iPhone 16e gets hot without doing anything extreme

By Markk, 1 April, 2025

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

Hi,
I got my new iPhone 16e four days ago. I've noticed that it gets progressively hot after a few minutes of doing completely normal activities, such as reading Twitter, using WhatsApp, etc.
The heat is concentrated on the left side of the device, roughly under the volume buttons.
I updated to iOS 18.4 yesterday. I'm not sure if this could be the cause of the problem or if it will be fixed in the next few days.
Has anyone noticed anything similar?

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Comments

By Holger Fiallo on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - 16:15

Did you download iOS 18.4? If so, normal it will take several days for the new system finished doing what it needs. I do a restart after installing updates. Do a restart. Ask Siri to restart my device. She will ask you if you want and say Yes.

By Brian on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - 16:15

Hi,

Was the device getting hot before the update to 18.4?
Also, are you using applications like Be My Eyes, Seeing AI, or similar applications? I know that Seeing AI is renowned for overheating devices, if you leave it running too long in the app switcher.

HTH.

By Markk on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - 16:15

I've restarted the device a few times. I don't have many apps in the app switcher either.
I'm not sure if it was getting hot before the update, but I'd say no, since I only noticed the problem today. I guess it's a matter of waiting a few days.

By KE8UPE on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - 18:15

Hi,
I have a 15 pro, which I purchased last April & it does the exact same thing.
It's gotten so hot, that I've had to put people on speaker because it's to hot to hold the receiver up to my ear.
The receiver itself even gets hot. I'm afraid it may catch fire one of these days. The battery also dies quickly & my battery capacity is 93%. I’m not even using it with the case I bought due to this issue.

By Brian on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - 21:15

Do not get me started on the dumpster fire that is the iPhone 15 Pro. 😠

By Travis Roth on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - 21:15

That sounds like a hardware issue you should have checked out. I hope you have warranty. My iPhone 15 Pro runs well, I notice a slight warmth to the screen if reading for awhile, but not dangerous like you describe. And it has excellent battery life. So again, I don't think your Pro is behaving as Apple intended.

By Brian on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - 21:15

I am of the belief that a batch or 3 of iPhone 15s went out on launch day that should have been rebranded as the Lemon iPhone.

By Michael Hansen on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - 21:15

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Hi KE8UPE,

Just dropping in here to say that I agree 110% with Travis that you should have your phone checked out. The device should never get so hot that you cannot hold it. I know that accessible transportation is not a luxury for everyone, but if at all possible, I strongly suggest taking your phone to an Apple Store for evaluation.

By Tyler on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - 22:15

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Have you tried going to Settings > Battery to see what's using the most energy? If you notice a particular app is responsible for draining your battery quickly, that may also be the cause of your iPhone getting hot, or at least, it could help you isolate the issue.

If this started happening after the iOS 18.4 update, as others here have said, the device sometimes needs time and power to run post-installation processes in the background. Has the iPhone had several hours to charge when locked and connected to Wi-Fi since the update?

HTH

By Justin Philips on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - 23:46

Turn off mobile data and/or location and see if this drains your battery. Most likely, it is the 18.4 update doing its indexing.