iPhone overheating on iOS 16? Here’s what to do

We can all agree that it’s not unexpected to run into a bug or two after a major system update. However, overheating and prompts informing you that your iPhone stopped charging because it’s too hot are definitely surprising. That’s exactly what users didn’t want to see after getting iOS 16. If your iPhone is overheating on iOS 16, check the steps we provided for you below.

Table of contents:

1. Restart your iPhone
2. Check the cable
3. Don’t use your device while charging
4. Update your iPhone
5. Reset your device to factory settings

Why does iPhone overheat after the update?

There are a few reasons why your iPhone might start overheating and charging slowly. The usual suspect is the battery but there’s also a question of Lightning cable and how extensively you use your device, especially while charging. We can’t neglect the effect of external heat and Cellular Data. Especially during video calls over cellular data. However, in this case, we are inclined to dismiss all of those because most users report that the issues only started after they updated the iPhone to iOS 16.

1. Restart your iPhone

You can try mitigating the issue by restarting your iPhone. It’s highly likely that the overheating issues started after the system update but this might be caused by a random app in the background that puts strain on your device. After that, navigate to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and check the health percentage. Everything under 70% might mean that the battery is starting to deplete much faster and thus is defective.

Also, try disabling Cellular data temporarily because it’s known for causing overheating. Also, consider dimming the display. If that didn’t help, try an alternative cable and check if the issue persists.

2. Check the cable

Some users claim that the faulty cable (or unsupported cable) was at fault and that the overheating while charging ceased after they switched to an alternative cable. We are inclined to believe that the problem is instead software-related, but you can give it a try. Of course, if you have a secondary cable at your disposal.

Also, try removing the protective case and check if your device is still hot to the touch after a few minutes.

3. Don’t use your device while charging

This one is a good tip. When charging  (especially until the battery reaches 80% of charge), the iPhone will get a bit hotter on touch. Usually, you wouldn’t notice it but, in this case, just leave your iPhone until it’s fully charged. Just make sure to test it from time to time. Have in mind that you’ll get the Charging Stopped Because Phone is Too Hot prompt if the heat goes over the threshold.

In case your iPhone is still hot to the touch, move to the next step.

4. Update your iPhone

If you’re running a Beta version of iOS 16, make sure to leave it and switch to the Stable release. Or update to iOS 16.1 Beta as soon as possible as the problem seems to be fixed. To leave the iPhone Beta Program, navigate to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management > Configuration Profile. Tap Remove Profile and install the next available stable update.

On the other hand, if you’re running the stable iOS 16, check for updates in Settings > General > Software Update.

We can only hope that the problem will be solved soon enough or users risk a critical failure to your device. Definitely, not something we want.

5. Reset your device to factory settings

Finally, we can only recommend resetting your device to factory settings and erasing all the data. But, before doing that, make sure to back up your settings to iCloud Backup and your photos/videos to iCloud Photos. You can later restore everything from iCloud or, alternatively, use your Mac or iTunes on a Windows PC to back up, reset, and restore your iPhone.

Here’s how to reset your iPhone in a few simple steps:

1. Open Settings. Select your Account > iCloud > iCloud Backup and back up your iPhone.
2. Tap General.
3. Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
5. Follow further instructions to reset and then restore your iPhone with the AppleID.

And, on that note, we can conclude this article. Don’t forget to report the problem to Apple on the Apple Feedback page if your iPhone is still overheating on iOS 16. Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions with us in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing from you.