Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating: Causes and solutions

Why is my Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating? If you’ve ever grabbed your phone and it felt much hotter than usual, you’ve probably asked yourself this question, and it should be cause for concern—frequent overheating can damage your battery and other parts over time. Luckily, there are steps you can take to cool it off and avoid any long-term effects.

At Asurion, we make tech easy. Our experts have helped millions of people resolve their tech issues—from fixing the iPhone black screen of death to handling a frozen iPhone. Here’s why your iPhone 15 Pro Max may be overheating and what to do to fix it.

Factors contributing to overheating

There are a few potential reasons why your iPhone 15 Pro Max might be overheating:

Intensive app usage. Using your iPhone 15 Pro Max for demanding tasks like gaming, watching high-quality videos, or editing content can strain the processor, causing your iPhone to generate more heat.

Environmental conditions. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is great for outdoor photography and videography, but it has limits—temperature limits, that is— so avoid using it in direct sunlight or high temperatures.

Charging practices. Heating up when charging is normal, a device that's too hot to touch might indicate a faulty third-party charger or an aging port.

Software issues. App and operating system glitches can cause your iPhone to overheat.

Battery problems. An aging or faulty battery can cause your iPhone 15 Pro Max to overheat even under normal use.

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How to fix iPhone 15 overheating issues

Now that you’ve identified the potential causes, you can try some Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating fixes to cool down your device.

Update your operating system

The main cause of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue is linked to its software. When users started complaining about heat issues, Apple pointed to software bugs within iOS 17.

So, if you haven’t checked for software updates recently, doing so could help keep your iPhone cool. Here’s our guide on how to update iOS.

Disable background refresh

Have you noticed your iPhone 15 Pro Max overheats even when you aren’t using it? Excessive background processes might be the culprit. While background refresh keeps app content—like emails—up to date, these hidden iPhone features can strain the CPU and battery to make your phone hot. Try turning off the Background App Refresh feature to solve the problem.

1. Head to Settings and tap General.
2. Select Background App Refresh.
3. Tap Off.

Avoid hot environments

Still no luck? The problem might be external heat. When outdoors, shield your iPhone 15 Pro Max from the sun’s harsh rays by keeping it in the shade or inside a bag. Avoid leaving your phone on a car dashboard or any other spot exposed to intense heat for an extended period, and generally opt for cool areas to help your iPhone stay within safer operating temperatures.

Manage your charging habits

If your device only heats up during charging, adjusting your charging practices can be helpful. For example, don’t use your phone for intensive tasks while charging—both heavy phone use and charging produce heat, so avoid combining the activities when you can. You also want to stick to chargers built or certified by Apple because third-party or subpar chargers might fail to regulate heat properly.

Turn on Low Power Mode

If none of the above solutions have worked, Low Power Mode could be your fix. Your iPhone 15 Pro Max may feel warmer than usual because too many active processes demand power. Activating Low Power Mode reduces background tasks and overall power consumption, and it might even speed up your phone.

To turn on Low Power Mode, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Battery.
3. Tap Low Power Mode to turn it on.

FAQs about Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating

Why is my iPhone 15 Pro Max getting so hot?

The widespread complaints about the iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating point to software bugs in iOS 17. Besides that, your device might feel warmer during the first few days after setup or restoration due to increased background activity. Other possible reasons include battery-draining or outdated third-party apps.

How is the iPhone 15 overheating vs. the iPhone 16?

With overheating being the biggest flaw of the iPhone 15 series, Apple designed the iPhone 16 with larger graphite sheets inside the chassis to mitigate the overheating issues. For the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple also added a stainless steel case around the battery for better heat management.