How to Fix iPhone XR Keeps Rebooting While Gaming: Full Chip-Level Repair Guide

Is your iPhone XR keeps rebooting, especially when playing games? You’re not alone. This common issue often stems from overheating at the chip level, causing the device to trigger Apple panic codes and enter a reboot loop. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through a professional-level solution: chip-level board repair involving CPU, NAND, EEPROM, and baseband CPU transfer. Whether you’re a repair shop, technician, or DIYer, this guide will help you understand the root cause and how to fix it permanently.

Device Details

Model: iPhone XR

Announced: September 12, 2018

Customer Faced iPhone XR Keeps Rebooting

A customer’s iPhone XR would crash while playing games and then enter a constant reboot loop. The device wasn’t dropped, water-damaged, or improperly charged—ruling out external physical causes.

Step 1: Observe the Boot Loop

The phone repeatedly shows the Apple logo but fails to boot into iOS. Occasionally, it enters the system after several failed attempts.

Step 2: Analyze Panic Logs

We check the panic-full logs in the system. One key entry stands out:

AppleSocHot
Hot Hot Hot...

This message indicates SoC (System on Chip) overheating, which causes the phone to reboot. This type of error often stems from internal chip failure rather than external factors.

Solution: Swap Encrypted Chips to Another Working Board

Due to the chip-level failure, a board swap with encrypted chip transfer is required. The following components need to be moved:

• CPU
• NAND chip
• Baseband CPU
• Logic EEPROM

Repair Process

1. Disassemble the iPhone and Remove the Motherboard

Open the phone and safely remove the motherboard.

2. Remove the Shielding Cover and Clean CPU

• Use a hot air gun to remove the shielding cover.
• Clean the thermal grease from the CPU.

3. Remove Black Glue & Detach the CPU

• Carefully remove the black glue surrounding the CPU.
• Reheat the area using a hot air gun.
• Gently insert a thin blade while heating until the CPU chip is removed.

⚠️ Caution: Do not blow away the nearby Logic EEPROM (U1401) when heating.

4. Clean and Resolder the CPU

• Clean the removed CPU and the board’s contact pads.
• Reball and solder the CPU to a new donor motherboard.

5. Resolder the Logic EEPROM

Once the CPU is soldered, install the Logic EEPROM back in place.

Power-On Test

Connect the reassembled motherboard to a DC power supply and trigger the boot. A stable current jump to around 50mA indicates the CPU is functioning correctly.

Remaining Steps

• Remove and reball the NAND chip and Baseband CPU from the original board.
• Solder them onto the new motherboard along with the already-transferred CPU and EEPROM.

Reballing and soldering steps are similar to the techniques taught in REWA’s Handwork Course.

Final Testing

Once all encrypted chips are swapped and the board cools down, reassemble the phone.

Results:

• All functions work normally.
• The phone no longer reboots.
• It runs games and videos smoothly for over 30 minutes with no crash or loop.

Conclusion

An iPhone XR keeps rebooting while gaming is typically suffering from a chip-level fault, especially overheating related to the SoC. The key solution is swapping all critical encrypted chips—CPU, NAND, Baseband CPU, and EEPROM—to a healthy donor board. Though this process requires advanced soldering skills and professional tools, it’s a proven and permanent solution. For repair shops and experienced technicians, this guide offers a reliable path to restore full functionality to affected iPhones.

Tools & Parts Used:

Tools:

• Hot air gun
• Thin blade
• Tweezers
• DC power supply
• Soldering iron
• Microscope (recommended)
• Thermal grease cleaner
• Reballing station (optional but preferred)

Parts:

• Donor iPhone XR motherboard
• Original iPhone XR CPU (encrypted)
• Original NAND chip
• Original Logic EEPROM (U1401)
• Original Baseband CPU

Technical Term Clarifications:

• AppleSocHot – A panic log error indicating SoC overheating.
• CPU (Central Processing Unit) – Main processor of the phone.
• NAND chip – Memory storage chip that holds iOS and user data.
• Logic EEPROM (U1401) – Stores logic configuration data.
• Baseband CPU – Handles communication functions like cellular and WiFi.
• Reballing – Reapplying solder balls to a chip to prepare it for resoldering.