MagSafe heating issues with my iPhone 12 Pro

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Level 1

9 points

MagSafe heating issues with my iPhone 12 Pro

I seem to have heating issues with my MagSafe and I'm worried that it'll cause long-term battery health issues if I use it to charge my phone overnight daily.

TL;DR:

Using MacBook Pro adapter with MagSafe: phone and MagSafe feels warm/hot in the morning
Using MacBook Pro adapter with Lightning: phone feels cool in the morning
Using 20W adapter with MagSafe: phone and MagSafe feels warm/hot in the morning

When I charge my iPhone 12 Pro via MagSafe overnight, in the morning both the charger and the phone feel hot/warm to the touch, like I've been playing a graphics-intense game for a while. I'm worried that this means my phone has been in a heated/warm condition for the 8 hours that it was left charging overnight. This doesn't seem good for battery life.

I chatted with Apple Support initially when I was using my MacBook Pro adapter with MagSafe, and they recommended me to buy the 20W adapter as they say the MacBook Pro adapter was probably providing too much power. So I got it and unfortunately, the heating issue remained.

Is this a thing I have to accept if I opt for wireless charging? Or is this a MagSafe-specific heating issue?

iPhone 12 Pro, iOS 14

Posted on Nov 4, 2020 6:45 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Malcolm J. Rayfield

Level 7

22,945 points

Nov 4, 2020 7:05 PM in response to clone0504

Using a charger rated more than 20 watts won't cause damage or more heat, but depending on the particular charger, may actually run at less than 20 watts because the charger may not support the exact voltage needed be the MageSafe.

https://www.macrumors.com/guide/magsafe/

Just use a Lightning cables and plug it into the phone. That can't be much harder than attaching the MagSafe to the phone, and it will charge faster and not get so hot. Less heat means the battery life swill be greater. Also it will be lighter if you use the phone while charging.

If it's been less than 14 days, you can return the MagSafe for a refund.

The MagSafe may be useful if attached to a bracket, such as a in-car mount, so you can just snap the phone to it and use it wirelessly while it charges, but the MagSafe by itself is pointless.

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Answer 2

clone0504 Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 4, 2020 8:17 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield

Hi Malcolm, thanks for such a quick response! I too felt that using an adapter more than 20W shouldn't cause heating although it might charger slower.

I've booked an appointment at an Apple Store to see if they can help with this heating issue, and I do intend to return the MagSafe and 20W adapter if they're unable to resolve it by 14 days. Thanks for that reminder!

I wanted to try out MagSafe (and it does provide a slightly more convenient charging experience), but if it's at the cost of warming up my device overnight, then I'll stick to Lightning for sure.

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MagSafe heating issues with my iPhone 12 Pro

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