Apple’s Recent iOS 16.4.1 Update Reportedly Leaves iPhones Overheated: Why You Should Update Anyway

iOS 16.4.1, Apple's latest software update for compatible smartphones, was rolled out to users earlier this month. The latest update for recent iPhone models includes fixes for important security flaws. However, updating an iPhone to the latest version of iOS is reportedly causing the device to heat up. The issue is said to affect users who charge their phone wirelessly. However, despite the purported overheating issue, iPhone owners are recommended to download the latest update as it contains important security-related changes.

According to a ZDNet report, users have mostly reported overheating issues with two iPhone models, after installing the iOS 16.4.1 update. These are the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The report shows a thermal image of an iPhone with the device's temperature reaching up to 39.1 degrees, after it was wirelessly charged. While an Apple Genuis Bar expert reportedly stated that the device was operating normally, they acknowledged a recent uptick in similar complaints.

It is worth noting that even though some users might experience overheating issues after updating to iOS 16.4.1, postponing the installation of the update is not recommended. This is because the update to iOS 16.4.1 that were rolled out to iPhone models earlier this month is aimed at addressing two high-risk vulnerabilities — CVE-2023-28205 and CVE-2023-28206, according to Apple's release notes. The company says it is aware of a report that the security flaws may have been actively exploited.

One of these vulnerabilities affects Apple's Safari browser with the use of maliciously crafted Web content, that is estimated to be used by over a billion users worldwide as of last year. The second flaw affects a framework in iOS that could be exploited by a malicious user to execute code on a user's iPhone and take control of the device without any interaction.

Besides fixes for these security flaws, Apple also included fixes for a Siri bug that caused the voice assistant to become unresponsive, while adding new skin tone variations for the pushing hands emoji, as per the company's release notes for iOS 16.4.1.