Why does my iPhone get hot while charging?
Is it normal to see an iPhone getting hot while charging? How to fix it? I tell you all you need to know
An iPhone is getting hot while charging because heat is produced by the electricity flowing into the battery, added to the heat produced by the CPU usage of the iPhone.
I first need to explain why heat is produced when an electrical device, such as an iPhone, is charging. But at some point, an iPhone can get too hot, hopefully, I found some tricks that can help to fix it.
Is it normal that an iPhone to get hot while charging?
Yes, an iPhone, like every other electronic device, is producing a certain amount of heat while charging. It’s completely fine to see an iPhone getting warm while charging it.
A charger, while in use, is producing heat because of the resistance of the components used inside. Every electronic device is using conductive metals so electricity can flow in it, and these metals, under normal conditions, have resistance.
It means that part of the energy flowing into the component will be transformed into heat. Depending on the quality of the components used, more or less heat is produced.
Therefore, iPhones are always producing at least a little heat while powered on, and there are even producing more while charging, as more electricity flows into the device.
When hot is too hot
If every device is producing heat while in use, if too much heat is produced there might be an issue with the device. When you can’t hold your iPhone in your hands, it’s definitely too hot!
Most of the time, your iPhone will trigger a security process once the temperature sensor measured a temperature higher than the threshold. A screen will appear on your iPhone, saying that the device needs to cold down before you can use it again.
If you see this screen on your iPhone while charging, it means that it’s too hot to keep using the phone without any risk, such as a battery swelling issue or any other damage.
Why does my iPhone get too hot while charging?
There can be multiple factors that lead to an overheating charging iPhone.
High CPU usage while charging
Most of the time, people ask too much of their phone. Tasks asking for high CPU usage while your iPhone is charging can’t be done for several hours.
Some video games, for example, need a lot of power and perform high CPU and GPU usage and therefore are using a lot of battery. People usually plug in the charger and keep playing for several hours, until the iPhone is overheating.
It’s completely normal to see this behavior, even the best smartphones such as the latest iPhones can overheat under certain conditions, and while playing video games and charging at the same time.
Sunlight or other heat source
Another common behavior that results in an iPhone being too hot while charging is letting your iPhone under sunlight for too long.
As charging is already producing heat if you also let something external to your iPhone warm up the device, at some point the temperature threshold will be reached and your iPhone will need to cold down.
Avoid letting your iPhone under sunlight or near a heat source while charging it.
Background app processing
Sometimes, your iPhone is performing many tasks in the background without asking you anything. Many synchronization processes can be done in the background, such as iCloud synchronization, or Music downloads.
Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it. Just wait until your iPhone is cooling down. You can also try to remove applications that you don’t use, which could perform tasks in the background, and connect to a Wi-Fi network, as it will use less battery and therefore produce less heat.
The iPhone charger is bad or damaged
If your iPhone is too hot each time it’s charging, and all the reasons above do not apply, the issue might come to the charger itself. A damaged charger can deliver poor electricity to the iPhone, in this case, the iPhone needs to perform more tasks for the electricity flow to safely fulfill the battery.
You should try another charger, especially if your charger is cracked. Be also careful about the lightning cable you are using.
The iPhone battery is too old
The older is your iPhone battery, the harder is it for your iPhone to send the electricity flow in it. A too old iPhone battery could be the reason why your iPhone is too hot while charging.
You should check your iPhone battery health to see how aged is your battery, you can also check your iPhone battery cycle count and real battery health using this Siri Shortcut.
If you think your battery is too old, you should plan for a battery replacement, and take an appointment in an Apple Store, a battery replacement is not taking so long.
How to fix an iPhone overheating while charging?
To fix an overheating iPhone while charging, you need to decrease the amount of heat produced by the iPhone. Either by reducing the power used by the device, or by reducing the heat produced because of something external to the iPhone.
Belkin BoostCharge USB C 30W iPhone Charger
Reduce power usage by enabling Low Power mode
A good way to fix an overheating issue on iPhone is to reduce the power used by the phone. You want to avoid your iPhone to perform heavy tasks, and reduce the ones running in the background.
Enabling Low Power mode while charging your iPhone is a good way to reduce the power used by the iPhone. Several tasks and features will be limited, and you do not need these features while your iPhone is charging.
To enable Low Power mode on your iPhone, go to Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode.
Use a better charger
As your overheating issue while charging can come from the charger you are using, you should try to use a better iPhone charger, especially if the one you are using has been made by a nonreliable brand.
I always recommend the BoostCharge 30W USB-C charger made by Belkin. I’ve been using it for several years, and I never had any charging issues on my iPhone.
Belkin BoostCharge USB C 30W
$30.60
Remove the case while charging
If an iPhone case is very important and protects the device in many situations, some cases can make the overheating issue worst.
To cool down, the iPhone needs to dissipate heat, but some cases are not made for that, and therefore makes the heat trapped in the device. Removing the case while charging can help to fix the issue, you can also try a different one, many people, including myself, recommend the cases made by Spigen.
Spigen Mag Armor MagFit Case
$39.99
Author
Maxime Levesque is a technical engineer with more than 5 years of professional experience. He is an expert in computer and phones, mostly on Apple products. Maxime is also the founder of TechBrowser.
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