I’m doing field work this summer in a meadow, and my iPhone quickly overheats in the sun. Has anyone found a good product that can quickly cool a phone down, or have a hack they use?
I had the exact same issue on a recent road trip in the southern U.S. My iPhone 16 Pro Max was overheating after about 15 to 20 minutes of camera use. The screen would dim (to the point that I could barely see what I was photographing) and then in another 10 to 15 minutes, I would get the overheating warning. Based on some experimenting, I found that the overheating was primarily happening either when using the Camera app or accessing the camera via the iNat app. No other apps seemed to cause overheating. My phone had no damage. After extensive discussions with two (Verizon) iPhone reps and their warranty vendor (Asuncion), they concluded that it may have been a failing battery and are sending a replacement (under warranty).
In the field, I got into the habit of closing the Camera and iNat apps when I wasn’t actually ready to document something. That obviously slowed down my documenting pace and was quite frustrating. Occasionally, if I knew I wasn’t going to use the Camera for a few minutes, I’d just shut down the phone, then turn it back on for the next plant or animal–veeeery tedious and slow. I’d place my iPhone right in the A/C blast in the car when driving from place to place.
I know people that put their phones (or cameras) in insulated bags (like a lunch bag) with ice packs to cool them.
I was wondering about this—will try as a first attempt!
What a pain—I hope the replacement solves the issue! I’m documenting insects, so I’m afraid shutting down apps will equal missing all the invertebrates!