Several users have reported that their iPhone 13 Pro Max become physically hot (or uncomfortably warm) to the touch during use. If you are having this problem, here is what you can do to solve your iPhone 13 Pro Max overheating problem:
The iPhone 13 Pro Max will warm up from the moment you switch it on; this is unavoidable and mostly safe. But iPhone 13 Pro Max overheating can be a serious issue, damaging devices and affecting performance. In this article, we address three important questions: what causes the iPhone 13 Pro Max to heat up, what causes it to overheat, and how can it be avoided?
Why does iPhone 13 Pro Max heat up?
The answer lies in a basic property of physics: movement generates heat. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has to physically move things around to work at all, so it has to generate heat. The amount of heat your iPhone 13 Pro Max produces is largely proportional to the amount of electricity moving through it.
If you’re playing a game that demands a lot from your central and graphics processing units, both housed in a central system-on-a-chip (SoC), they will become warm, as they require more power to carry out their tasks.
Your iPhone 13 Pro Max becoming warm is no reason to worry, it’s designed to work that way, but if it becomes unpleasantly hot, you probably have cause for concern.
Why does iPhone 13 Pro Max overheat?
Generally speaking, an iPhone 13 Pro Max is extremely well optimized, and overheating is rarely an issue. It is specifically designed to handle high temperatures. When your device approaches a potentially damaging temperature, the processor speed will be reduced, making slower operating speeds one of the signs of overheating; under more severe circumstances, a warning will be displayed, preventing you from using the iPhone until it has cooled.
If your iPhone 13 Pro Max is experiencing frequent overheating, it could be for a number of solvable reasons, mostly related to overloading the hardware. Pushing your GPU for too long is one of the quickest ways to overheat your iPhone 13 Pro Max (as anyone who has tried a Gear VR knows all too well).
The same can happen with demanding apps, but the burden will here fall on the CPU. Multitasking, extra features and functions, like widgets, and, for whatever reason, your phone having to check its connectivity – be it Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, whatever – all require processing power – warming the SoC – and more electricity – warming the battery.
Other factors that can lead to iPhone 13 Pro Max overheating are external: leaving your iPhone out in direct sunlight, for example, or throwing it into the oven. If you don’t overexert your iPhone 13 Pro Max and it still overheats to excess regularly, it could well be a hardware malfunction, and it would be worth trying to score a replacement.
How to avoid iPhone 13 Pro Max overheating
Following the notion that prevention is better than cure, we’ve put together a few of the best ways to protect your iPhone 13 Pro Max and stop it overheating. Because while you can look after yourself with plenty of sun screen and regular hydration, those are techniques you should avoid when it comes to technology. Try these instead.
1. Charge your iPhone properly
This one seems fairly simple but there are good ways to charge and bad ways to charge.
Firstly, make sure your iPhone is out of its case and away from anything else that may cause the battery to heat up. A battery subjected to hot conditions will not last as long as others and, in extremely rare cases, may even cause an explosion.
It’s also best not to charge your iPhone for too long in the daytime heat. So, tough as it may be, perhaps just charge to 70 or 80 percent during the day and fully charge the device at night when the battery has run down.
Pretty much the worst thing you can do to a battery is to expose it to heat when it is fully charged, so getting it to 100 percent is a bad thing, as your battery will be periodically checked and charged back up to 100 percent, applying stress.
Depth of discharge also affects battery life, meaning it’s best not to let the charge run down to zero percent. If you charge from, say, 30 percent up to around 80 percent, you’re treating your battery nicely, and doing a good job of avoiding iPhone 13 Pro Max overheating. Although it might sound like a pain (it is), it could more than double the amount of charge cycles you get out of a battery.
If you must charge your iPhone overnight or for a long period, it’s best to leave it on a cool hard surface, instead of on a bed or sofa, which traps heat. Having a charging phone under the covers with you while you sleep is a definite no-no. For similar reasons, don’t leave the iPhone lying in direct sunlight either.
Lastly, don’t use your iPhone 13 Pro Max while charging. Charging your iPhone can raise the temperature a good amount, especially if it’s in use while charging.
2. Keep your iPhone in a cool, sheltered place
Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight could damage the battery and the screen. Try to avoid keeping your iPhone in a tight pocket where possible, particularly if you’re likely to get sweaty. It’s far better to keep your device in a larger pocket, or a bag or purse where it can keep it cool.
3. Switch off Background app Refresh
Background app Refresh does exactly what it says on the tin. It constantly refreshes your apps even when you’re not using them, so the newest content is always waiting for you whenever you open an app.
The downside is, of course, that it can keep your iPhone 13 Pro Max working too hard on a hot day. So go to your iPhone Settings and switch it off to prevent overheating.
4. Power saving
To manage or prevent iPhone 13 Pro Max overheating, ensure you don’t play demanding games or watch videos for too long, don’t multitask on applications that require a lot of processing power, try to avoid using Bluetooth for prolonged periods, and only use Wi-Fi if its stable. In essence, avoid as many demanding processes as possible.
5. Get naked
No, not you. Not necessarily, anyway. When it comes to iPhones, a case or cover can trap heat emitted from the handset, so if you need the device to cool off a bit, strip it and expose the body to the air.
6. Update your apps
If you notice your iPhone 13 Pro Max heating up for no apparent reason, check out the apps you’ve recently installed. Buggy apps can cause overheating, and updating your apps usually fixes this kind of problem.
If not, try uninstalling the app to determine if it’s the reason your iPhone 13 Pro Max is overheating.
7. Install Any Available iOS Updates
Updating your iPhone 13 Pro Max to the newest iOS isn’t just about getting the latest-and-greatest features. Each update also contains bug fixes and improvements that can resolve software glitches and reduce the strain on your iPhone’s battery. Because of this, installing the latest iOS update (if not already installed) is one of the best troubleshooting steps you should try.
8. Disable location Services
You can disable Location Services by going to Settings > Privacy > Location Services
9. Check Your Charger If Your iPhone 13 Pro Max Is Getting Hot When Charging
If you’re specifically wondering, why does my iPhone 13 Pro Max get hot when charging, I highly recommend taking a close look at your charger. While it is normal for your iPhone 13 Pro Max to be slightly warmer while charging (especially if you’re using it at the same time), you should be concerned if your iPhone feels hot to the touch. Are you using a charger that isn’t Apple certified? Cheap chargers purchased from third-party companies have the potential to be defective. In this case, your iPhone 13 Pro Max overheating may be caused by a charger putting strain on your iPhone. While it is tempting to buy an $8 charger instead of the $20 version through Apple, you’ll pay far more in the near future if your iPhone battery is damaged by a poorly designed charger.
10. Deam the Brightness of Your iPhone’s Screen
Simply put, higher brightness requires more battery. If you often keep your iPhone 13 Pro Max on high or maximum brightness, deaming the brightness of your iPhone screen will reduce the strain on your battery.
11: Force Restart Your iPhone
If your iPhone 13 Pro Max is running hot after trying the above solutions, I recommend performing a force restart. Unlike a factory reset which erases all of your settings and data, a force restart is simply a different way of turning off your iPhone. A force restart cuts the power from the iPhone’s battery to the hardware, allowing us to reset your iPhone at a hardware level.
12. Back Your Phone Up to iCloud & Do a Factory Reset
If the force restart and solutions above have not resolved your iPhone 13 Pro Max overheating issue, it may be time to do a factory reset. To do this, you’ll first need to back up your iPhone to iCloud and then factory reset your iPhone. A factory reset erases all settings and data, which will then need to be restored with your iCloud backup after it is completed. While inconvenient, this is the most thorough way to reset your device and resolve underlying issues.
13. Apple Repair
If you notice your iPhone 13 Pro Max is frequently overheating, especially when it’s not in heavy use, there’s most likely something wrong with the internal mechanisms of your device. Take it in to the Apple Store so they can diagnose the problem.
It you’ve followed all these tips and your iPhone 13 Pro Max still feels like it’s just popped out the toaster, it’s probably time to, quite literally, chill out and avoid using it for a few minutes. It’s normal for iPhone 13 Pro Max to overheat sometimes in hot conditions.
Have you had any problems with your iPhone 13 Pro Max overheating? How did you solve the problem?
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