If your iPhone 7 Plus started overheating after installing iOS 11.3 or 11.3.1, you’re not alone. Post-update overheating is often linked to background processes, app incompatibilities, or corrupted system files — not necessarily a hardware defect. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps you can take to cool things down and get your phone running normally again.
Let It Breathe First
After a major iOS update, it’s normal for your iPhone to work harder for a while. Background indexing, re-optimizing system files, and other post-update processes can temporarily heat up the device. Let it sit unused for an hour or so, and if the heat continues, proceed with the following fixes.
1. Force Close Background Apps
Apps running in the background might be stuck or using excessive resources, especially after an update.
- Double-press the Home button.
- Swipe up on each app to close it.
- Once done, restart your iPhone.
To restart:
- Hold the Power button until you see “slide to power off.”
- Slide to turn off.
- Wait 30 seconds, then press the Power button again to turn it back on.
2. Update All Apps
Outdated apps may not play nicely with the new iOS version and could drain the battery or overwork the CPU.
- Open the App Store.
- Tap Updates at the bottom.
- Tap Update All, or update apps one by one.
After updating, restart your iPhone again.
3. Check Battery Usage & Remove Power-Hungry Apps
If the overheating seems tied to one specific app, check battery usage:
- Go to Settings > Battery.
- Look for any app consuming unusually high power.
- If you spot a culprit, delete it (if you don’t rely on it) by holding the app icon and tapping Delete App.
4. Reset All Settings
Sometimes new updates mess with your configurations. Resetting all settings can help.
- Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
- Your settings (like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) will reset, but your personal data won’t be deleted.
5. Perform a Factory Reset (If Needed)
If the overheating issue persists, a full factory reset may be necessary to remove deeper software bugs.
Important: Back up your data before proceeding.
- Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
- Enter your passcode.
- Confirm the reset.
Set your iPhone up as new (don’t restore from backup immediately) and monitor for overheating.
6. Restore iOS Using iTunes (Last Resort)
If the issue continues even after a factory reset, try restoring iOS via iTunes in Recovery Mode or DFU Mode.
- Use the latest version of iTunes on your PC or Mac.
- Put your iPhone into Recovery or DFU Mode.
- Follow the prompts in iTunes to Restore or Update the software.
This is the most comprehensive way to reset everything — and could solve even persistent overheating issues.
Still Overheating? Contact Apple
If your iPhone 7 Plus continues to overheat after all the steps above, it might be a deeper software bug or a hardware issue. Reach out to Apple Support or visit a service center to get it diagnosed.