Overheating issues are often linked to physical heat from external forces or an overworked battery due to internal stress. FaceTime is an app optimized for the iPhone, but it still can put a considerable workload onto your phone’s CPU.
The fixes below are split up between external fixes and internal fixes. Try out the external fixes first, as these are easier with no chance of harming your phone. If these don’t work, then try the internal fixes. If the internal fixes don’t work, then you can try the last resorts, which you’ll find below.
External Fixes
Avoid Hot Rooms and Sunlight
Your goal when FaceTiming should be to keep your iPhone as cool as possible, so it doesn’t have to work as hard. Make sure the room you’re in is nice and cool before you start your FaceTime call.
If you’re in a hot car, roll down the windows. If having the windows down is too loud for the call, roll them up and blast the AC.
If you’re outside in direct sunlight, then find some shade or get inside. Direct sunlight is the fastest way to overheat your phone, so avoid it at all costs.
Separate Your Devices
This one is similar to the tip before. High heat devices like your PC or laptop may not only interfere with the connection of your FaceTime call but also heat up your iPhone.
If you’re using your iPhone and your computer simultaneously, try to keep them as far apart as possible.
Unplug Your Charger
If your iPhone is at 15% it’s understandable to want to plug it in and continue your FaceTime call. Unfortunately, this is one of the most common mistakes you can make.
Your charger will naturally heat your phone, which is fine when you don’t have any demanding apps open. However, FaceTime can be very demanding on your CPU. It’s better to make sure that your phone is fully charged before making your FaceTime call than to have your phone shut off mid-sentence.
Remove Your Phone Case
Your goal is to ensure your iPhone can dissipate as much heat as possible. Some phone cases will block necessary heat vents and, in some cases, are so thick that they naturally create a ton of heat.
Before making your FaceTime call, remove your phone case to help release the heat. Just make sure not to drop your phone!
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Internal Fixes
Turn Down Brightness
The brightness level is the first thing to check internally before making your FaceTime call. The brighter the pixels on your screen, the more the burden on your battery. The more your battery has to work, the hotter your iPhone will get.
You could try setting your iPhone to auto-brightness, but it’s probably best to adjust the brightness manually since you want to make sure you can see who you’re talking to while you FaceTime.
Close Unused Apps
The more apps you have running in the background, the higher the workload for your iPhone. To avoid overheating your iPhone, lessen the workload by closing as many apps running in the background as possible.
This advice goes double for graphically-heavy applications like video games. So if you have Call of Duty Mobile or Genshin Impact open in the background, make sure to save and quit before making your FaceTime call.
Switch To WiFi
Video calls on cellular data will consume a massive amount of battery, causing your phone to heat up.
Always connect to a stable WiFi connection if it’s available before Facetiming.
Upgrade IOS
Overheating issues and battery issues can be linked to software problems. If nothing has worked so far to keep your phone from overheating while using FaceTime, ensure your software is up to date by running a software update in your settings.
Reset Network Settings
A software update is not guaranteed to work. There’s a rare possibility that an IOS update you’ve made in the past may have gone wrong in some way, causing the overheating issue.
Resetting your network settings may fix the problem. However, you will lose all your Bluetooth pairings, VPN configurations, and WiFi passwords.
You can reset your network settings by opening your Settings app and going to General > Reset. Then choose “Reset Network Settings.”
Last Resorts
If you’ve tried everything else and nothing seems to be working, these two options are your last resort. Proceed with caution.
Factory Reset
It’s possible that your phone is overheating while FaceTiming due to a software glitch. This can be fixed by restoring your phone to factory settings, but be warned. You will lose all personal data on your device. Be sure to back up your files to iCloud before attempting this.
To do a factory reset, open the setting app and go to General > Reset and then click “Erase All Content & Settings.”
Enter DFU Mode
DFU Mode has a very high chance of solving your problem, but there are some caveats. If you’ve ever jail-broken or had someone else jailbreak your phone, you will brick your IOS. Also, when entering DFU Mode, you want to make sure not to disconnect your phone from your computer midway through, or your phone may get stuck in a boot loop. That’s a whole set of problems you don’t want to deal with.
To enter DFU Mode, connect your iPhone to your computer and launch the latest version of iTunes.
- Hold down the power button for three seconds
- Then, hold the Volume Down button simultaneously
- Press both buttons for ten seconds
- Stop holding down the Power button while continuing to hold the Down Volume button for five seconds
You will lose personal data by doing this, so make sure you’re backed up in the cloud.
Contact Apple Support
You don’t have to deal with your iPhone overheating alone! Your problems may stem from a hardware issue or an old/bad battery. It’s never a bad idea to let an Apple technician run diagnostics on your phone for you and guide you toward the correct course of action.
It may also be wise to contact Apple support before doing a factory reset or entering DFU Mode. They can advise you through the process or do the process for you in a much more professional manner than you can.
So if your iPhone is overheating while using FaceTime, know that you are not alone and those happy days will be here again. However, you will have to FaceTime that annoying family member. No advice can help you there.