How to Fix Battery Drain Issues After iOS 15 Update

If you have an Apple device, you probably updated to iOS 15 and rushed to use the widgets, designs, and automation features this new update offers. After the frenzy of design, you may have noticed that your iPhone started acting a bit weird.

Its battery was running out faster than usual, and you were finding yourself having more frequent charging sessions. Don’t worry. You are not alone.

Apple introduced iOS 15 in June 2021, which was then released to the public on September 20th. iOS 15 introduced new features for FaceTime calls, tools to reduce distractions, a new notifications experience, and much more. 

But these new updates came with a cost since several issues arose with battery life and the temperature climbs in heavy usage.

So in this article, we will give you the fixes. Let’s get started!

1. Turn off Background App Refresh

Background app refresh needs a lot of power to run, so it needs smart management no matter the device you are using.

1. First, open your Settings app
2. Then, tap General > Background App Refresh > Background App Refresh. Now, you can either choose to completely turn it off, which I wouldn’t recommend since you need apps like your email or iCloud to background refresh. To avoid that, you can turn off background refresh for specific apps.

You can also force quit apps when you don’t use them. 

1. On Face ID devices, swipe up from the Home bar at the bottom, and hold along the middle of the screen to open the app switcher.
2. On Touch ID devices, double press the Home button to open up the App Switcher. Then, swipe up on the app card to force stop an app.

2. Turn off Location Access

Location Access is also a power-draining feature in need of efficient battery management. You can address this issue by only allowing certain apps to access your location, only when they are in use or when your location is required.

To enable this fix:

1. First, open your Settings app 
2. Now, navigate to Privacy > Location Services. You can either choose to turn off location services or select your preferred use for each app, depending on your needs.

3. Reduce Motion of UI

When saving battery becomes a must, try the Reduce Motion tool. What this fix will do is reduce the motions of your UI, including the parallax effect of icons. 

1. Open your Settings.
2. Then locate Accessibility and click on Motion 
3. Now, turn on the toggle of Reduce Motion.

4. Turn on Low Power Mode

This feature is so effective since it has the ability to automatically reduce background activity thus preserving battery life.

To enable this:

1. First, head to Settings > Battery 
2. Turn on the toggle for Low Power Mode.

Note: iOS 15 disables Low Power Mode when the battery is over 80% automatically. So make sure to manually toggle it on when needed.

Pro Tip: You can add the Low Power Mode icon to your Control Center screen. 

1. First, open Settings, and then select Control Center. 
2. Locate More Controls > Low Power Mode and click the “+” button next to it.

5. Turn Off Auto-Play for Videos

This feature extends battery life while offering obstruction-free browsing. 

1. Open your Settings 
2. Now locate Accessibility and click on Motion 
3. Then, disable the toggle next to Auto-Play Video Previews.

6. Turn Off Auto-App Updates and Downloads

The auto-app updates feature makes it easier to keep your apps up-to-date. But disabling it can help your battery’s life.

1. First, go to Settings > App Store. 
2. Now, click the Automatic Downloads section. 
3. Then, disable both toggles for Apps and App Updates.

7. Update Apps

Outdated apps can also be responsible for battery life problems. 

1. First, open the App Store and scroll to the Today tab. 
2. Then, click on the Profile icon at the top right of your screen. 
3. Now, scroll down and tap the Update All button, to download the latest version of all your apps. You can also do this individually for each app, by simply pressing the Update icon next to them.

8. Reset All Settings

If you tried the previous solutions but your battery life is still the same, it’s time to roll out the big guns. You can try resetting all your device’s settings.

Resetting all the settings deletes all of your saved settings while keeping all your media and data. This is an extraordinary measure but it works.

1. Open your Settings 
2. Then locate General 
3. Select Transfer or Reset iPhone and click Reset. 
4. Now, select Reset All Settings in the menu that pops up and confirm. 

9. Delete Unwanted Files and Apps

Filling up your storage space can cause an array of issues with your UI, heat, and battery. So if you haven’t cleaned your device in a while, that might be the source of your battery life issues.

To choose which apps you need to clean up: 

1. Open your Settings, and click General.
2. Then, locate  iPhone Storage. 
3. Now, check the Storage bar to find out which apps capture the majority of your storage.

Once you have found the apps or files that occupy the most storage, start cleaning them up. Then, you need to force restart your iPhone, to complete the fix. To do that, follow the steps below:

iPhone 8 or newer (No home button): 

1. First, press and quickly release the Volume Up button. 
2. Next is to press and quickly release the Volume Down button. 
3. Hold down the side button until the Apple logo appears.

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: 

1. Hold down the Side button and ​​Volume Down button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears.

iPhone 6s and iPhone SE: 

1. Hold down the Side + Home buttons until the Apple logo appears.

10. Update Your Software

If none of the previous tips works, then the issue may be caused by a software bug. To address this, check for software updates that might resolve the issue. To update your device.

1. Open your Settings.
2. Then, head over to General.
3. Now click on Software Update. 
4. Download and install the latest version of iOS 15.

By getting rid of useless files and taking control of power-draining features, you can resolve your iOS device’s battery life issues. Be mindful of your storage capacity, update your apps regularly and utilize the iOS software features to prolong your battery’s life. If you have friends that share the same problem, don’t be selfish, and send them this article. Enjoy your device and happy scrolling!

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂