New iPhone 17e overheating during normal usage and charging

Let’s define “overheating”, which is always a hardware problem. If a device 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 iPhone or iPad has not overheated. However, if you fast charge your device it 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.

If you have just updated allow a couple of days for iOS to complete its “housekeeping"

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 Meta products (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc), interactive games, watching streaming videos, the Camera app and any other app that uses the camera (TikTok, Snapchat, etc). Charging while using apps will also generate a lot of heat. And having VPN installed, whether using it or not, can also consume a lot of energy. But none of these can cause “overheating;” iOS will limit energy use to keep the phone safe, perhaps by dimming the screen.

Periodically app releases may not have been thoroughly tested that will cause similar symptoms.

All of these are manifestations of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.

Stormlight23 wrote:

Yes, batteries heat up when in use, and it should increase as the power increases.

Correct, there are 3 ways to reduce thermal heat:

• Throttle the CPU
• Reduce the tasks that run in the background
• When the temperature exceeds its maximum temperature, the OS brings up the thermometer on the screen and stops use of the device until it has cooled.

The larger the device that more surface area there is to dissipate the heat and on the 17 Pro models they use the Vapor Chamber cooling system, which is not available on the 17e. A bug in the OS can certainly cause heat with a runaway process, but that would be seen on all devices and not specific to the 17e.

Since there is a direct correlation between Speed and Heat, maybe some would like additional controls along with Low Power Mode, which is the toggle for reducing performance (device will run cooler) and if so certainly send Feedback to Apple. For me, I would not be crippling my device so it feels a couple of degrees cooler at the expense of lag and slower processing and I did not buy the 17 series phone to have the processor speed of a 12 or 13 where it would be running cooler.

I have 2 - 17e's in my family and while I can confirm they feel warmer than my previous iPhone X, they certainly are multitudes faster and NOT burning my hands when I hold it. Neither of them have triggered the heat sensor where it required the device to cool down with the thermometer screen.

Review the information provided here from a third party site not associated with Apple for any bias and compare the temperature range to your device. It is pretty easy nowadays to check the external temp of your device with an infrared temp check.

• 40–45 °C Device may slow down, screen brightness reduced.
• 50 °C+ High temperature warning; charging and flash disabled
• 60 °C+ Automatic shutdown to prevent permanent damage.

https://www.componentidigitali.com/blog/iPhone-Temperature-Warning

askri wrote:

I think you're looking at the result, not the cause.

The time spent discussing this thread is a consequence of the actual problem: a phone that becomes noticeably warm during ordinary use and delivers a disappointing user experience.

Your phone is going to get warm during ordinary use. That is what has been confirmed by everyone here. The only issue is that you think this somehow has an effect on your user experience, and truthfully for me it does not. You had 14 days when you purchase a phone from Apple to evaluate it and determine if the phone meets your expectations and if not, you can return it for a full refund.

It is obviously working exactly as designed in its expected temperature range, otherwise you would be seeing the thermometer screen requiring the device to cool down. You have a multitasking device that is performing hundreds of tasks all at the same time as quickly as possible and that generates heat. There are a couple of things that you can look for in a device that would feel cooler: less powerful, larger device to offer more surface area to dissipate heat, or a higher end model that features the Vapor Chamber cooling system.

You can also try putting a case on it, since the cooling of the device and done by dissipating the heat to the aluminum chassis that you hold on to, a silicone case will have an insulating effect that effectively traps the heat.

In your initial post you wanted to know: "Since this is a brand-new device, I would like to know whether this behavior is expected or if it could indicate a hardware or software issue.", and you have received the correct answer over an over again, that it is expected behavior and there is not a hardware of software issue. Everything else is argumentative because you do not like the answer.

Make an appointment at the Genius Bar to have it diagnosed.

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Both Kurtosis and I have advised you to make an appointment at the Apple Store / Genius Bar or take the phone in to an authorized Apple repair shop to have the battery checked and tested.

What we cannot predict is whether this will answer your questions.

You can find a list of authorized Apple service shops in your area using this link:

Find Locations

Let us know on your results.

Hello~ I suggest trying this…

Force restart iPhone - Apple Support

If no joy then take it in to Apple and get it checked out…

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Find Locations

~Katana-San~

I am experiencing noticeable overheating issues

Let's define "overheating". The phone is not overheating unless a red thermometer appears on the screen and you see a message that that things will stop until the phone cools down.

Still, if you are not comfortable with the way that the phone is operating, it would be a good idea to do as Kurtosis suggests and make an appointment at the Apple Store / Genius Bar or take the phone in to an authorized Apple service shop.....(which might be more convenient for you than the Genius Bar.

You can find a list of Apple authorized shops in your area using this link:

Find Locations

The battery is working really hard....sometimes up to 3-4 days after an iOS update.

It might be frustrating, but the Apple technician will not replace a battery for "overheating" unless the "overheating" message is appearing on the screen and it will not go away, or the tech finds something else.....usually the logic board....that is not performing normally.

(Trying to save you a trip to the shop)

So what’s the ambient temperature where you are? The phone cannot be cooler than the air around it. Your hand holding the phone is around 100° F or 38° C. Heat transfers to equalize temperatures. So, the minimum your iPhone will be after a few minutes of holding it is 100°.

Please get a thermometer and tell us how warm your hot actually is. For all I know you’re in Saudi Arabia and it’s 110° and our starting point for iPhone temperatures.

Yes, batteries heat up when in use, and it should increase as the power increases.

However, one should not complain about the heat after a few minutes of webpage surfing; that is also a fact.

I’ve used iPhone 6s, 8 Plus, 11, 13, 14 pm, 16 PM, and now 17 pm; and got my mum an iPhone 17e recently, and I’m feeling an unusual heat when I unlock it and use it for two minutes of low-effort tasks.

So yes, batteries heat in use, but they should not heat that quickly, because that would indicate something goes wrong with either thermal management or some circuit element is somehow toast. And your reprimands on the user would not change that.

Geniuses run diagnostic software when you complain about things, and that software checks things on a high level such as “if temp got 70°C, flag it”. They do not always catch the problem when the problem is building up. The user feedback that you are trying to shut down, really helps. I have been complaining about my 14 PM battery for four months and been gaslighted as this one, until one day it burned my hand and they had to replace it.

So I appreciate everyone’s willingness to help, but shooting information without prior context or passively aggressively shutting down the OG poster does not really help. This phone is new, and this thread is the only one that shows up in Google search. There might be something chronic about this, and you are not helping at the moment.

[Edited by Moderator]

As you say, if in a couple of days the issue still persists, have the device inspected/checked out.

I also recommend that you submit your comment to Apple directly, using this form:--> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Please keep me informed, thanks.

Giulio

You normally have 14 days to return a new iPhone. Check the policy in your country. But bottom line, if you are not satisfied with the answers, and you are within the return window, just return it.

That’s the way it’s supposed to work. Aluminum is a better conductor of heat than titanium, stainless steel or glass/ceramics. The heat generated by the screen, battery, CPU, GPU, Modem (WIfi, Bluetooth, cellular) must be dispersed to the outer case, etc. to protect critical components. The heat pipe being mentioned is working exactly like designed. It uses water vapor to more efficiently move/conduct heat further away from critical components and cool them faster than just thermal conductivity.

In other words it’s working the way it’s supposed to.

askri wrote:

I’m literally just browsing the web and it’s already getting warm again. Grrr.

As stated, your phone does get warm even when browsing the web. There is nothing to be concerned about, it is working exactly like it is supposed to. The only time you would need to worry is when the heat sensor registers a value outside its expected range and if that happens you will see a thermometer on the screen with a message that your device is too hot and needs to cool down.