Apple addresses iPhone 15 overheating with a new iOS 17 update

Over the weekend, Apple blamed several factors for reports of iPhone 15s running hot, pointing to problems with specific apps like Instagram and Uber, post-transfer background processing, and unspecified bugs in iOS 17. Today, the company released a new software update with patch notes saying that iOS 17.0.3 “addresses an issue that may cause iPhone to run warmer than expected.”

In an update detailing the security fixes for this patch, Apple listed two fixes addressed on both iOS and iPadOS (via 9to5Mac). One is a kernel exploit for an attacker with local access to the device that Apple said “may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 16.6,” as well as a fix for a libvpx bug — which CISA issued a warning about — that could allow someone to take over a device remotely, that has also been patched recently in apps like Chrome and Firefox.

Checking for the newest update from your device should snag the update, which is shown as a 423.2MB download from Apple.

There had been some speculation that hardware issues, perhaps from the iPhone 15’s more powerful processor or titanium components, contributed to the sweaty iPhone experience, but Apple’s statements to Forbes and other outlets tied the issue mostly to the software, in addition to heating that could happen with USB-C chargers.

Once you’ve installed the update, let us know if you’re having a hot iPhone 15 experience or if things have started to cool off.

Apple had already released one post-iPhone 15 launch patch to deal with problems some new owners had while transferring data, and it’s currently beta testing a more significant iOS 17.1 update.

Update October 4th, 5:42PM ET: Added details about security fixes in the new update.