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iPhone 8/Plus iPhone 8 appears shut down, but keeps getting HOTTER

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blitzr

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 16, 2017
13
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Help! I'm freaking out here.

I just got home from a bike ride, but noticed that my phone was shut off, or so I thought. I didn't think much of it, and just connected the phone to the mac as usual. It wouldn't charge. I noticed that the phone felt unusually warm, so I unplugged it, and put it aside to cool down. A few minutes later when I tried to pick it up again, it was BURNING.

Afraid that it would blow up any minute, I threw it into the refrigerator. It's 1am where I live, and there's no one around to help. What should I do? Keep the phone in the fridge overnight?

It's also worrying that I can't find any reports of this happening on the Internet. Has this ever happened to anyone else here?
 
Last edited:
tonybarnaby said:
Shut it off. If it’s not powered on the heat will go away.
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I meant to say shut off, as the phone appears to be. Sorry for the confusion.
[doublepost=1531201141][/doublepost]Ok, so after 30 minutes in the fridge, the phone has finally cooled down, but it still won't charge or turn on. Is it a lost cause at this point?
 
blitzr said:
I meant to say shut off, as the phone appears to be. Sorry for the confusion.
[doublepost=1531201141][/doublepost]Ok, so after 30 minutes in the fridge, the phone has finally cooled down, but it still won't charge or turn on. Is it a lost cause at this point?
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If the phone is too cold being in the fridge then it’s better to not try to turn it on. Lithium ion batteries don’t deal well with too much heat or cold.

In any case, get it checked by Apple. Putting it in fridge wasn’t a good idea either way. When it comes back to normal temperature the circuits might get damaged from condensation.
 
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akash.nu said:
If the phone is took cold being in the fridge then it’s better to not try to turn it on. Lithium ion batteries don’t deal well with too much heat or cold.

In any case, get it checked by Apple. Putting it in fridge wasn’t a good idea either way. When it comes back to normal temperature the circuits might get damaged from condensation.
Click to expand...
Well, it really seemed like the only option at the time, because the phone literally burned my hand. Couldn't risk it blowing up anywhere near me. I live in a place where it gets as cold as -30 celsius in the winter so a few minutes in the fridge (not the freezer) is hardly out of the ordinary.

Definitely bringing it in to the Apple Store first thing in the morning. Thank God I bought AppleCare, though this was definitely no accidental damage.
 
Battery is likely toast and was on the verge of thermal runaway. If it ignited, it would have ruined the inside of your refrigerator. Don't do that again. Set it outside in the shade with a fan blowing on it.
 
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Thanks for the input, guys. I brought it to the Apple Store, explained what happened, and got a replacement right away. Asked me several times whether I'd been physically harmed, and I got the sense that they were relieved that I didn't make a bigger deal out of it.
 
blitzr said:
Thanks for the input, guys. I brought it to the Apple Store, explained what happened, and got a replacement right away. Asked me several times whether I'd been physically harmed, and I got the sense that they were relieved that I didn't make a bigger deal out of it.
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Becuase The Apple Store would not want to turn you away for something that could be a potential harmful situation if the battery were to implode, now which could turn into a lawsuit if you were to become injured over this. They did the right thing by assisting you and taking away the device that could have harmed yourself.
 
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blitzr said:
Thanks for the input, guys. I brought it to the Apple Store, explained what happened, and got a replacement right away. Asked me several times whether I'd been physically harmed, and I got the sense that they were relieved that I didn't make a bigger deal out of it.
Click to expand...

I would avoid putting it in the fridge in the future. Not only do you run the risk of causing condensation to form within the phone once you pull it out of the fridge but if the battery is compromised its a chemical reaction that the temps in a fridge can't prevent. If the battery decides to self destruct the likely outcome would be it swelling and releasing gases, something you would not want near your food. Next time (hopefully there never is a next time) put it somewhere cool away from anything flammable and cover it with something that isn't flammable.

Glad they replaced it for you so quickly!
 
Apple is very good when it comes to battery issues. While they are rare, they do happen Apple Employees are trained in damage control They don’t want you hurt or a lawsuit. They want you to be a repeat customer
 
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