Cold weather shuts down my iphone

TMW2119

I'm furious right now. I'm using my mapmyrun on my iPhone to track my running/walking. I ran up hills today...that was a first. I was doing more running than walking. 3/4 of a mile in my phone got too cold and shut down. I may or may not have broke down a little. I may or may not have just turned around and walked home at a leisurely pace. I may or may not have looked crazy as I was yelling a bunch of words that I can't repeat on this site.

All this to say, this can't happen again. I spent the walk home worried about keeping my phone warm bc I didn't know if the continued cold would damage it. I need a new solution for tracking my runs. Apparently, having that timer and calorie counter is important for me mentally.

What solutions do you have for the iPhone or what do you use to track?

bagge72

What iphone do you have? They shouldn't shut down because they are cold, and they shouldn't be cold if you had been using it for 3/4 of a mile already, and were still using it. If you have the Iphone 6S then they have battery issues where they shut off on their own because the battery is defective, and really cold weather might play a part in that. But in general cold weather shouldn't shut off your phone.

KANGOOJUMPS

how cold? like minus 30?

3rdof7sisters

I have had mine in my pocket @ air temperature -27 F with wind chill in the -60 F range. It has never quit on me.

dwulet130

My friend has the 6S and complains about the same thing when we go skiing. His has a battery recall - maybe yours does too.

ritzvin

Dead battery, or phone crashed?

ritzvin

I use a running watch (Garmin).

TMW2119

I have a 5S. The weather channel says 33 but feels like 21. I was running into the wind. I keep the phone in my jacket pocket but I pulled it out of my pocket to check the time. My husband has the same phone and his does the same thing. It happened to me once before when the temps were below 30. I'm up for a new phone, but if the 6S does the same thing I might need to get something like a fitbit. Do you need your phone turned on for those to work? I'm clueless as to how they work.

CafeRacer808

Per Apple's tech specs, the iPhone's environmental requirements call for temps to be above 32F for the phone to function properly. Try keeping it in an inside pocket (under layers, if possible) if you're going to be out in sub 32F weather.

If you've done a similar walk in the past, you can re-log that session today just so you have a ballpark idea of where you are with your daily calorie goal. Seems like a pretty small thing to get furious about...

jwebb949

Apple's recommended temperature range is 32F - 92F. (source: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201678)

Up here in Canada, I've had my phone shut down while driving in my car due to temperatures if I don't leave it in a pocket close to my body. Try running with your phone someplace closer to your body to give it more body heat.

I went for a run last weekend at -0.4F and my phone survived but probably only due to body heat.

Spliner1969

TMW2119 wrote: »

I have a 5S. The weather channel says 33 but feels like 21. I was running into the wind. I keep the phone in my jacket pocket but I pulled it out of my pocket to check the time. My husband has the same phone and his does the same thing. It happened to me once before when the temps were below 30. I'm up for a new phone, but if the 6S does the same thing I might need to get something like a fitbit. Do you need your phone turned on for those to work? I'm clueless as to how they work.

Sounds like a weak battery to me. Cold can make batteries go dead faster, but generally if it has good life and wasn't mostly dead when you started it shouldn't be all that bad. Certainly not bad enough to shut it down half way through a run. I had a 5 that had terrible battery life, and the 5S's were no better. They worked great for the first few months then I started noticing having to charge them late in the day. Cold made it worse. You may want to consider upgrading when you get the chance, my 7 stays charged for more than a day, even on days I use it for working out for 1.5 hours in the mornings. I put it on the charger anyway at night but it usually has 20-30% left.

My wife only charges her 6S Plus about every 3 days, it has a massive battery. But too bulky for my tastes.

l_lake

+1 for keeping your phone in an inside pocket. Mine consistently dies when I forget and put it in my jacket pocket. When I have it in a sweater pocket under my jacket, it works perfectly. Yay Canadian winters!

NorthCascades

ritzvin wrote: »

I use a running watch (Garmin).

Me too. I've used to down to -2 F night skiing.

BrianSharpe

I run with a Garmin Forerunner and I've run in temperatures close to -40C with no problems (and I've been using Garmins for the last 7 or 8 years)

TavistockToad

TMW2119 wrote: »

I'm furious right now. I'm using my mapmyrun on my iPhone to track my running/walking. I ran up hills today...that was a first. I was doing more running than walking. 3/4 of a mile in my phone got too cold and shut down. I may or may not have broke down a little. I may or may not have just turned around and walked home at a leisurely pace. I may or may not have looked crazy as I was yelling a bunch of words that I can't repeat on this site.

All this to say, this can't happen again. I spent the walk home worried about keeping my phone warm bc I didn't know if the continued cold would damage it. I need a new solution for tracking my runs. Apparently, having that timer and calorie counter is important for me mentally.

What solutions do you have for the iPhone or what do you use to track?

Sounds like it was a handy excuse to stroll home...

Next time keep going anyway, get it done!

BrunetteRunner87

I have a Garmin Forerunner 235. I got it because it's far more reliable than a phone and I don't have to worry about the battery dying mid-run. They make models that range from $70 to over $700.

NorthCascades

TavistockToad wrote: »

TMW2119 wrote: »

I'm furious right now. I'm using my mapmyrun on my iPhone to track my running/walking. I ran up hills today...that was a first. I was doing more running than walking. 3/4 of a mile in my phone got too cold and shut down. I may or may not have broke down a little. I may or may not have just turned around and walked home at a leisurely pace. I may or may not have looked crazy as I was yelling a bunch of words that I can't repeat on this site.

All this to say, this can't happen again. I spent the walk home worried about keeping my phone warm bc I didn't know if the continued cold would damage it. I need a new solution for tracking my runs. Apparently, having that timer and calorie counter is important for me mentally.

What solutions do you have for the iPhone or what do you use to track?

Sounds like it was a handy excuse to stroll home...

Next time keep going anyway, get it done!

But if it's not on Strava, it didn't happen!

TavistockToad

BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »

I have a Garmin Forerunner 235. I got it because it's far more reliable than a phone and I don't have to worry about the battery dying mid-run. They make models that range from $70 to over $700.

I've got the 225, and I have found a couple of times that if my hands get too cold it loses my heart rate... I remember being at the back end of 10 miles and it had my HR at 77 :laugh:

questionfear

21 degrees and near your body shouldn't shut a phone down. I've gone for runs in far colder weather with the phone in a SPIbelt outside my jacket and it's run fine. That sounds like a battery issue-I would definitely have an Apple Genius bar check the battery out for you.

Aetheldreda

I had the same problem with my iPhone 5s when it was about 18 months old, it would just turn itself off in temperatures around 3°C or lower, sooo frustrating . In the end I got a Samsung as the iPhone was due for upgrade.

Jules_farmgirl

This has happened to me. I bought an arm strap to wear under my jacket so my phone can be against my skin and not freeze.

TMW2119

MeganAM89 wrote: »

I think your phone is defective.

I used to live in Edmonton where during the winter the temperature would range between 0 and -40 and my phone never quit on me. Are you under any kind of warranty?

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm up for an upgrade so it may be time to change phones if this isn't something that happens to everyone.

TMW2119

Spliner1969 wrote: »

TMW2119 wrote: »

I have a 5S. The weather channel says 33 but feels like 21. I was running into the wind. I keep the phone in my jacket pocket but I pulled it out of my pocket to check the time. My husband has the same phone and his does the same thing. It happened to me once before when the temps were below 30. I'm up for a new phone, but if the 6S does the same thing I might need to get something like a fitbit. Do you need your phone turned on for those to work? I'm clueless as to how they work.

Sounds like a weak battery to me. Cold can make batteries go dead faster, but generally if it has good life and wasn't mostly dead when you started it shouldn't be all that bad. Certainly not bad enough to shut it down half way through a run. I had a 5 that had terrible battery life, and the 5S's were no better. They worked great for the first few months then I started noticing having to charge them late in the day. Cold made it worse. You may want to consider upgrading when you get the chance, my 7 stays charged for more than a day, even on days I use it for working out for 1.5 hours in the mornings. I put it on the charger anyway at night but it usually has 20-30% left.

My wife only charges her 6S Plus about every 3 days, it has a massive battery. But too bulky for my tastes.

The phone has been with me for a while. It was charged above 80 percent when I left and still above 80 when it turned back on. Thanks for the tip on the 7!

demorelli

I used to work in a grocery freezer department for about 4 1/2 years. The cold can make your battery drain a lot faster. I used to kill my phone in a couple hours on the days I would have to reorganize the walk-in freezer.

TMW2119

TavistockToad wrote: »

TMW2119 wrote: »

I'm furious right now. I'm using my mapmyrun on my iPhone to track my running/walking. I ran up hills today...that was a first. I was doing more running than walking. 3/4 of a mile in my phone got too cold and shut down. I may or may not have broke down a little. I may or may not have just turned around and walked home at a leisurely pace. I may or may not have looked crazy as I was yelling a bunch of words that I can't repeat on this site.

All this to say, this can't happen again. I spent the walk home worried about keeping my phone warm bc I didn't know if the continued cold would damage it. I need a new solution for tracking my runs. Apparently, having that timer and calorie counter is important for me mentally.

What solutions do you have for the iPhone or what do you use to track?

Sounds like it was a handy excuse to stroll home...

Next time keep going anyway, get it done!

Ouch! Well, that is one way of looking at it. I went from having my best run yet to trying to shove a cold phone down my leggings and shirt in a high traffic area. My priority changed to making sure I didn't do damage to my phone and lose numbers, pictures, etc. I could have tried to run home through my tears, cussing, and frustration. Maybe next time I will. Instead, I let the phone warm back up and just got back from finishing two miles using @Jules_farmgirl 's tip of putting it in a strap under my jacket. Just to be safe, I put it under my jacket and shirt. It didn't shut off. Thanks for the temporary solution @Jules_farmgirl! I'm going to look into some of the watches others suggested.

Jules_farmgirl

TMW2119 wrote: »

Sounds like it was a handy excuse to stroll home...

Next time keep going anyway, get it done!

Ouch! Well, that is one way of looking at it. I went from having my best run yet to trying to shove a cold phone down my leggings and shirt in a high traffic area. My priority changed to making sure I didn't do damage to my phone and lose numbers, pictures, etc. I could have tried to run home through my tears, cussing, and frustration. Maybe next time I will. Instead, I let the phone warm back up and just got back from finishing two miles using @Jules_farmgirl 's tip of putting it in a strap under my jacket. Just to be safe, I put it under my jacket and shirt. It didn't shut off. Thanks for the temporary solution @Jules_farmgirl! I'm going to look into some of the watches others suggested.[/quote]

No problem! I just got a fitbit blaze at Christmas that I use now, but I actually still use the same trick with my phone because my Blaze doesn't have a GPS...and I like my music in my ears

Unfortunately so many phones can be "lemons" or their battery no longer strong enough to deal with cold weather (I live in Saskatchewan Canada...). I have learned to adapt based on my budget and needs!!!

Enjoy watch shopping!!!

TMW2119

Jules_farmgirl wrote: »

This has happened to me. I bought an arm strap to wear under my jacket so my phone can be against my skin and not freeze.

I saw this suggestion on another site and tried it before I read your post. It worked great! Thanks for sharing your tip

acarpenter

Put a hand warmer packet in your pocket with your phone. I had to do that when we went snow skiing.

sarabushby

Had the same problem one cold run with my 5s too when I got it out to take a photo mid-run. My battery isn't great anyway but that was really annoying as I wanted to capture the pretty sights to log against my run.

JoRocka

Mine's done that before (my old Samsung)- shrug it's not going to kill it- it's just cold and shut off. Just put it in an inner pocket and you'll be fine.

I certainly wouldn't change what I was doing with my workout.

TMW2119

acarpenter wrote: »

Put a hand warmer packet in your pocket with your phone. I had to do that when we went snow skiing.

I have some of those. Great idea! Thanks!