Soon, the iPhone 15 overheating problem will be fixed

An update to cool down your overheating iPhone 15 is on the way, according to Apple.

And the company would like users to know the issue was partially Apple’s fault. And Instagram’s. And Uber’s. And an iPhone game called Asphalt 9, among other third-party apps.

As Mashable reported earlier this week, many owners of the new iPhone 15 were saying that their devices were becoming too hot to handle…literally. Some users reported that their iPhone 15 would become so hot, they could not hold their phone to make a call.

On Saturday, the iPhone maker made it clear for the first time that it is well aware of the reports that some iPhone 15 devices would get extremely hot when in use, or even when just being charged.

“We have identified a few conditions which can cause the iPhone to run warmer than expected,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement first provided to Forbes. “The device may feel warmer during the first few days after setting up or restoring the device because of increased background activity.”

Some iPhone 15 users have shared that they did experience overheating with their new phone but that the issue subsided once the device’s setup was complete. Those lucky users are who Apple is referring to here. However, Apple’s statement goes on to address those who haven’t had the same good fortune with their iPhones.

“We have also found a bug in iOS 17 that is impacting some users and will be addressed in a software update,” Apple continued in its statement. “Another issue involves some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system. We’re working with these app developers on fixes that are in the process of rolling out.”

Some of the third-party apps that cause the iPhone 15 to heat up — that were specifically mentioned by Apple — include Instagram, Uber, and an iOS game called Asphalt 9. According to Forbes, Meta has already addressed some of the overheating issues in the latest Instagram update, which was released on September 27.

Apple also told Forbes that the iPhone 15’s hardware design is not responsible for any of the overheating issues. 

Longtime Apple ​​analyst Ming-Chi Kuo speculated earlier in the week that some of the company’s design choices for the iPhone 15, such as the new titanium frame, were the cause for the overheating issues. However, while the overheating issues do appear to be more prevalent in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models, owners of the iPhone 15 base model and the iPhone 15 Plus have also experienced the problem. And those two models do not have a titanium build.

Kuo also claimed that Apple would likely need to reduce the performance of the new iPhone 15 in an update in order to adequately deal with the overheating issue. However, Apple is refuting that, too. The update, iOS 17.1, is currently in beta and fixes a bug that contributed to the iPhone overheating without reducing performance. 

Apple is also recommending that users be aware of the USB-C power adapters that they use to charge the device. As the new iPhone 15 is the first with USB-C, some users may be utilizing USB-C chargers made for other devices. Chargers larger than 20W can cause the iPhone to temporarily heat up while charging, according to the company.