iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max restarting every 3 minutes

If your iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro or 13 Pro Max restarts about every 3 minutes, often with a short pink or purple flash, its power controller (SMC) has lost one of its sensors. The panic log names which one - here is what each code means on this model, how sure repair technicians are, and what real repairs showed.

What the panic log says

Open the newest panic-full file (Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements → Analytics Data). On an iPhone 13 the important line looks like this (from an iPhone 13 Pro on iFixit):

The number that is not zero is the sensor code. Newer iOS versions print it in decimal: 524288 is the same as 0x80000. The table shows both.

Sensor codes on iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max

iFixit's table prints the front sensor as 0x10000 and the battery as 0x40000, but its own example 0x1800 uses 0x1000, so the extra zero is most likely a typing slip.

Two parts at once

Each sensor is one bit, so codes add up (in hexadecimal):

• 0x1800 = charging port + front sensor flex - the example all three tables use

The analyzer splits combined codes for you.

What repairs showed

• Fixed: an iPhone 13 Pro Max on iFixit with sensor 0x800 - the owner replaced the charging port assembly and wrote "Issue disappeared!" ^{iFixit case}
• Board, not the port: in the same thread a technician whose phone kept 0x800 after charging-port swaps fixed it by reflowing the logic board. A good port that changes nothing means the board. ^{iFixit case}

Test order

1. What was repaired last? A screen, battery, charging port or back-glass job is the first suspect - the part fitted, or a cable disturbed during it.
2. Inspect the flex and its connector under magnification: torn traces, liquid marks, a bent pin.
3. Test with a known-good original part plugged in. Unplugging the cable does not test it - an unplugged sensor is missing too, so the phone still restarts.
4. Expect side effects: a replacement front sensor flex loses True Tone and auto-brightness; a battery or back glass that is not paired with Apple's System Configuration shows a parts message.
5. If a good part does not stop it, the fault is on the logic board (often after liquid damage) - micro-soldering.
6. Do not restore iOS for a hardware code. An SMC panic happens below iOS; restoring only costs time and, without a backup, your data.

Not the same problem

• A purple screen that stays, or purple lines without restarts, is usually the screen itself.
• Restarts at random times without SMC PANIC in the log are a different panic - the analyzer reads those too.
• The phone will not update or restore (error 4013, 9, 75...): see the restore error lookup.

Sources

• iFixit: iPhone SMC Panic Assert
• iPad Rehab: Troubleshooting iPhone reboot problems
• iRepair Experts: iPhone random restarts and panic logs
• iFixit Answers: 13 Pro Max, code 0x800 - fixed with a new charging port