iPhone 16 overheating when taking pictures

YES. Taking photos at the highest MP Level as well as taking videos. You are making the battery work harder, actually much harder. And when a battery is pushes doing activities like taking full MP photos and videos, it generates heat.

Overheating on an iPhone is when you see a Thermometer on the screen with a warning the phone can't be used until it cools down. Since you're not seeing that, your iPhone is NOT overheating. But generating heat doing advanced and battery intensive activities will generate heat naturally.

Koonvlight wrote:

Ok good to know thanks. What about my battery?

You're welcome. What do you mean by "What about my battery?" Can you provide more information on what you're asking.

I can tell you that batteries are consumable parts. The harder you push them, the more often they need to be charged and the more you charge them, the faster they degrade. Battery Health decline is unstoppable. When your battery health dips to 80%, it will then be time to pay Apple to replace the battery.

Watching videos, streaming music, playing video games, using the camera ALL make the battery work harder. And when the battery works harder, it is using power and using power depletes the battery faster. So yes it's normal.

I too have issues with my phone getting hot. I mentioned this yesterday, 5/30/25, when I talked to Apple Support. I haven’t noticed it happening with any particular, other than it getting hot from time to time.