Millions of Apple fans have rushed to update their iPhones to iOS 18, Apple’s new operating system, which was released on Monday.
Yet it seems that many are already regretting their decision.
Several users have complained on X (formerly Twitter) that the latest update is draining their battery.
One user said he updated to iOS 18 and his battery “drained before my eyes,” while another called iOS 18’s battery life “horribly bad.”
Another posted a GIF of an exploding car with the caption: ‘my iphone 11 only has 75% battery left after updating to ios 18’.
Since Apple launched its long-awaited iOS 18 update on Monday, millions of iPhone users have flocked to download it
An affected user posted a GIF of an exploding car with the caption: ‘my iPhone 11 with 75% battery life after updating to iOS 18’
Yet another user wrote, “Anyone having battery issues on iOS 18?”, while someone else said, “God, iOS 18 is completely draining my battery!!!!”
Someone else posted: ‘I updated my software to iOS 18 and my battery percentage dropped so fast.’
They continued, “I’ve had it charged to 80% for an hour now and haven’t used it that much, but my phone’s battery percentage is now at 67%.”
However, others reported that their device is working fine with the update, with one calling the device “great” and “causing no battery drain.”
Someone else said: ‘Thanks to iOS 18 my battery performs waaaaay better :)’
iOS 18 will be supported on the new iPhone 16 models coming later this month, as well as older models. Pictured: iPhone 16 (L) and 16 Plus
A user discovered that his iPhone’s battery was draining “so fast” after an update – from 80 percent to 67 percent in an hour without much use
Over the past 24 hours, X (formerly Twitter) has been receiving a lot of complaints as users claim that the latest update has destroyed their device’s battery
One user said they updated to iOS 18 and their battery “drained before my eyes,” while another simply called it “f****** awful.”
The long-awaited iOS 18 brings advanced home screen customization, message upgrades, a new passwords app, and more
While Apple has yet to comment, it is normal for battery life to drain after a power-hungry update.
Sometimes it can take hours or even days for software changes to take effect, meaning your battery health can fluctuate in the meantime.
“When you install a new operating system on an iPhone, all sorts of things happen in the background, from indexing to recalibrating the battery, and that can take hours or even days,” ZDNet researcher Adrian Kingsley-Hughes previously explained.
‘Not only does this use up power, but recalibrating the battery can also give the impression that the battery is draining faster, when in reality this is not the case.’
However, if the problems persist for longer, it might be a good idea to check the maximum capacity of your phone’s battery.
An iPhone’s ability to hold a charge decreases as the battery chemically ages, potentially resulting in fewer hours of use and poorer performance between charges.
The long-awaited iOS 18 brings advanced home screen customization, message upgrades, a new passwords app, and more
Others reported that their device is working fine with the update, with one calling it “great” with “no battery drain”
Sometimes it can take hours and even days for software changes to take effect, meaning battery health can fluctuate in the meantime
The maximum capacity can be found in the Battery tab in the Settings menu on the iPhone’s home page.
If your battery needs to be replaced, a message will appear saying “important battery”. This message indicates that the battery health has deteriorated significantly.
Users should also check if the Wi-Fi Assist setting is enabled. This keeps devices idle when Wi-Fi connectivity is poor, but it can also drain the battery.
Finally, Apple advises users to take a few other steps to maximize battery life.
To prolong battery life, it is important to keep your device away from extreme temperatures above 35°C (95°F).
Certain phone cases should also be removed while charging a device as they generate too much heat. This will prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down.
With iOS 18, Apple finally ditches the app grid and lets users place app icons wherever they want on the home screen. Users can also change the size and color of the icons
For those not experiencing the battery issues, iPhone users can download iOS 18 by going to Settings, tapping General, and then Software Updates. Then follow the on-screen instructions.
iOS 18 was released worldwide on Monday, bringing advanced Home screen customization, improved Messages, a new Passwords app, and more.
It is available on the iPhone XS (released in 2018) and newer models, including the iPhone 11, iPhone SE (second and third generation), and the new iPhone 16.
Apple’s much-touted AI features, known as Apple Intelligence, won’t be available until iOS 18.1, which is available starting next month.
Typically, Apple releases a major software update for a new iPhone model each fall (e.g. iOS 18), but also adds incremental updates throughout the year (e.g. 18.1, 18.2).