UK Repair Shops See Rise in iPhone Damage as TikTok Fridge Advice Spreads in Heatwave
Updated
Updated · 9to5Mac · Aug 5
UK Repair Shops See Rise in iPhone Damage as TikTok Fridge Advice Spreads in Heatwave
3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Aug 5
Summary
UK phone repair shops are seeing a significant increase in damaged iPhones after users followed TikTok videos telling them to cool overheated devices in a fridge.
Condensation inside the phone and thermal shock from rapid temperature swings can damage components, with lithium batteries especially vulnerable.
Apple advises letting an overheating iPhone cool naturally in a shaded place instead of refrigerating it.
Hot cars pose a separate risk: even a glove box can reach temperatures high enough to damage a phone or, in extreme cases, trigger a battery fire.
The UK cases follow a broader pattern already reported by European repair shops during the recent heatwave, underscoring how viral cooling tips are backfiring.