iPhone 16 was released on September 20, and before their one-month anniversary, users are reporting battery-draining issues on various social media platforms. Heated discussions are happening on Reddit, X (Formerly Twitter), and even on Apple’s community forums. So, if you are noticing the same with your iPhone 16 models, you are not alone.
The complaints started pouring in a couple of days back when some users found that their battery was draining quickly, even in standby mode. Although most users have complained about the iPhone 16 family (iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Plus), more reports are coming in saying that the older variants have been also affected.
From the discussions it is clear that the new iOS 18 update has something to do with this battery-draining issue, users are experiencing. Users of older models such as iPhone 15s and 14s are also reporting similar issues with their devices after updating to iOS 18.
iOS 18 Battery Draining Issue: What Is Happening?
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iPhone users report that they are experiencing battery-draining issues after updating to iOS 18. iPhone 16 users who have been testing the iOS 18 beta versions have been expressing their battery-draining concerns for a while now. However, a new wave of complaints is rolling out as more users have upgraded their phones to the iOS 18 stable version.
The users who have updated their iPhones to the new iOS version say that the battery is dropping aggressively with minimal or no usage. An iPhone user noted on the Apple community page that their battery drained out quickly after updating to iOS 18.
According to a user’s comment on the thread, Apple is aware of the issue and assured that the bugs will be fixed in the upcoming updates, either iOS 18.1 or 18.2.
“I contacted Apple support as I’m having the same issue with the iOS 18 update with my iPhone 15 Pro Max (which has a brand new Apple-certified battery with 3 3-cycle count). I was told that Apple knows about the issue, is working on it, and will fix it in the coming iOS 18 update.”
Why iOS 18 Is Draining Battery?
Although it is incredibly inconvenient, issues with better preservation are expected when a major OS update happens. This happens because of the new features introduced with the OS update, and not due to an underlying bug in the build. Here are some factors that can be the culprits behind the battery-draining issues, you are experiencing now:
- The advanced organizing capabilities of the Photos app.
- Powerful spotlight search indexing tools that allow users to search for content within the apps.
- Background operations that work to optimize data, recalibrate battery settings, and scan photos with the new algorithm.
These processes require more processing power and in turn consume more battery than your phone is used to, leading to draining. However, these are fixable and we can hope that Apple will fix the issue soon.
Quick Fixes For iOS 18 Battery Draining Issue
We are yet to receive an official statement from Apple. However, it is safe to assume that issues will be fixed in any of the upcoming updates. However, you might not see a drastic change in the very next stable update of iOS 18, as it will introduce more Apple Intelligence features that can consume even more battery. That being said, there are some quick fixes you can do to squeeze more juice from your iPhone’s battery.
The quick fixes below can help you extend your battery life. However, it involves disabling some of the new features of iOS 18. So, this might not be what you are looking for, but it can be helpful till Apple releases the new iOS 18 version that fixes the issues with it.
App Privacy Report
If you do not actively use the privacy report feature, the app is not worth running in the background, consuming considerable battery. You can disable it from the “Privacy” tab in the Settings app.
Disable “Tracking”
Apps can send tracking requests if the Tracking in the privacy settings is allowed. So, disabling it can potentially save some battery life.
Customize Siri
Siri is a helpful virtual assistant. By default, Siri functionalities for each application are enabled. However, if you do not use these features it is better to turn it off. To improve the battery life, you can disable the apps that use Siri from the “Siri & Search” settings. You may also disable the “Learn from this App” feature, to prevent Siri from analyzing the application in the background and making suggestions.
Turn off Background App Refresh from Settings > General > Background App Refresh. This will prevent apps from updating their content in the background, silently consuming a good amount of battery.
Turn off the Always-on Display from Settings > Display and Brightness. While AOD can be useful for some people, it is just a novelty for most people. So, turning it off might not affect your overall experience.
When running low on battery, consider switching to Low Power Mode, which can potentially improve battery life at the expense of performance. While the above-mentioned remedies can potentially fix the battery-draining issues temporarily, you have to wait for an official announcement from Apple to know when they will be releasing the new version of iOS 18 that completely addresses the issue.
