iPad Pro iPad overheating while charging

[mtngal]

I did a search about overheating iPads and found a number of threads about iPhones, none about iPads.

I have a 12.9 iPad Pro, running 17.1.1, whose AppleCare+ plan expired just over a month ago. Over the summer I noticed that it wasn’t holding a charge as well as it had been (I use it all the time, every day for hours). But it’s been a gradual decline and more an annoyance than anything else (I just plug it in earlier).

The past 2 or 3 days I’ve been getting a message that charging was interrupted due to overheating. Normally I use the iPad with a keyboard, but today I was holding it and noticed that it was very warm (mildly hot as in it wasn’t burning my hand), a lot hotter than it normally is. I unplugged it, continued to use it and it stayed hot. Now I’m wondering if it is getting ready to die completely - is it likely there’s a battery problem? I was hoping I could keep this one going until next year (and hopefully a new model).

Is this one on its last days? Or is it somehow related to 17.1 (the first time I noticed it was before I updated to 17.1.1., but did it today after the update).

 

[Jackbequickly]

Have you looked at what apps are running in the background? I have never felt my iPad Pro even get warm.

 

[someoneoutthere]

I’d look into two things: 1) Go into Battery settings and see if there is an app that causes excessive battery drain, sometimes there are background refresh bugs for certain apps that cause the iPhone/iPad to run warmer. 2) If you have never performed a factory reset, give that a try.

 

[mtngal]

I didn’t see anything running in the background that jumped out at me. The main usage is Safari, then I like the game Stitch and Solitaire.

What’s the highest outside temperature that the iPad can tolerate? I think it was probably around 85°F (29°C), maybe a little lower, when I was having the issue. Anything higher and I turn on the AC. I haven’t had a problem the past 2 days, but it’s also been hot enough that I’ve been running the AC, so temps wouldn’t have been above 82°F (27°C).

I’m charging it now and the while the back is slightly warm to the touch, it’s not like it was a few days go. The ambient temp is a very pleasant 73°F (22.7°C).

I know I’ve used and charged this iPad when it’s been in the 85°F plus range in the past.

I’d look into two things: 2) If you have never performed a factory reset, give that a try.

I haven’t done one. If you do a factory reset, do you then have to download all of the apps again? Or could I do a factory reset and restore from a backup, but then wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of the reset?

 

[G5isAlive]

If I really drain my iPad way down past 20 (should not go past 20 if you can avoid it), then I notice it is definitely hot to the touch initially while recharging it. and thats at 70 f. at 85 I would imagine its worse. Plus the age of your battery will play a role. The harder it has to work, the more heat produced.

 

[mtngal]

Interesting, while I do know the age affects how long the battery would last, I didn’t know that it might affect the temperature of the device while charging. Makes sense though.

I try not to go down below 20% but find myself occasionally not paying attention.

If something were wrong with the charging brick - like it wasn’t quite plugged in all the way or something, would that affect the iPad? I’ve been mostly using the OEM brick, but occasionally use a USB-A port connected to a 12V battery (with the potential for some voltage loss due to longer wire-runs/undersized wires). I’m not actually sure what the port is capable of producing.

 

[M2MaxMan]

I have the 12.9 M2 iPad Pro update to 17.1.1 and have experience the iPad Pro get warmer but never hot while charging it and I always make sure that there are no apps running in the background and the WiFi and VPN are not connected while charging. If you were browsing on Safari before charging and have open content on it and did not delete it, your iPad Pro is now working harder with open content in the Safari background.

 

[mtngal]

I have the 12.9 M2 iPad Pro update to 17.1.1 and have experience the iPad Pro get warmer but never hot while charging it and I always make sure that there are no apps running in the background and the WiFi and VPN are not connected while charging. If you were browsing on Safari before charging and have open content on it and did not delete it, your iPad Pro is now working harder with open content in the Safari background.

But not hot enough for the iPad to shut off charging? I haven’t had the issue in a couple of days. I do notice the back getting warmer when I plug in, regardless of power source (at the moment using USB-A port wired to a 12V battery). At the moment it’s a nice 78°F (25.6°C), I only have Safari open and nothing that I know of in the background. No sign of the message that charging has been suspended. I guess that I probably shouldn’t try to use the iPad while it is charging, if the ambient temperature is over 80°F (26.6°C).

Is that going to be the usual limitation, so that a new iPad would be similar?

 

[HDFan]

I guess that I probably shouldn’t try to use the iPad while it is charging, if the ambient temperature is over 80°F (26.6°C).

Operating ambient temperature:

32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)

iPad Pro - Technical Specifications

See full technical specifications for iPad Pro — resolution, size, weight, battery life, and storage capacity — for Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular models.

www.apple.com

 

[mtngal]

Operating ambient temperature:

32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)

iPad Pro - Technical Specifications

See full technical specifications for iPad Pro — resolution, size, weight, battery life, and storage capacity — for Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular models.

www.apple.com

Thanks! So I should be able to charge it when it’s in the mid 80°F - I was sure I used to be able to do it.

It’s looking like I’m seeing a degradation of the battery? So I should be thinking of a new iPad in the near future. I would just as soon wait until the new ones come out, but it‘s looking like waiting isn’t a good idea.

Yesterday I tried plugging it into a USB-A port that is furthest away from the 12V battery while I was using Safari and it wasn’t able to keep up with my usage. So that question is answered (I ended up using the OEM brick and my big inverter).