The iPhone 12 is a beast in its own right. The high-end specs here are complemented by the rugged A14 Bionic chip that excels in both speed and efficiency. That means the iPhone 12 is well-equipped to take on everything from video streaming and high-octane gaming to extensive web browsing. But that doesn’t mean that Apple’s 5G smartphones are immune to problems. Recently, several iPhone 12 and 12 Pro users reported overheating issues, wondering why the devices get so hot frequently. If you are having the same problem, then try these 10 tips to fix iPhone 12 overheating issue.
So what could be the cause of the iPhone 12/12 Pro overheating issue?
While some users report that their iPhone 12 overheats while charging, others say that their device gets hot even when performing minimal tasks like browsing or streaming music. So, there seems to be more than one culprit behind this problem.
As for what might be the solution to fix overheating issue on iPhone 12 series, you will have to check the usual suspects like software bugs and power hungry features. In addition, you will also need to make sure that faulty chargers stay away from your device. With that in mind, let’s move forward with the troubleshooting guide!
Get rid of the defective case
Many inexpensive and bulky cases do not have a heat sink design. As a result, they tend to cause overheating issues. So make sure that the case you are using has an improved heat reduction design to keep the device cool.
Make sure to force quit apps if you are not using them.
Some people are not used to closing apps. Therefore, they stay open in the background for hours and in some cases for days. These active apps drain the battery unnecessarily, which often leads to an overheating issue. Besides, he also becomes the chief wrecker for quick battery drain and slowness. So, it makes sense to force quit apps after you have used them.
Swipe up from the Home bar and hold it in the middle of the screen to access the app switcher. After that, swipe up on an app card to quit the app . Quit all open applications.
Make sure you are using MFi certified chargers
There are all kinds of reasons why you should always use MFi certified chargers (stands for Made for iPhone, iPad and iPod). First of all, certified chargers are fully compatible. Hence, they can charge your iPhone faster and with the necessary efficiency. And second, authorized chargers are better equipped to deal with threats such as overheating, overcurrent, and short circuits.
On the contrary, fake or uncertified chargers offer slow charging and are more prone to problems like overheating and short circuits. Not to mention that they are also the main culprits of the “Accessory may not be supported” error. So always stay away from uncertified chargers.
Reset your iPhone 12 to fix the overheating issue
Whenever I run into a common / miscellaneous iOS issue, I make sure to try a hard reset on my iPhone. Most often this helps me to solve the problem. Considering how reliable this method is, I suggest you try to fix iPhone 12 overheating issue.
Press and release the volume up button. After that, press and release the volume down button. Then, hold down the side button until the Apple logo appears. After your iPhone 12 has restarted, try using it for a while to check if you have fixed the overheating issue.
Disable background app refresh
While refreshing the background app might not appear to have a direct impact on the overheating issue, it does trigger the background issue. The continuous updating of the application in the background kills more battery . And when the battery is forced to do the heavy lifting due to excessive power consumption, an overheating problem occurs.
Go to the Settings app on your iPhone -> General -> Background App Refresh . Now you can completely disable background app refresh on your iOS device or allow only a few important apps to refresh in the background. I suggest you turn it off right now. If this fixes the problem, you can allow some important apps to refresh in the background later.
For those who are unfamiliar, refreshing apps in the background keeps apps running smoothly. This is why it is enabled by default.
Stop continuous location tracking
If not used smartly, location tracking will drain a lot of battery on your iPhone. And due to the over-draining of the battery, the iPhone 12 will eventually overheat. So, never fail to stop location tracking on your iOS device when it is not in use.
Go to the Settings app on your iOS device -> Privacy -> Location Services . Now turn off the Location Services switch to turn it off completely. If you don’t want to turn it off, only allow specific apps to track your location. For better control, iOS offers three options to choose from:
Never : Prevent an app from using your location data.
Ask next time : Force an app to ask you whenever it needs to track your location.
When using the app : Allow an app to access your location only when you are using it.
Update all apps and delete all files that are hogging storage
It’s no secret that outdated apps are problematic. They tend to crash unexpectedly, freeze every now and then, and play a key role in slowing the device down. Also, their power hungry nature works as a catalyst to trigger overheating issues on iPhone 12. So make sure apps are always updated to the latest version.
If there are any apps that haven’t received the update for a while, remove them as they could be causing this issue. Other than that, I would also recommend that you optimize the storage of your iOS device by cleaning up all the files hogging the storage. Cluttered storage causes the device to be sluggish, which leads to two other major issues including unexpected battery drain and overheating.
iOS allows you to update apps automatically. So if you often forget to update apps on your iPhone, make sure to use the auto update feature. Go to the Settings app -> App Store . Now turn on the switch right next to App Updates . Besides, you can also choose to update the apps manually. To do this, go to the App Store -> your profile . On this screen, you will have the option to update one app at a time or update all apps at once.
Before removing the clutter on your iPhone 12, go to the Settings app -> General -> iPhone Storage . Here you can see the breakdown of storage consumption on your iPhone 12. Also, take a close look at all the apps and how much storage each is using on the device.
Once you have verified the storage consumption, clean up redundant files and unnecessary screenshots. Additionally, make sure to remove any apps you barely use.
Reset all settings
Removing existing settings and putting the device back to factory defaults is the type of solution that is helpful in troubleshooting complex iOS issues. This is the reason why I never miss this. Note that when you reset your device, iOS only removes existing settings, including Wi-Fi and website settings. All your apps, media, and data will stay secure, so you don’t have to worry about losing anything.
Go to the Settings app on your iPhone -> General -> Reset -> Reset All Settings . Now enter your device password and tap on Reset all settings again to finish. It should definitely help in fixing your iPhone 12 overheating issue.
Update the software
If your iPhone 12 is still overheating and none of the solutions mentioned above fixes this problem, the problem may be due to a software bug. Apple releases software updates quite frequently to fix bugs and improve overall performance. So there is a good chance that the software update will help fix the iPhone 12 overheating issue.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone -> General -> Software Update . Now iOS will check if there is a software update available. If the update is available, download and install it to resolve the issue.
Restore your device as new
Restoring the device as new is considered the last resort, so you should go ahead with this solution carefully. It will erase all existing data on your device including photos, videos and music. Hence, make sure to back up your entire device before going for this drastic solution.
Connect iPhone to your computer and launch Finder (in macOS Catalina or later) or iTunes (in macOS Mojave or earlier or Windows). After that select the device . Then click on Restore iPhone. Then follow the instructions to restore your iOS device.
It should be noted that you can also restore your iPhone 12 without a computer. To do this, go to the Settings app -> General -> Reset -> Erase all content and settings . Once you have successfully erased your iPhone, set it up again by following the on-screen instructions. Along the way, iOS will let you restore it from your iCloud backup.
