iPhone overheating after iOS 18 update? Try these 12 tips

Have you noticed your iPhone overheating since installing iOS 18, the latest update for the iPhone? Well, you’re not alone, because my iPhone has been doing exactly the same.

I first noticed the problem a few hours after installing the update a little over a week ago. I observed that the iPhone got a lot warmer than usual — especially when being charged on a wireless charger (and yes, this was a genuine Apple MagSafe wireless charger.

I started to get reports from other users saying the same thing, and came across similar concerns online. It seems to mostly affect the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15, although I’ve come across reports from users with other handsets who say this is a problem.

Overheating can become a big problem, especially if it happens consistently.

You don’t want your iPhone to overheat, because it can cause glitches and crashes, slow down the device, damage internal components, drain the battery and permanently shorten the battery lifespan.

That’s why you want to take all the measures you can to fix this iOS 18 overheating problem. You can’t stop all instances of overheating, but there are many things you can do. Here’s what you need to know.

Why is your iPhone getting hot after iOS 18 update?

iPhones need to carry out a number of tasks in the background in the aftermath of an iOS update. This consumes more battery power than usual, causing an iPhone to get hot.

Your iPhone might overheat from other causes, such as:

• Leaving your iPhone in direct sunlight.
• Keeping your phone in a hot environment.
• Overusing your iPhone when it’s charging.
• A faulty battery or charger.
• Bugs in the iOS.
• Malfunctioning application
• Poorly designed phone case.

How to fix iOS 18 overheating issue

1. Be patient

A lot goes on during and after installing an iOS update, and tasks such as reindexing photos can consume a lot of processing power, which in turn can temporarily cause the iPhone to heat up. So, if you just installed iOS 18 on your iPhone, I recommend that you remain patient. Things should return to normal within a few days of installing an update.

2. Update your apps

It is not unusual for apps to have bugs or issues that cause them to use more power than necessary. This could result in the iPhone overheating, even when not directly using the app.

The solution? Update all the apps you run, as updates often deliver critical security patches and improved functionality. Here’s how:

1. Open App Store.
2. Tap the Profile icon in the upper-right of the screen.
3. Scroll down to Available updates.
4. Tap Update all.
5. Tap Done.

3. Limit processor-intensive tasks

If you are using your iPhone for heavy processing tasks like playing high-end games, streaming, using graphics-intensive applications, or recording videos for an extended period, this can cause your phone to overheat.

If you notice that your iPhone gets too hot when performing a demanding task, you might want to limit that task.

If there are other devices in your vicinity that do the same thing — like a PC or game console — use them instead so you don’t overheat your phone.

4. Make sure you use an Apple-certified charger and cable

It is absolutely normal for your iPhone to warm up a little while charging, but if your device feels hot to the touch, there’s something wrong.

Charging your iPhone with a non-Apple charger that doesn’t comply with Apple’s safety standards, can cause it to overheat. Swapping that out for a MFi certified charger or a charger from Apple might help here.

You may also want to switch to wired charging. This doesn’t eliminate the overheating completely, but the charging generates less heat this way.

Also, ensure that your iPhone’s charging port is clean and free of any dirt or lint. Any piled-up lint or debris may prevent the charger from working properly, resulting in overheating.

5. Avoid exposing your iPhone to extreme temperatures

Extreme environmental temperatures, both hot and cold, can cause an iPhone to overheat. Apple makes it clear that you should not use your iPhone when temperatures are outside of the range of 0 to 35 degrees Celsius (32 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit).

Leaving your iPhone in a car is particularly problematic because the car’s interior can easily exceed this range when left in the hot sun.

For in-car charging, i like using a wireless charger that has a built-in fan to keep things cool.

Apple offers some tips on helping to keep your iPhone cool in high temperatures:

• Don’t leave your iPhone or iPad in a car on a hot day
• Don’t leave your iPhone or iPad in direct sunlight for an extended period of time

Do your best to keep the iPhone within its operating temperatures of 0 to 35 degrees Celsius (32 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit).

6. Remove the iPhone from the case

Another tip that I found useful when i experienced overheating issue after iOS 18 update was to take the iPhone out of any case.

iPhones dissipate the heat into their surroundings through the back shell, and poorly designed case can interfere with this heat dissipation.

Check to make sure the case on your iPhone isn’t causing the overheating.

Remove the case from your iPhone and test for a day or two.

Just try not to drop it!

If the overheating stops, try a lighter case.

7. Control the screen brightness

Having your iPhone’s brightness at maximum can cause overheating and drain your phone’s battery quickly.

Luckily, iPhone has a setting that automatically adjusts the brightness based on the conditions around you.

First, launch the Control center on your iPhone and use the slider to decrease the brightness level.

Now follow the steps below:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Accessibility.
3. Tap Display and text size.
4. Scroll down to the bottom and ensure Auto-brightness is enabled.

8. Try using Low Power Mode

If your iPhone is still running hot, turn on Low Power Mode. In low-power mode, the iPhone uses less energy and only carries out essential functions, thus saving battery life while the phone runs cooler. Your iPhone produces less heat when the battery discharges more slowly.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap on Battery.
3. Switch the toggle for Low Power Mode at the top.

9. Scan for apps causing overheating

If none of the previous steps helped, what else could it be? It could be a rogue app that’s causing your iPhone to overheat. Fortunately, iOS offers you the tools you need to track down misbehaving apps.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Privacy & Security.
3. Tap Analytics & Improvements.
4. Choose Analytics Data. This will show you a list of any apps that have been crashing.

10. Restart your iPhone

If your iPhone is still overheating, try a reboot and see if that helps. It can’t hurt.

To restart an iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, or iPhone 16:

1. Hold down the Power button and either of the Volume buttons for a few seconds.
2. A slider will appear at the top, telling you to slide to power off. Press the power icon in the slider and drag it to the right.
3. Let the iPhone cool down for a few minutes.
4. Hold down the Power button for a few seconds and release it when you see the Apple logo on the screen.

To restart an iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd generation):

1. Hold down the Power button for a few seconds.
2. When the slide to power off slider appears at the top, press and drag the power icon inside it to the right.
3. Wait a few minutes to give the iPhone time to cool down.
4. Press and hold the Power button and release it when the Apple logo appears.

11. Reset your iPhone

If you find that your iPhone’s still getting too hot after trying the steps mentioned above, you should try resetting the phone to return it to its factory settings.

This will delete all apps and customized settings, but it could potentially help you troubleshoot the overheating problem. For details on how to reset your iPhone to factory settings — and how to avoid losing your most important data in the process — check out our dedicated article on the topic.

12. Wait for the next iOS 18 update

Bugs do slip through the net, and sometimes all you can do is wait for Apple to fix the problem and roll out a new update.

Apple is getting much better at fixing issues, although you do have to wait for the fix and take a gamble that the new iOS 18 update does indeed correct the overheating problem and not cause more chaos.

That said, given that pretty much every update Apple rolls out nowadays is packed with iOS security fixes, I recommend installing updates to avoid leaving your iPhone vulnerable to attack.

If you continue to experience overheating issues, even after updating to the subsequent version of iOS 18, I’d recommend downloading the Apple Support app to your iPhone and filing a report on the issue. This will allow you to share the details, text with a support rep, and/or make a genius bar appointment to have your device looked at by an Apple technician.

Bottom line

One of the most rapid ways to cool down an iPhone is to turn it off completely and let it come down to normal temperature naturally. Don’t try to "speed up" the process by putting the iPhone into a refrigerator or ice box as this could also damage the battery.