This App Could Be To Blame For iPhone 15’s Overheating Problem
Tech influencer Marques Brownlee recently pointed out that his iPhone 15 Pro was overheating while listening to music and using the Instagram app. He remarked, "For like 5 minutes the phone just gets really hot and blasts through like 5% battery." He added, "And then it's fine again afterward."
@iPhonedo has also seen an issue with overheating while using the popular social media app. However, unlike many others, Faruk Korkmaz says he did not see any overheating issues with his iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max until he updated to iOS 17. After updating, the YouTuber added that he was also seeing a decline of 1 percentage point per minute while using Instagram.
I have since updated to the latest iOS 17 public beta build and reran the test today. I plugged in the same charger, opened the Instagram app, and had it play through Instagram Reels. I then let it sit on my desk for over 10 minutes. As you can see in the image above, the phone never got warmer than around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
As for the battery drain issue that Faruk pointed out, he says that it is not an iPhone problem, but rather a problem with Instagram. There is a precedent for this claim, as a former Facebook employee, George Hayward, claimed that Facebook and the Messenger app drain phone batteries on purpose. Hayward says this is done as part of a process he says Meta calls "negative testing." Hayward had to drop a lawsuit he filed against his former employer due to his contract, which forced him to go to arbitration instead.
If anyone is having overheating issues with their iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, it might be worth deleting the Instagram app from your iPhone for a few days and seeing if the overheating persists. Another temporary fix that has been suggested is to place your iPhone into Low Power Mode while using Instagram. This can be enabled by going to Settings > Battery > Toggle on Low Power Mode.
**Update 9/30/2023 2:00pm EST: Apple has issued its own statement regrading the overheating issue. The company stated that it is a known software bug in iOS 17, as well as recent updates to third--party apps such as Instagram that cause the device to "overload". Apple insists that the overheating is not caused by the new titanium frame, and that they dissipate heat better than the stainless steel models. It is possible that the iOS 17 public beta being tested now will have a fix included. In the meantime, users who are experiencing a hot iPhone 15 Pro model can decide to update to the public beta to see if the issue is resolved, or try one of the above mentioned methods involving Instagram and Low Power Mode.
