iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating when charging

Let’s define “overheating”. If an iPhone overheats it shuts down so it can’t be used, and displays a message saying it must cool down before it can be turned on, and it will probably be unusable for an hour or so. If you are seeing this it is a hardware problem and you should contact Apple support: 

• Click on “Support” at the top of this page
• Go to Contact Official Apple Support

Note that both of the above have options to receive a callback or chat

If you are not seeing this your phone has not overheated. However, if you fast charge your phone may get very warm, and may pause charging at 80% and display a message saying that charging has paused, and will resume when the phone cools down. This is NOT overheating, and is normal when fast charging. It also won’t prevent you from using any app you have on your phone.

Also, some apps that use a lot of energy or that use cellular data rather than Wi-Fi can cause the phone to run warmer. Worst offenders are Facebook, interactive games, watching streaming videos, and the Camera app.

The 35W adapter IS a fast charger. The watch uses about 1 watt. That leaves 34 watts for the iPhone, although it will only use 20W of that capacity. The iPhone will fast charge with any power source that can supply 20 watts or more.

If you don’t want to fast charge get a 12W iPad power source or a 15 watt MagSafe or 7.5W Qi wireless charger.

The issue is not a definition of overheating, as this term is subjective.

After the recent degrade to ios 18.1 my iphone 15 pro max and my wives iphone 15 pro max showed a message " the iphone needs to cool down.." Never had this before, nor changed any hardware. Both phones were to hot to touch, this happens during the night while charging. After this charging became unpredictable. Sometimes charging did not continue. Sometimes it only charged to 50-60-80 or 90% while I have a setting for 100%.

I remember this issue from last year, when it was solved.. well, it has reappeared.

I never have heard apple-support acknowledging, nor aiding in these matters.. A software-fix for this hard/softwarefailure will silently appear. Throttling charging and cpuspeed. Rendering our (!) devices more and more useless, until we buy a new one.. then the cycle starts again..

Does the phone shut down and say the iPhone can’t be used until it cools down, or does it say that charging is disabled until it cools down?

As I posted, the first message means your phone has a hardware problem.

The 2nd message is NORMAL when you fast charge.

And where would expect Apple to “acknowledge”, whatever that means? CERTAINLY not in this user to user forum where Apple does not actively participate.

But still they are reading, and 'reaching out' (yes to me) and subsequently not doing anything in previous cases..

It's the 1st, both phones.. and it is NOT normal.. And started after a SOFTWAREupdate 18.x

Some form of acknowledgement / transparency would be pleasant. e.g. 'we recognise the problem and we're working on a solution..' but it's Apple..