Does iPhone 7 turn off in the cold? Battery problems in the cold and random iPhone shutdowns

Why does iPhone hate winter so much and what to do?

iPhones, more than any other smartphone, do not like the cold. They can turn off even at sub-zero temperatures, and then “come to their senses” for many hours. We talk about why this happens, the dangers of using an iPhone in the cold, and how to deal with this problem in this article.

Why does the iPhone behave so badly in the cold?

First, let's figure out why, in fact, the iPhone begins to work inadequately or even turns off in the cold. There is no secret here, the culprits are lithium-ion batteries Apple smartphones. At temperatures below 0°C (and in practice even below 5°C), battery ions begin to lose their properties. As a result internal resistance increases and capacity is lost.

Due to the loss of capacity, fortunately, only temporary, at sub-zero temperatures, iPhones can turn off, while still having some left over. large percentage charge. Lithium-ion batteries stop delivering the current required to operate the smartphone, and the iPhone simply physically cannot continue to work.

Which iPhones suffer the most in the cold?

But why then does one iPhone with 50% charge work calmly in the cold, while another with 70-80% turns off in the same conditions? The fact is that lithium-ion batteries have limited quantity operating cycles, after overcoming which their capacity decreases. For average iPhone quantity There are about 800-900 such cycles. At active use smartphone, the “critical” moment comes after two or two and a half years of using the device.

The conclusion from this is simple - they suffer most in the cold old iPhones that have been in service for two years or longer. This is why requests about how to properly use an iPhone in winter in Russia are so popular, because we have old, but still quite capable models of Apple smartphones in use.

A detailed guide on how to determine the number of charge cycles for your iPhone battery is available. And it describes a method that allows you to do this without using a computer.

Why do many other smartphones work without problems in winter?

Many smartphones from other manufacturers can easily withstand 30-degree frosts, but why? iPhone problem, which cannot work for even ten minutes at −5°C? The first reason is the case materials. Aluminum, from which the housings of several last generations iPhone has a high thermal conductivity (220 W/(m K) and as a result freezes very quickly. The glass typical of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s, models widely used in Russia and the CIS countries, does not have high thermal conductivity (1.15 W/ (m·K), however, this is enough for the smartphone to freeze and start working incorrectly, or turn off.

Plastic is another matter. It conducts heat worse than metals and glass (0.15-0.20 W/(m K), thanks to which smartphones in plastic cases can withstand extremely low temperatures. For example, smartphones from Samsung lines Galaxy S (up to the sixth model) with plastic cases work great even when the thermometer drops to −35°C.

The second reason is the small thickness iPhone cases. In thin smartphones, the battery becomes unstable much faster than in thick ones. Considering that almost no iPhone can be called “fat,” we get the high instability of Apple smartphones to frost.

What does Apple say about this?

According to the official website of Apple, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch(4th generation and later) function normally at temperatures environment from 0 to 35°C. Mobile phones are stored Apple devices can at temperatures from -20 to 45 °C. Apple representatives warn that in low temperature conditions, the batteries of the company's devices begin to discharge rapidly, as a result of which they may turn off.

But what about the advice, Apple? How should we use iPhone in low temperature? The company gives, perhaps, the ideal answer to this question and recommends not using the iPhone in any way if the temperature drops below 0°C. Thanks Apple! Fortunately, there are ways to keep your iPhone in working condition at sub-zero temperatures, and some of them are truly effective. We talked about them below.

Use a case

The solution to the problem of using an iPhone in winter is to put the smartphone in a case. The cover should not be special, with any special protection from frost. Any case that covers the smartphone on all sides will do. An excellent option is a book case, the inside of which is covered with any soft material.

The ideal option is a battery case. Using a case with a built-in battery is a radical way to rid your iPhone of the fear of cold. Your smartphone will be constantly connected to a power source, which will cause it to heat up and operate without problems at low temperatures. The disadvantage of this method is the high cost of battery cases, but if in winter, because of work or for any other reason, you cannot do without a properly functioning smartphone, the accessory will be an excellent investment.

Important! We warn you that charging your iPhone in the cold is not recommended. Before you take your smartphone out, for example, from your jacket pocket, turn off the power! Otherwise, you may damage your iPhone battery.

Use a portable battery

An analogue of a battery case, albeit less aesthetically pleasing and convenient, is a power bank. The principle of operation is the same - the iPhone charges, heats up and withstands the cold much easier. Unlike battery cases, portable batteries are cheaper and in most cases have a higher capacity. In addition, many owners iPhone already There is a power bank, so you won’t have to spend money to solve the “frosty” issue at all.

Keep iPhone as close to your body as possible

Human body heat - best protection for iPhone in cold winter. Try to keep your smartphone in the inside pocket of your jacket, and not out of habit in the side pocket. It’s better not to place your iPhone in your trouser or jeans pockets at all; the chances of a sudden shutdown will only increase.

Start using your headset

Most often, the iPhone turns off during calls in the cold. Using a headset, even the simplest one, will allow you to receive calls without taking your smartphone out of your warm pocket and stay connected even on the coldest days.

Charge your iPhone to 100% before going outside

The more charge your iPhone has, the longer it will last in the cold. Ideally, before going outside, the iPhone should be charged to 100%, so that even if the battery is seriously discharged due to cold, the battery still has resources.

Use another smartphone as a navigator

A large number of motorists use their iPhone as a navigator. A smartphone doesn’t like it at all in a car that’s frozen overnight and, according to numerous reviews, the iPhone turns off just on the way to work. Give up for the winter using iPhone as a navigator and, of course, if possible, leave this job to some inexpensive Android smartphone in a plastic case.

There are two more for car enthusiasts useful advice. First, do not leave your iPhone in the car, even for a short period of time. And secondly, connect your smartphone to the cigarette lighter using charger. In this case, the iPhone will not turn off.

Warm up your iPhone with a demanding game or app

If you know that your iPhone must be in the cold for the next 20-30 minutes, for example, you are taking pictures or having an important conversation on the phone, use an effective “folk” method of counteracting the cold. Launch any resource-intensive game or application on your smartphone. The processor is activated, the iPhone will begin to heat up and function calmly at sub-zero temperatures.

Great free "warm up" apps are Real Racing 3 And Hearthstone.

What to do if your iPhone turns off in the cold

If the iPhone could not withstand the harsh Russian winter, it must be placed in operating conditions acceptable to it. Simply put, return your smartphone to the heat. The main thing here is not to overdo it. The iPhone does not need to be wrapped in warm fabrics, and even more so, under no circumstances should it be placed on the battery. Important! The iPhone must warm up gradually, otherwise a sharp temperature change will cause condensation to form in the case.

After this, all that remains is to wait for the moment when iPhone battery will warm up and be able to fully earn money. After turning on the smartphone, it is recommended to forced reboot iPhone, to reset probably manifested software errors. This is done by simultaneously holding down the Power and Home buttons (Volume Down buttons on iPhone 7/7 Plus) until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

It may also happen that the iPhone will not turn on after “frostbite” even after several hours. If the device does not respond to connecting the charger, there is, alas, only one way out - a trip to the service center.

Hi all. Today, a problem that was once again raised by a reader of our site Oleg (this is not the same Oleg who advertised The Binding of Isaac). In the letter, he described the situation that every second iPhone user faces...

Good afternoon, Dmitry! I am a reader of your iPadstory website. I ran into one problem.
iPhones' battery capacity drops catastrophically quickly in the cold. Right up to turning off the gadget. In just half an hour of using the device in slightly cold weather (-5), my charge level dropped from 80% to 0%. (iPhone 6 plus without jailbreak). From communicating with many of my apple grower friends, it became clear that the same thing is happening to them. Do you, by chance, have any thoughts on how to solve this problem?

Yes, I also have this problem... I first began to notice this in September 2016, when even at above-zero temperatures on cold nights the iPhone suddenly dropped its charging percentage. That is, it could be 35 percent; as soon as you used the phone for one minute in the cold, the percentage dropped before your eyes to 10-20, or even the phone turned off completely. The strangest thing is that if I gave the phone a small charge from the Power Bank, it would turn on again and the charge would immediately show about 20 percent on the screen...

Just yesterday, my phone turned off in the cold at some minus 5 degrees at 38(!) percent! Apple, what did I pay 43 thousand for at one time?! So that the phone turns off at the slightest cold? Is it intended only for California? Have you tested it somewhere in the northern regions?

IN iPhone description 7 on the Apple website you can find the following lines:

Operating environment requirements

• Operating temperature: 0 to 35 °C
• Storage temperature:-20 to 45 °C

That is, the phone was not initially designed for use at sub-zero temperatures. Why? In fact, the problem has nothing to do with iOS updates, nor with the version of the phone itself. Every year, with the onset of cold weather, people ask these questions on specialized forums around the world. Questions have become more frequent since 2013... Why? Let me explain.

The culprit of the problem can be considered a modern battery

Chemical reactions occur inside all batteries and they slow down in the cold... Why does the iPhone 4S and older ones global problems did not have? Starting with the iPhone 5, batteries have become noticeably thinner. That is, the contact area with the body is larger. The larger the area, the faster the cooling occurs.

An additional side factor is that the iPhone body now consists of thin aluminum, which conducts both cold and heat well... On the one hand, fast heat transfer is a plus, because the phone does not heat up even in the heaviest games. On the other hand, it cools faster in the cold. That is why, if the phone body is made of plastic, it will survive better in the cold.

I don’t see any other equally logical explanations...

In sub-zero temperatures, follow these rules:

• Move the phone closer to your body: for example, from your jeans pocket to the inner pocket of your jacket/coat/fur coat.
• In principle, do not leave your phone in the cold. If you are going to spend a lot of time in the cold, it makes sense to turn off your phone temporarily.
• Reduce conversations in the cold to a minimum. Another option is to use the headset more often in winter. If they call you, if possible, go into the room and calmly call back.
• Do not charge or turn on a frozen smartphone. Let it warm up to room temperature (20-40 minutes). But do not specifically place the phone on heat sources (batteries, heaters, etc.)!
• It might make sense to buy a warm cover. I searched for solutions on Ali and found a lot of options, but most of them look somehow feminine... For girls, the choice is huge. I don't know how effective such covers are.

• They write on the Internet that the best solution is the Salt case (official website), the price of which is up to 50 bucks (+delivery). Its trick is that the material there is the kind that NASA uses in the rocket industry. It protects against temperature changes. This case was once raised on Kickstarter, but is now available for sale.

• If we take the general case, we should remember that plastic cases poorly protected from the cold. In winter, it is better to use products made of felt or leather (for example, this case for iPhone 7 and 7 plus).

Write everything you think about this problem. Do you have any other solutions? :)

Formally, winter lasts only 3 months, but in fact, even in central Russia it can linger for a month or two. With the onset of winter, problems arise, and often they appear, seemingly out of nowhere. For example, in the cold favorite iPhone it simply turns off. Why does this happen, what should I do and what other troubles should I expect? All this is discussed in our article.

Why does my iPhone turn off in the cold?

IN iPhone smartphones lithium-ion batteries are used polymer batteries(Li-Pol). Essentially, these are advanced lithium ion batteries, which are endowed with a higher energy density per unit volume and mass. However, such batteries also have disadvantages: at temperatures below +5°C they can lose some of their properties, as a result of which the internal resistance increases, the capacity decreases, the batteries are not able to deliver the declared current, as a result of which the smartphone can simply turn off. Interestingly, the manufacturer itself does not prohibit using the iPhone in the cold, and besides, it would be strange, to put it mildly.

Note that modern models like iPhone 6, 6s, 7, 7 Plus, etc. They turn off in cold weather much less often. Models that have been in use for a long time are most susceptible to this: batteries have a limited number of operating cycles and after crossing a certain threshold they begin to rapidly lose their properties.

If your iPhone turns off in the cold, most likely nothing terrible happened and it turned off precisely because of the sub-zero temperature.

What to do if your iPhone turns off in the cold?

The first thing you need to do is try turning on your iPhone. If it does not respond to pressing the Power key, you need to go into the room and wait 20-30 minutes until the device “warms up” to room temperature. After that, try turning it on.

If even after an hour or two of being indoors the iPhone does not want to turn on, you need to charge it. Please note that in this case, the charging time of the smartphone may increase significantly - up to several hours.

If all else fails, contact a service center.

What other problems arise with the iPhone in the cold?

Shutting down in the cold is not the only problem that can await iPhone user. What else?

• Firstly, the battery drains faster. This, again, is directly related to Li-Pol technology. However, we note that the problem of faster discharge of the gadget in the cold is relevant for almost all devices with batteries.

• Secondly, in the cold it may stop responding to presses touch screen iPhone. Imagine trying to click on an application icon, but nothing happens. There is no need to sound the alarm, try to enter the room and after a while the sensor should work.

How to protect your iPhone from the cold?

There is no perfect solution, but we will give you some tips that can help keep your smartphone fully functional.

• Try to keep your gadget in the cold as little as possible. For example, you talked to a friend and immediately put your iPhone in your pocket. Or even use a headset for communication.

• Keep your phone in a pocket that is closest to your body - it is warmest there. Or use the inside pocket of a jacket or down jacket.

You can purchase a cover. The case saves your smartphone not only from scratches or falls, but also from the cold. Of course, the cover will not be able to completely protect against frost in any case.

As soon as winter comes, all owners modern smartphones, like an iPhone, they begin to think about how they will unlock the phone and dial the number with their nose.

It also happens quite often when the iPhone simply turns off in the cold and many don’t even know why exactly this happens.

Today's article will be devoted to this issue and we will try to consider everything related to these things. It will be interesting and useful.

Why does my iPhone turn off in the cold?

Despite the fact that winter is a very beautiful time of year, it brings us many pleasant surprises, and one of them is turning off your favorite iPhone at low temperatures.

If you go to the official Apple website, you can find very interesting information about the temperature at which it is desirable to use the device.

It turns out that the minimum temperature of use is -35 degrees, and the maximum is +35 degrees. There is an approximate diagram and it is very interesting to look at it.


Therefore, we conclude from this that the iPhone is not so ideal, but I think this problem can be found not only with it. Many gadgets also suffer from this.

Most often, also with frost, you can find the following symptoms:

• the sensor begins to work incorrectly;
• may slow down programs;
• the phone discharges quickly;
• the charge indicator shows incorrect indicators;
• and of course shutdown.

As you can see, even new iPhone may be a victim of the weather. But let's look at the first point in more detail to understand what the point is.

Why does my iPhone discharge in the cold?

As you probably know, each battery has a certain capacity and the older your iPhone, the smaller this capacity becomes.


Therefore, as your phone gets older, it is more likely to turn off and die quickly. And most often it happens like this:

1. battery percentage simply melts before our eyes;
2. as soon as it reaches about 30%, the phone simply turns off.

What's most interesting is fast discharge The smartphone is observed exclusively in the cold and then everything returns to normal.

The situation is very unpleasant and I have encountered it quite often. When I had an iPhone 4S, I usually saw all of this very well.

And if a really harsh winter came, then the smartphone simply became useless. You should immediately think about replacing the old battery.

And while you haven’t done this yet, I’ll tell you a little about what you can do in such situations during severe frosts.

What to do if your iPhone turns off in the cold?

Living in a country where winters are harsh is quite difficult. Especially when the era of gadgets has arrived and we practically never let them out of our hands.


There are a couple of things you can do if you need to use your iPhone in the cold:

1. we buy special gloves that the screen will respond to (at one time the nose really helped when you needed to make a call);
2. we buy a thick case, so the likelihood of rapid cooling decreases;
3. if you need to call, just look for a warm room (if possible);
4. if the battery allows, then you can warm up your phone in the cold by launching heavy games and applications;
5. we carry with us Power Bank to revive your smartphone if necessary.

As for me, the tips are quite simple and easy to implement in life, so use them for your health. Devices like the iPhone have become a part of our lives and therefore, we try to take care of them as much as possible.

iPhone won't turn on after frost

Unfortunately, sometimes this happened when the iPhone turned off in the cold and did not turn on. And here we immediately begin to get quite nervous.


First, try to find a warm place and wait a while for the device’s temperature to return to normal. Perhaps some of the cables were simply frozen.

Then we put it on charge and try to charge it. The phone may not turn on for several minutes because it will not have enough charge, but then everything should return to normal.

If nothing happens and your iPhone does not respond to everything described above, then unfortunately you will have to contact specialists and perhaps they will be able to fix your problem.

Explosions are not the only problem with smartphone batteries. In countries where winter occurs at temperatures below 0°C, the gadget can run out of charge at any time in the cold. Hi-Tech Mail decided why this is happening.

Battery - weakness modern mobile devices. They discharge quickly and heat up when fast charging, experience Samsung Galaxy Note 7 shows that phones can even explode due to battery. But Russians are now worried about another problem - iPhones and other smartphones tend to discharge quickly in the cold.

Why do phones freeze?

Energy production technology changes much more slowly than other industries. The first ones were recalled in 1991 Cell phones with a lithium anode battery that exploded during a conversation. Manufacturers then switched to lithium electrolyte power sources to improve safety.

During charging, lithium ions are introduced into the crystal lattice of a carbon material, most often graphite, at the cathode (negative electrode) and move back to the anode (positive electrode) during discharge. Cold can disrupt this process.

Low temperature slows down all processes: meat in the freezer will be preserved better than in the refrigerator - bacteria are less active. It’s the same with a battery, only instead of microorganisms, lithium ions “work” in it.

The cheaper the better

Aluminum has high thermal conductivity (on average 220 W/(m K)) - this is both a plus and a minus for a smartphone. The gadget removes heat from the battery and processor better, but “freezes” faster. The thickness of the device also plays a role - the battery thin smartphone will start to work unstable faster.

iPhone – clear example this. Most of the body of Apple smartphones is made of aluminum, and the thickness of the iPhone 6/6s/7 is 7.1 mm. The study showed that a temperature of -15°C is contraindicated for the iPhone 6. The manufacturer knows this and honestly warns that the ambient temperature range for working with iOS devices is from 0 to 35°C.

Glass conducts heat worse than metals - only 1.15 W/(m K), but this is enough for the phone to quickly “freeze” in the cold. Samsung Galaxy S7 is covered with glass on both sides, but the side frame is made of aluminum. The manufacturer has set exactly the same recommendations for it regarding operating conditions - from 0 to 35 °C.

In terms of “survival” in the cold, plastic is the leader - its thermal conductivity fluctuates around 0.15-0.20 W/(m K), depending on the type. The “old man” Samsung Galaxy SII turns off only at a temperature of -35°C, and the “dialer” Nokia C1-01 at -40°C!

Manufacturers of modern smartphones do not recommend using them at sub-zero temperatures (below zero). This is partly the fault of the materials - aluminum and glass. IN budget phones the body is made from simple PVC or polycarbonate, a type of plastic. Therefore, in the conditions of the Russian winter, the rule applies - the cheaper, the better.

Battery composition matters

Artem Anisimov, specialist service center Re-Mobile noted that lithium-containing batteries, in principle, do not like freezing, so it is undesirable to use them in the cold for a long time. However, there is a difference between lithium-ion and lithium-polymer options.

“Lithium polymer has, of course, lower sensitivity to frost. Their operating temperature range is approximately from -20 to 35 degrees Celsius. Lithium-ion batteries may begin to have problems even at temperatures below zero. It's because chemistry lithium-ion batteries more sensitive to charging temperature. And there the temperature range is already different: from about 2 to 25 degrees. However, despite this, lithium polymer batteries are less common. They are more expensive,” says Anisimov.

So, a smartphone with lithium polymer battery tolerates cold better.

It’s easy to solve the problem - warm up your smartphone:

• Put on a case, then the cold will penetrate into the battery more slowly;
• Keep your smartphone in an inside pocket, closer to your body;
• Do not keep the gadget in the cold for more than 10 minutes;
• Warm up your smartphone gradually - condensation may form in the case due to a sharp temperature change;
• Do not charge your smartphone in extreme cold - this can damage the device.

If you were unable to protect the battery from the cold and your iPhone turns off, then keep it warm: in your jacket pocket, in your bag, in your car, etc. After just 5 minutes, the gadget will come to life. Also, for Russian winter conditions, it is worth considering that the larger the battery capacity in a smartphone, the slower it will “freeze”.