By Aaron Kassraie, August 2023
Prolonged contact with skin may cause injury.
Apple is warning consumers not to sleep with their iPhones while charging because the devices, cables and chargers can get warm and cause discomfort or even injury if pressed against the skin for a long period of time.
“Use common sense to avoid situations where your skin is in contact with a device or power adapter while it is running or connected to a power outlet for a long time,” the company says in the latest edition of its iPhone user manual. “For example, do not sleep on a device, power adapter or wireless charger, or place them under a blanket, pillow or your body when they are connected to a power outlet.”
Instead, keep the iPhone, power adapter and any wireless charger in a well-ventilated area away from the body when charging. People who suffer from health conditions that prevent them from feeling heat are advised to take extreme precautions, the company says.
Third-party cables and chargers
Though iPhone and Apple brand USB power adapters are in compliance with surface temperature safety requirements, according to the company, continuous contact with hot surfaces may cause discomfort.
Apple includes a charging cable with the purchase of a new iPhone, but wireless chargers and power adapters are sold separately. If you need to replace a cable or buy a power adapter, the company recommends looking for a Made for iPhone label on the packaging. This means that the product was designed to connect specifically to an iPhone and has been certified to meet Apple’s performance standards.
Other third-party products need to comply with all applicable performance and safety standards. If they don’t, Apple warns they may pose a risk of fire, electric shock or other serious injury.
Apple continues to warn against using any chargers in damp places such as near a sink, bathtub or shower, or touching the devices with wet hands.
Interference with medical devices
If you use a medical device, Apple reiterates in its user manual that iPhones and MagSafe wireless charging accessories have magnets. Talk to your doctor and the medical device maker to find out if you need to keep a safe distance from certain gadgets.
Medical devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators may contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when they are nearby. A safe distance of more than 15 centimeters may be required when the phone is being used, according to Apple, and a distance of at least 30 centimeters may be required during wireless charging.
There are more than 1.46 billion active iPhone users worldwide, according to Demand Sage, a sales and marketing analytics firm.
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