The iPhone 15 has only been out for a few weeks but it has already accumulated some serious problems. And at the top of that list is a bug that seems to be causing iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models to overheat while doing even the most mundane tasks.
If you're plagued by an overly hot iPhone, a fix should now be available. As reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has issued a software updated aimed at tackling the overheating issue. To install the fix, you’ll need to download iOS 17.0.3 on your iPhone 15.
We have been expecting this fix for a few days now, so it’s good to see that one has arrived relatively swiftly. Apple said that it had identified the cause of the overheating in a statement on September 30, so it’s been less than a week for those looking for a solution. Not ideal, but things could have been worse.
What is causing iPhone 15 to overheat?
iOS 17.0.3 is out with iPhone 15 overheating fix. pic.twitter.com/bCpKJJQzNgOctober 4, 2023
As the news was first rolling out that the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro models were heating up unexpectedly a lot of blame was thrown around. Some pointed to the A17 Pro chipset powering the new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, though that wouldn’t explain how iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models are overheating, as those are powered by the older A16 Bionic chipset.
Others blamed the new titanium alloy frame and possible issues with the new design compromising the phone’s ability to disperse heat. Again, not a reach by any means, but it wouldn't explain how the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models are overheating. Neither features the newly designed titanium body of the Pro and Pro Max models.
Ultimately, Apple laid the blame for the overheating at the feet of some buggy software. In a comment to MacRumors, Apple first took care to highlight that your phone naturally may “feel warmer during the first few days after setting up or restoring the device because of increased background activity." But it also pointed out that there is an iOS 17 bug causing the issue in some devices and there are third-party updates from apps such as Uber, Asphalt 9, and Instagram that as causing additional issues.
Hopefully, you haven’t had to deal with any overheating yourself. In our own testing, we found some mixed results, with a test iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max clocking in at well under 95°F. However, an editor’s personal iPhone 15 Pro Max models reached temperatures as high as 104.1°F.
Regardless of which phone is suffering from the issue, this latest fix from Apple should bring temperatures back down to normal for most. We will update this story if that proves not to be the case.
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