Apple’s iOS 17 fix for the overheating iPhone 15 Pro could roll out soon

iPhone 15 Pro review front angled handheld
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

The iPhone 15 Pro is a brilliant smartphone, and one of the best phones you can buy right now. But all that hype has been overshadowed by reports that the device is prone to overheating even during light usage. Fortunately, news has just emerged that Apple could roll out a fix in the next few days.

According to MacRumors, Apple is internally testing a fix in iOS 17.0.3, which may be rolled out “either later this week or next week.” The remedy should also be included in the iOS 17.1 update, which is currently in beta. It’ll come as some relief to iPhone users who have been seeing worrying heat increases over the past few weeks.

After the iPhone 15 series launched in late September, reports emerged that the temperature of the device could get out of control. Some users, like Apple leaker Revegnus, claimed to have seen temps of up to 48 degrees.

Mystery solved?

The iPhone 15 being held in a hand, showing the back of the phone

(Image credit: Future)

Curiously, not everyone experienced these problems. Our review unit was not unusually hot to the touch when we tested the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but the opposite was true for the iPhone 15 when we played Asphalt 9: Legends.

At the time, we wondered if the device’s chassis was the cause, but that seemed unlikely given both the aluminum iPhone 15 and the titanium iPhone 15 Pro have seen reports of overheating.

Things are much clearer now, as Apple has confirmed that the issue is not related to the iPhone’s chip or outer shell material. Instead, the company laid the blame at the feet of “recent updates to third-party apps,” as well as “a bug in iOS 17.”

The faulty apps apparently include Instagram, Uber and – you guessed it – Asphalt 9: Legends. Apple stated it was working with the developers of these apps to fix the problem once and for all. 

The company also explained that its fix would not lower the performance of the A17 Pro chip, and that the overheating issue had nothing to do with the iPhone 15 Pro’s new titanium chassis (despite apparently incorrect reports to the contrary).

That will come as a relief to iPhone users, as it means there should be no long-term drawback to patching your device. Now it’s just a case of keeping your eyes peeled for the iOS 17.0.3 update and the fixes it will bring.

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Alex Blake
Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.