iPhone 15 Pro Max heating after 26.5 updates

Some activities such as charging or a lot of computational activity (e.g., video), generate heat. Some warmth is to be anticipated.* ** "Keep your iPhone, the power adapter, and any wireless charger in a well-ventilated area when in use or charging.”*** 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

In terms of usage, changes in software such as upgrades may introduce new features which may add to power drain and heat generation. Check Settings > Battery to see if there are apps running that use a lot of power. If there are, decide if you can turn off a service such as Settings > General > Background app refresh when an app is in the background, or Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Read this support article to learn about the battery health feature —> iPhone battery and performance - Apple Support

If you have just updated system software, read posts about indexing in this thread: iPhone 15 overheating - Apple Community

An iOS update may require subsequent reorganization of files and a short term increase in heat and battery drain until the task is done. Wait a few days and see if the issue persists.

About Apple software updates - Apple Support

says: “Immediately after completing an update, particularly a major release, you might notice a temporary impact on battery life and thermal performance. This is normal, as your device needs time to complete the setup process in the background, including indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps.”

If you think there is a problem with a device, have Apple inspect it. Go to this page to find your nearest Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) or Apple Authorized Distributor (AAD) --> https://locate.apple.com/country

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

iphone/important-safety-information-iph301fc905/ios

** Posts by contributor Lawrence Finch explaining the basic physics. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255933099?answerId=261106315022 and this one about overheating https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250011126

***Section about "Prolonged heat exposure" in this support article --> Official Apple Support

Hello~ Have a look here…

About Apple software updates - Apple Support

Some heating after an update is quite normal. You may want to force restart…

Force restart iPhone - Apple Support

~Katana-San~

To all those affected by this...

"iPhone heating after 26.5 updates, Model 15 pro max"

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IMPORTANT:

Report this as a Bug to Apple...

Do your Part: Provide Apple with feedback on this, letting them know about this issue.  Apple may not get back to you directly, but the more feedback they receive on this, the more they will know what is occurring, and what bug fixes to include in updates to come. Apple will know nothing of this, if you don't report it to them.

1. Go Here: Feedback - iPhone - Apple
2. Select: "Bug Report" for the "Feedback Type"
3. Comment: that this all began after installing an update. Include the URL of this thread.
4. Proceed from there as necessary

Are you suggesting that all devices updated to iOS 26.5 are experiencing heating issues?

Not every issue an individual encounters on their device can be attributed to an iOS update. If the update itself were the root cause, then every device running that same version of iOS would exhibit the identical problem. In such a scenario, the forums would be flooded with countless posts reporting the same malfunction, creating an unmistakable wave of complaints that no one could possibly overlook. The absence of such widespread reports strongly indicates that the issue is not systemic, but rather specific to the device in question.