with the update and prompted with a message saying that the update cannot be installed due to insufficient storage, then you can plug your iPhone to a computer and use iTunes to update your iPhone 7 software. This way, you won’t have to delete anything to free up space on your phone.

Step 3. Reset All Settings.

If the problem persists after you have tried the aforesaid steps, then your next option is to reset all settings on your iPhone 7. For starters, here are the steps on how to get this done with your new iOS handset:

1. Begin by tapping on Settings.
2. Next, tap General.
3. Tap to select the option to Reset All Settings.

Note: The process to reset all settings clears out your iPhone settings including Wi-Fi passwords, wallpapers, and restores them to their default settings within the Settings app. While it does not delete any of the data stored on your iPhone, you still need to take note of your Wi-Fi credentials and other customized information before you begin.

Resetting all settings on your iPhone has been used by other iPhone owners in dealing with issues on misbehaving apps, which eventually have caused the device to become unusually hot.

Step 4. Restore your iPhone.

This should be your last resort if none of the above procedures worked and that your iPhone 7 remains hot. If you are certain that there is no hardware damage present and the problem lies within the software, then you need to consider doing a hard reset.

There is a higher chance that what you’ve got is a deeper software issue that can only be eradicated by a hard reset. Should you go for it, be sure to back up your iPhone to iCloud beforehand. After you’ve created a backup, you can restore your iPhone using iTunes or iCloud backup afterwards.

To backup and restore your iPhone either from a backup or to factory defaults, you can use iTunes. In this case, you would need a computer to continue and complete the process.

Other Helpful Tips to deal with iPhone Overheating

The following methods and suggestions can also help resolve overheating issue on your new iPhone:

• Do not put your iPhone in a place with too much heat or exposed to direct sunlight.
• If your iPhone gets hot when using it outside with the weather that is too hot, try to bring your device to the shade, then let it cool down a bit before using it again.
• Let your iPhone cool gradually or avoid continuous and prolonged use.
• If your iPhone gets hot when charging, disconnect your iPhone from the charger or stop it from charging. After the charging activity is stopped, observe what happens. If the problem is gone, then check the cable and its adaptor for any of these might be the culprit. Be sure to use the original (Apple) or OEM-provided charging accessories for your iPhone.
• Perform a soft reset. Shutting down your iPhone is also a helpful remedy especially if the problem is triggered by a misbehaving app. Just press and hold down the Power button until the red slider appears, slide it to turn off your iPhone completely, wait for a minute and then turn it back on by pressing the Power button for a few seconds until the Apple logo shows up.
• Remove any third-party casing or accessories as they too may cause overheating and power issues to arise on your iPhone. For some reasons, the design and material of the case can also affect the device functions. To determine if this is the cause, try to remove the case and leave it like that until the device cools down and then try to use it again to see what happens afterwards.
• Configure or turn off Personal Hotspot and other connectivity features that are enabled. If you are using your iPhone as personal hotspot or share the Internet connection with other devices, it may be the trigger. You can turn this feature off by going to Settings-> Personal Hotspot, and then toggle the switch to turn the feature off.
• The same thing can happen if Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have been active or enabled for so long on your iPhone. With these features enabled, your device will keep searching for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices within range. The more it does this, the more processes the CPU has to complete. Eventually, this will result to your iPhone to become extremely hot.
• Turn off Location Services. If not needed, turn off Location Services on your iPhone. This feature is used to search and detect certain locations, like nearby Wi-Fi hotspots using GPS function. When enabled, your iPhone would need to keep searching for these locations via GPS all the time. So if your iPhone is getting hot with Location Services turned on, then try to disable it by going to Settings-> Privacy-> Location Services. Finally, toggle the switch to turn the feature OFF.

If your iPhone 7 starts to overheat after downloading and installing an iOS update, then try to give it some time to complete the updating process. At least a day will do. Otherwise, you may resort to an iOS downgrade or wait for the next iOS update rollout. If you opt for the latter, then you should contact Apple Support immediately, to escalate the issue so as for them to consider it a priority and release a new firmware update with a definite fix as soon as possible.

Connect with Us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the new Apple iPhone 7 smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone 7. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.