iPhone getting hot while charging in summer, or showing Charging On Hold: what it means and what to do

An iPhone that gets warm on the charger in an Indian summer will often pause charging until it cools. These checks help you tell a heat pause apart from Optimised Battery Charging or a charge limit, and stop the phone overheating.

Charging On Hold means your iPhone has paused charging because it is too warm, and it will carry on by itself once it cools. Unplug it, take it out of its case, move it and the charger out of the sun, and stop gaming or navigation while it charges. If it stops at 80% without feeling hot, check Optimised Battery Charging or the Charge Limit in Settings.

• 1. Read the message on the Lock Screen: On iOS 16 and later, a Charging On Hold notice on the Lock Screen or under Settings > Battery means the phone has stopped charging because of temperature. A notice that tells you when the iPhone will be fully charged is Optimised Battery Charging at work, not heat. Knowing which one you have saves you chasing the wrong problem.
• 2. Unplug and take off the case: Apple says some cases can trap heat while the phone charges. If the iPhone feels hot, unplug it and slip it out of its cover, especially thick rugged or leather ones. Let the back of the phone breathe for a while.
• 3. Move it somewhere cooler: iPhones are made to work in surroundings between 0 and 35 °C, and many Indian cities go past that in May and June. Shift the phone and charger away from direct sun, a sunny desk or a parked car. If it is very hot, switch it off and leave it to cool before you plug it back in.
• 4. Give it a break from heavy apps: Long gaming sessions, GPS navigation and video streaming all add heat on top of charging. While the phone is on the charger, close these apps, lock the screen and let it rest. On a summer drive, keep the phone out of the sun on the dashboard if you use it for maps.
• 5. Check the adapter, cable and port: Look over the cable and adapter for frayed wires, bent plugs or burn marks, and stop using anything damaged. Plug the adapter into a wall socket with a firm fit. Shine a torch into the charging port and gently clear any lint so the cable sits fully in.
• 6. Check Charge Limit on iPhone 15 and later: Go to Settings > Battery > Charging. If the slider is set below 100%, the phone will stop close to that level on purpose. You can choose anything from 80% to 100% in steps of 5%. Optimised Battery Charging only appears when the limit is at 100%.
• 7. Check Optimised Battery Charging on iPhone 14 and earlier: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and look at Optimised Battery Charging. When it is on, the iPhone learns your routine and may hold at 80% until shortly before you usually unplug. If you need a full charge now, touch and hold the Lock Screen notification and tap Charge Now.
• 8. Plug back in once it has cooled: When the phone feels normal to touch, connect it again in the cooler spot. Charging resumes on its own once the temperature drops, so there is nothing to reset. A little warmth while charging is normal; real heat that keeps coming back is not.