How to Fix iPhone Charging On Hold Error in iOS 16

Apple recently released the much-anticipated iOS 16 version and as expected by many people, it has come with significant background changes and numerous optimizations. Among these changes is the “Charging On Hold” notification. Many users have reported occasionally getting this charging on hold prompt on their iPhone after updating to iOS 16. So, what does it mean? Is there a problem with your iPhone’s charging unit? Absolutely not.

This notification is part of Apple’s new built-in battery optimization feature that helps prolong your battery life and also protect your iPhone from any potential damage. In this article, we’ll explain what this iOS 16 charging on hold error message really means, what causes it to appear, and how to stop it from occurring again. We’ll share all these herein, so read on to learn more.

What “Charging On Hold” Means in iOS 16?

The iOS 16 charging on hold notification is basically a message that often comes up on the screen during charging when the temperature of your iPhone becomes higher than the permissible levels. When this message pops up, don’t fret because it usually goes away once the phone cools. From there, your iPhone will resume charging as usual.

It’s basically a fail-safe/battery optimization mechanism that comes with the iOS 16, and similar to Emergency Override, Apple has incorporated it mainly to preserve the battery life. Before, Apple used to give a full-screen warning whenever the iPhone temperature was higher than expected while charging. With iOS 16 though, Apple went a step further to keep charging on hold when the iPhone temperature soars - no manual intervention is actually needed.

The notification only pops up whenever the temperature is very high. It doesn’t matter what the source of heat is - it could be your charger, iPhone, or some other external factor.

Why Does My iPhone Say “Charging On Hold”?

As mentioned earlier, the charging on hold notification usually pops up due to high iPhone temperature, so knowing some of the causes of this heat spike is important. The key factors that can lead iPhone temperature to increase include:

• When you run heavy apps or tasks on your iPhone, they’re likely to slow down the iPhone and as well lead to an increase in its internal temperature.
• When you put your iPhone on hot surfaces such as a heated pavement, a car’s dashboard, or near any heat source, its temperature will rise and in turn trigger the charging on hold message while charging.
• When the charger or charging unit is faulty, it can cause the phone to heat up leading to this pop-up.
• If your phone’s battery is damaged, it’s likely to become too hot and cause your iPhone’s temperature to increase.
• Sometimes when you stream high-quality videos, your iPhone unit may heat up too.

These are some of the factors that can lead to the iOS 16 charging on hold prompt. Below are steps you can take when this happens.

What To Do When “Charging On Hold” Message Pops Up On iPhone?

1. Remove iPhone Case During Charging

If your iPhone has a phone case, it’s possible that it’s not letting heat out, especially if it features a thick back cover. The case is likely to trap the heat even during normal use hence leading to an increase in the phone’s temperature.

Therefore, if your device is getting hot, removing the case can help it dissipate the heat produced as it will facilitate better ventilation for the device. There will be no trapping of heat and. hence no increase in temperature, so the iPhone charging on hold message will disappear.

2. Move iPhone to A Cooler Location

According to Apple, you should use your iPhone in temperatures below 45° C (113° F). Therefore, moving your iPhone somewhere that’s cooler is another great option for getting rid of the iOS 16 charging on hold error. For example, if you were charging the phone outside under the hot sun, then take it indoors and charge it.

You can as well place it on a cooler surface that’s able to dissipate the heat easily. You can place it on a marble tabletop, metallic surface, glass surface, or laptop cooling pad. You can even place it close to a source of cool air like an AC or fan in your room. Doing all these will allow your iPhone to cool down, stop the charging on hold notification, and allow the charging of the battery to resume automatically.

3. Avoid Wireless Charging

Unlike traditional wired charging, iPhones usually tend to warm up more while MagSafe charging which can end up causing the charging on hold notification to pop up.

As such, you should avoid using MagSafe to charge your device and instead use the 20W USB-C power adapter or the USB-C to lightning adaptor provided with your iPhone. You also want to avoid using any third-party wireless charging platform or charger as they’re highly likely to be less efficient.

4. Unplug Your iPhone

In case you notice that your iPhone gets hot while charging, the first action you should take is to unplug the iPhone right from the power source. Once you do that, allow the phone to cool down for a few minutes.

Now, plug the phone back into the power source once more and then check if the temperature has returned to normal. Should the phone still get hot quickly again, it’s possible there’s an issue with the authenticity of your accessories.

5. Use MFI-Certified Accessories Only

You need to ensure you’re using authentic Apple accessories. If you come across any cheaper iPhone lightning cables and power adapters, avoid any temptation to buy them. Always check for the MFI (Made For iPhone/iPad certification) and once it’s there, then you can proceed with the purchase.

You can check all MFI-authorized manufacturers in this MFI Apple list (ensure you’ve agreed to the terms in order to view the list). All the manufacturers in the list produce accessories that have met all the quality checks for iPhone/iPad, so your device is not going to get affected or damaged should you use these accessories.

6. Try Slower Charging

When the charging rate is fast, it speeds up chemical reactions in the battery and this generates more heat. Hence, if you feel that your device is getting hot during charging, then we recommend using a power adapter that has a lower rating for some time until the phone cools down. Doing so can help remove the charging on hold iOS 16 error message.

7. Restart Your iPhone

Powering off your device is yet another workaround that you can try. Once it’s turned off, you let it cool down and when the temperature is back to normal, you then restart it. Follow these steps to power off your iPhone.

Step 1: You need to first shut down your device. To do that.

• For iPhone X or later, press Volume Down and Side buttons concurrently and keep holding them.
• For the 2nd and 3rd gen of iPhone SE, iPhone 7, and 8 series, press Side button and hold it.
• For 1st gen of iPhone SE, iPhone 5s, or earlier models, press and hold the Power button.

Step 2: From there, when the power slider appears, slide it to shut down the iPhone.

Step 3: Let the phone cool down. Once it does, switch on your iPhone by pressing the Power button and holding it until there’s an Apple logo on the screen.

8. Turn Off Optimized Battery Charging

iPhone is designed to switch off charging automatically once it detects a large temperature increase. However, by turning off the Optimized Battery Charging function on your iPhone, you can remove the charging on hold message. Here are steps on how to do it:

• Go to Settings on your iPhone. Navigate down to Battery and tap on it.
• On the next page, tap “Battery Health.”
• Tap the toggle next to “Optimized Battery Charging” to turn it off.

This should be able to remove the charging on hold message and allow your iPhone to continue charging as usual.

FAQs about iPhone Charging On Hold in iOS 16

How long will it take for iPhone to cool down?

It usually takes just a few minutes (around 5 to 10 minutes) for iPhone to cool down.

Can wireless charging cause overheating?

As long as the wireless charger you’re using for your iPhone is MFi-certified, then you have nothing to worry about with regard to overheating.

Does the lightning port get damaged by overheating?

The internal components of an iPhone can indeed get damaged by excess heating. However, this new battery optimization feature that keeps iOS 16 charging on hold helps prevent damage.

Does “Charging On Hold” reduce iPhone battery life?

Absolutely not. The charging on hold feature in fact helps ensure your iPhone’s battery charges at an efficient rate and remains healthy. It helps preserve and prolong the battery life. Lithium Ion batteries are quite sensitive to heat such that charging them at high temperatures can adversely affect the battery and even significantly reduce its capacity.

Can you turn off “Charging On Hold” in iOS 16?

Sadly, you can’t turn off “Charging On Hold” on your iPhone because it’s not actually a user-controlled feature in the new iOS 16 version.

Final Words

You don’t need to panic when you see the charging on hold prompt message in iOS 16. It’s clearly normal. You can allow your iPhone to cool down normally to get rid of it. Alternatively, you can try all the workarounds we’ve highlighted above as they’ll not only help cool down your phone but also prevent the iOS 16 charging on hold message from appearing. So, try them out and your iPhone will be able to charge as usual again. If you are facing battery draining fast issue on your iPhone, please check our guide: iPhone Battery Draining Fast after iOS 16 Update? 10 Tips to Fix It.