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Instagram causing iPhone to overheat iOS 16.4.1

I used instagram for 40 min with 100% battery and within that 40 min my battery reduced to 91% and phone became hot but all i did was scroll through some posts and i didnt even upload or used my camera on instagram. I was on a 4g connection and not on 5g. Is this normal or is this due to severe lack of optimisations from instagrams part


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 13 Pro

Posted on Apr 20, 2023 7:50 PM

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Posted on Jun 18, 2023 1:26 AM

Reset the phone and install the new update using itunes this solved most of the heating for me. However u can also reinstall Instagram and after doing this turn off background app refresh for all apps and also turn off automatic installation of app updates in AppStore. Also make sure automatic download of system updates and installation is turned off as downloading and update in unstable internet can cause improper installation of updates.

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Jun 18, 2023 1:26 AM in response to soso1981

Reset the phone and install the new update using itunes this solved most of the heating for me. However u can also reinstall Instagram and after doing this turn off background app refresh for all apps and also turn off automatic installation of app updates in AppStore. Also make sure automatic download of system updates and installation is turned off as downloading and update in unstable internet can cause improper installation of updates.

Jun 18, 2023 1:21 AM in response to Anandvijayan

I have the exact same issue.

I have an iPhone 13 Pro Max currently under 16.6 but I had the problem under 16.4 also.

Whenever I start using Instagram my iPhone starts boiling … and it drains the battery extremely fast.


i can use tiktok of whatever other app it doesn’t do it… instagram has an issue within the app and both apple and meta need to seriously consider doing something about it.



Apr 20, 2023 7:55 PM in response to Anandvijayan

Some activities such as charging or a lot of computational activity, generate heat. Some warmth is to be anticipated.* Read this article about keeping your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch within acceptable operating temperatures - If your iPhone or iPad gets too hot or too cold - Apple Support


If you think there is a problem with a device, get Apple to inspect it. Go to this page to find your nearest Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) or Apple Authorized Distributor (AAD) --> Find Locations


How to make a Genius Bar appointment

1. Go to Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

2. Go to "Get hardware help".

3. Select your hardware and continue selecting options requiring replacing parts until you see "Bring in for Repair"

4. Sign in with your Apple ID


*"Your iPhone might get slightly warmer while it charges." - from: How to use your MagSafe Battery Pack - Apple Support


Sep 11, 2023 9:08 AM in response to Anandvijayan

Well, some months later from this original post, I updated to the latest IOS and immediately after I started to see my battery drain rapidly ... after some diagnostics to tell me that my battery health wasn't an issue, I looked at power usage and Instagram was running at 86% ... since I didn't know what it was running at before hard to tell if that is normal. That said, while using any other app my phone doesn't get hot, battery doesn't drain quickly ... only when I'm using Instagram ... I reset my phone, I deleted and reinstalled the Instagram app, I updated my iOS to the latest version and still experiencing major drainage and heat when using Instagram.

I tried to connect with Instagram and obviously got nowhere since their Customer Service is non-existant ... my deduction says that this is a direct result of the updated iOS that exposes a power usuage issue for Instagram as it was working without any issue until I ran the update.

This is clearly not the first time there have been power management issues with Instagram as the community history illustrates ... it's very frustrating though and would really like to get a viable resolution to this ... even if that means that Apple is aware and working on a fix ... because I used to only have to charge my phone once a day and now I'm constantly having to plug in. (I'm on a 13 Pro Max).

Apr 20, 2023 8:01 PM in response to Limnos

With all due respect idilling scrolling through instagram doesn’t need much computational power for a bionic chip.

If taking videos or editing something or even gaming it does require computational power. I did conduct a diagnosis on my iphone from a apple service center and they found no problem. This is abnormal to lose 10 % battery charge and the phone to get this much hot when simply scrolling through instagram.

Apr 21, 2023 8:45 AM in response to Anandvijayan

If you are in Instagram, is the camera on, even if you are not using it (check for a green dot in the status bar)? The camera uses a huge amount of energy.


But whatever the reason, the problem is in the app. The only things that use any significant power on any smartphone are apps and cellular data, so if you think the phone is using too much energy you need to find the app that is using it. Cellular data energy usage depends on signal strength; 1 bar uses 10 times as much energy as 4 bars.

Jun 18, 2023 9:39 AM in response to soso1981

Am happy i was able to help you. Just remember one thing almost all problems in ios can be fixed by a reinstall of the app and if it does not fix this or if u r facing an os related problems u can fix that by doing a reset, in cases of more specific issues like network issues u can conveniently choose to reset the network settings alone rather than a full reset. Hope this helps. Always remember to back up via iTunes before reset.

Sep 27, 2023 6:15 PM in response to Anandvijayan

Hello guys, I have the same problem. I recently changed my phone. I used the iPhone 12 PRO and switched to the 15 PRO. UNFORTUNATELY they both have the same problem. 5 minutes using Instagram is enough to overheat. I've tested other apps like YouTube and Facebook videos. I stay in both 1h watching videos and the cell phone gets cold, however, when I use Instagram in 5 minutes the overheating already happens. I don't know what else to do because I've done everything to solve the problem.

Sep 28, 2023 10:38 PM in response to AlexandreFlorida

Same. I've switched from iphone pro 14 to 15 pro. The minute i open Instagram, the phone gets dangerously hot and the battery starts draining. I've also visited the genius bar with my iPhone 14 pro where i was told to wipe it clean and set as a new one, which i did when i got the 15. It didn't help. In fact, my iPad pro 2018 has the same overheating issue. Going to the Apple store tomorrow. It started 2 weeks ago out of the blue btw.

Instagram causing iPhone to overheat iOS 16.4.1

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