Apple to fix iPhone 15 bug blamed for phones overheating

Apple is blaming a software bug and app issues for causing its latest iPhones to become hot to the touch and, according to some customers, uncomfortable to handle. 

The smartphone maker said Saturday in a statement that it would update the iOS 17 operating system that iPhone 15 devices run on to fix a glitch that made the phones become “warmer than expected.” The company is also working with developers to make changes to apps that “overload the system,” causing the phones to overheat, it said. 

Apple has not provided a timeline for rolling out the software patch, but fixes for the app-related issue are underway. Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms, modified its social media app earlier this week to prevent it from heating up the new iPhone running iOS 17. Other apps, such as Uber and the video game Asphalt 9, are still in the process of rolling out their updates, Apple said. 

It remains unclear if all the devices in the iPhone 15 lineup are running hotter than expected and whether earlier-generation devices are also affected by the bug and app issues. 

Apple did not immediately reply to CBS MoneyWatch’s request for comment. 

Apple customers began reporting that some iPhone 15 devices, including the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, were running hot to the touch after the smartphone went on sale last week.

The “iPhone 15 Pro Max gets really hot easily. I’m just browsing social media and it’s burning up.” one user said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).   

The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the iPhone 15 Pro Max heated up to 112 degrees when running processor-intensive tasks like gaming and when it was being charged. 

It’s not unusual for new iPhones to get unusually warm during the first few days of use or when they are being restored with backup information stored in the cloud, issues that Apple already flags for users. 

The devices also can get hot when using apps such as video games and augmented reality technology that require a lot of processing power, but the heating issues with the iPhone 15 models have gone beyond those typical situations.

—The Associated Press contributed reporting.