A lot of people have shared stories online about how their iPhones are overheating or feeling uncomfortably hot to hold after installing iOS 26 beta.
Widespread complaints about overheating of iPhones after iOS 26 update can be traced to several factors, including a software bug in iOS 26 beta.
An iPhone that gets excessively hot can cause glitches, damage internal components and shorten the battery lifespan. Here are some of the most common reasons your iPhone gets hot after iOS 26 update and how to solve each cause. The solutions are easier than you might think.
Why Your iPhone is Getting Hot After iOS 26 Update
There are a few conditions which can cause iPhone to get hot after iOS 26 update. The device may get hot during the first few days after the iOS 26 update because of increased background activity. There may also be a bug in iOS 26 that is causing an iPhone to run hot. Third-party apps that are not optimized to work with iOS 26 can also cause your iPhone to run hot.
Using your iPhone while it’s charging, or charging it with a non-Apple charger that doesn’t comply with Apple’s safety standards, can cause it to overheat.
If you are using your iPhone for heavy processing tasks like playing high-end games, streaming, using graphics-intensive applications, or recording videos for an extended period, this can cause your phone to overheat.
Solutions When Your iPhone is too hot after iOS 26 update
Before we start to troubleshoot, it’s important to mention that a lot goes on during and after installing iOS update, and tasks such as reindexing photos can consume a lot of processing power, which in turn can temporarily cause an iPhone to run hot. Simply wait for the iPhone to finish its background tasks. If your iPhone’s temperature doesn’t return to normal within a few days of installing the iOS 26 update, here are some troubleshooting steps that you can try:
1. Pause Device Usage for the Heat to Dissipate
The first step is to temporarily stop using your iPhone so that your device can cool off properly. So, exit the app you’re using, press the Sleep/Wake (or Side) button to put your iPhone to sleep, and leave it alone for 10 to 15 minutes to cool down completely.
To cool down your iPhone quickly, you can turn it off completely and let it come down to normal temperature naturally. Don’t try to "speed up" the process by putting the iPhone into a refrigerator or ice box because sudden changes in the temperature can cause condensation and damage your iPhone’s internal components.
2. Don’t Charge and Use Your iPhone at the Same Time
When the low battery notification pops up while you’re using your iPhone, you probably just proceed to charge your device to continue using it. However, charging your iPhone while using the device simultaneously will cause it to get hot quickly, especially if you’re playing a graphic-intensive game or using it for activities like video calls.
Unless it’s an emergency, leave your iPhone to cool down, as mentioned earlier, and plug in only to charge your device afterward. In the future, it’s best to maintain your iPhone’s battery by planning ahead a little and ensuring that your device is fully charged beforehand.
3. Keep Your iPhone Away From Heat
Your iPhone’s internals need air. If your device lacks sufficient space or ventilation, the heat generated by internal components can’t escape past its body, resulting in trapped heat.
Make sure you’re not accidentally leaving your iOS 26 device in a place that’s exposed to direct sunlight (like a desk next to the window) or in a car.
In the latter case, temperatures in parked cars can exceed the optimum temperature range and thus cause your iPhone to become so hot. Make sure your iPhone has enough room for air circulation around it.
Apple recommends taking the iPhone out of its case when charging it, as "certain styles of cases may generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity." If that’s not possible, you should at least avoid stacking anything on top of a charging phone. Give it some space — literally.
4. Use Official or MFi-Certified Chargers and Cables for Your iPhone
If you’re using third-party chargers or cables to replenish your battery, you could risk damage to your iPhone. Chargers that are not MFi certified often lack precision in power delivery. Substandard cables and chargers sold cheaply on large shopping sites might have faulty components which could disrupt the flow of power. The consequence? Overheating.
It’s best to use an official charger made by Apple or a high-quality third-party USB-C cable that comes with the Made for iPhone (MFi) certification. Uncertified and fraying chargers can damage your iPhone and create other problems.
5. Turn Off Background App Refresh
Background App Refresh allows your apps to look for new information all the time. It happens automatically in the background, unknowingly consuming battery and CPU, which may result in your iPhone getting hot frequently.
If you’re not a fan of this feature, you can turn off Background App Refresh by going to Settings > General > Background App Refresh > Background App Refresh, then select Off.
But if you think turning off this feature completely is overkill, you can try to catch the culprit app that’s using the most power. Go to Settings > Battery to examine the battery usage of your apps.
Then, go back to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Toggle off the feature for apps that consume significant resources in the background.
6. Lower Screen Brightness
If your screen brightness is above 50% or more, your iPhone will tend to stay warm at all times and will be more prone to overheating. Therefore, lowering the brightness can help prevent your iPhone from getting hot quickly.
Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to bring up the Control Center. Then, drag the brightness slider downwards as you see fit.
7. Update Your iPhone and Its Apps
Updates often carry bug fixes and performance improvements that can help resolve the issue when your iPhone is getting hot after iOS 26 update. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to check if a new iOS 26 version is available. The same applies to third-party apps. It’s best to head to the App Store to update your iPhone apps.
8. Uninstall and Reinstall Problematic Apps
In some cases, updating an app isn’t sufficient to resolve iOS 26 overheating problem. You might need to uninstall and reinstall it again on your iPhone.
To uninstall an app, go to your Home Screen, long-tap it, and choose Remove App. Then, tap Delete App when a pop-up appears. Finally, tap Delete to confirm.
After uninstallation, you can reinstall the app on your iPhone. If this still doesn’t work, you may also want to send an email to the developer for further investigation.
9. Restart Your iPhone and Reset All Settings
The last two methods here are generic but effective fixes that may help when you’re iPhone is getting hot after iOS 26 update. You can first restart your iPhone, which is simply turning off your device and turning it on again.
The other method involves resetting all settings on your device. This returns all settings on your iPhone to its default state. No data will be deleted, so you don’t need to worry about losing your photos, videos, or messages.
To reset your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings. The resetting process can take a while, so it’s best to attempt this when you don’t need to use your iPhone urgently.
Fixed iPhone getting hot after iOS 26 update issue
Your iPhone will feel warmer to the touch during the first few days after the iOS 26 update, which is normal. If your iPhone is getting excessively hot, stop using it temporarily and give it time to cool down. At the same time, apply some of the tips discussed above to keep your iPhone at an acceptable temperature and ensure it doesn’t overheat so frequently. If the problem persists then it’s likely a bug in the iOS 26 update and the solution is going to have to come from Apple in the form of another update.
See also: iPhone battery drain after iOS 26 update? How to fix it!