How to fix an Apple iPhone XS that is overheating, gets hot so quickly [Troubleshoot Guide]

Smartphones usually get warmer with prolonged usage like when playing extensive games and streaming videos and music online. Like computers, smartphones also generate heat when the processor and battery get exhausted. It’s a normal reaction though, which means that the phone should go back to its normal temperature when it’s rested and cools down. But when the phone gets extremely hot even when unused, that already denotes something is wrong and that would need prompt actions.

Overheating is one of the problems usually encountered by iPhone owners after installing new iOS updates. This is when the device’s temperature goes beyond 35° Celsius. It’s a common post-update issue especially when the update comes in huge file size. The bigger the file size, the longer it takes to be completely installed on phone. Thus, the more exhausted the phone (CPU) processor and battery can become. But once the update is completely installed, the phone should go back to its normal operating temperature ambient. But if that didn’t happen, you need to do something. For as long as hardware damage does not exist on any of your iPhone components, resolving the problem on your end is possible.

All you have to do is try some workarounds to rule out software-related issues that may have triggered the phone to overheat. Highlighted below are generic solutions and suggested methods to deal with overheating problem on the new Apple iPhone XS device. To find out what could have possibly triggered your new iOS device to overheat and how to fix it, read on.

But before anything else, if you have another issue with your phone, drop by our troubleshooting page as we have already addressed hundreds of issues reported by the owners. Odds are that there are already existing solutions on our website or at least, there are similar problems we already fixed. So, try to find ones that are similar or related to your problem. If you need further assistance, however, feel free to contact us by filling up our iPhone issues questionnaire.

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First solution: Clear all background apps on your iPhone XS.

Rogue apps are usually the main culprits especially if they directly affect the iPhone’s processor. Apps that usually go rogue are those that are left running in the background (background apps). While background apps play a crucial part when multitasking, they can also bring in troubles especially when they crash or become corrupted. To rule this out, try clearing all background apps on your iPhone XS with these steps:

  1. From the Home screen, swipe your finger up and then pause.
  2. Swipe right or left to navigate through the apps preview.
  3. Swipe up on an app’s preview to close it.
  4. Do the same to the rest of background apps.

After clearing all background apps, use your iPhone as you normally do and see if it’s still overheating. If it does, then move on and try the next workaround.

Second solution: Force restart your iPhone XS.

Performing a force restart offers the same positive result as a soft reset does but carried out in a different manner. This is another way to instantly clear out all errant apps including those that caused the iPhone to overheat. Similar to a soft reset, performing a force restart does not affect the internal data stored on the phone memory, so there’s no need to back up files beforehand. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
  2. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
  3. Then, press and hold the Power button on the side of the phone and then release when the phone reboots.

A force restart is often used to fix an unresponsive device and likewise to get rid of minor software errors that caused overheating symptom on your iPhone XS.

Third solution: Delete bad apps and services on your iPhone Xs.

If your iPhone XS started to overheat after installing a new app, then that app could be the culprit. To find out, try to disable the suspected app temporarily. If the symptom does not occur while the app is disabled, then bad app is the trigger and therefore needs to be removed. Disabling apps in iOS is done by activating restrictions. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Settings app from your Home screen.
  2. Tap Screen Time.
  3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
  4. If prompted, enter your device passcode then confirm.
  5. Toggle the switch next to Content & Privacy.
  6. Then tap Allowed apps.
  7. Locate the suspected app then tap the switch next to that app to disable it.

To uninstall or permanently delete the problematic app on your iPhone XS, follow continue with these steps:

  1. Go to the Home screen.
  2. Tap and hold on the icon of the app you want to delete.
  3. When the icons start wobbling, tap the X on the top-left corner of the app icon to delete.
  4. Then tap Delete to remove the application and its data from your iPhone system.

Restart/soft reset your iPhone XS after successfully deleting the bad app and then try to see if your iPhone is still overheating or not anymore.

Fourth solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone XS.

Your iPhone settings can be customized based on your preferences. However, applying an invalid settings modification can also cause adverse symptoms. If your iPhone started to overheat after making some changes to your settings, then that could be the underlying cause of the problem. If you still can recall which options and settings were changed and how they were changed, then you can just revert them back to their previous configurations. But if that’s not possible, you can reset all settings instead. Unlike a master reset or factory reset, this process does not affect any saved data on the internal memory of your device, therefore you wouldn’t lose personal information. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Tap on Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Select General.
  3. Scroll to and tap on Reset.
  4. Select the option to Reset all settings.
  5. Enter your device passcode when prompted to continue.
  6. Tap the option to confirm all settings reset.

Your iPhone should restart automatically when all settings and options are reset and restored to default or original values. See if that fixes the problem.

Fifth solution: Install the latest iOS version available for your iPhone XS.

Software bugs and malware can also trigger a device to overheat. To get rid of such culprits, installing the latest iOS version available for your phone can help. Apple typically rolls out new iOS versions that contain fix patch to address existing device issues inflicted by random bugs and malware. To check for new iOS update on your iPhone XS, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Home screen then tap on Settings.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap Software Update.

Wait for the update notification to appear. Read and review the update details and requirements. Before updating, back up all your important files for safekeeping. Your iPhone must have at least 50 percent battery life and stable Wi-Fi internet access. Once you’re all set, follow the onscreen instructions to Download and Install new update to iOS. Once the update is completely installed, restart your iPhone XS to apply the new system changes and to refresh apps and clears out cache from the internal memory.

If you don’t see an update notification, it means that your iPhone software is up-to-date.

Other possible solutions you can try on if overheating persists are factory reset, standard iOS restore through iTunes, recovery mode restore and the deepest type of iPhone restore called DFU mode restore. All these methods yield to data loss, thus creating backups is recommended beforehand. A more detailed walkthrough on how to perform each of these crucial system operations can be found on this sites Tutorials section from the iPhone XS Troubleshooting page. Feel free to visit the page for step-by-step guides.

Seek more help

Immediately report the issue to your device carrier or Apple Support if none of the aforementioned solutions is able to fix the problem and your iPhone XS is still overheating. There could be some more complex problems on the phone’s software or hardware components that require more advanced fixing. If you’re living close to an Apple-authorized service center, then you can also have your device examined by an iPhone technician instead. Don’t forget to avail for service warranty if repair is needed.

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If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the Apple iPhone XS 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 XS. 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.

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