Apple recently released the iOS 11.4, but just weeks later, some users started complaining of a battery issue with their iOS devices. According to the users, the new iOS version is feeding heavily on their battery power, and thus, is reducing the battery life drastically. The iOS 11.4 battery drain issue appears to be affecting several iPhone models, ranging from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone X to the iPhone SE.
iOS 11.4 battery drain issue
The reports suggest that after the iOS 11.4 update, batteries have been juicing out faster than normal. In some cases, batteries have been draining 25% faster. On Apple’s discussion thread, one iPhone 6s owner said that his iPhone lost 60% of battery life overnight and the same was the case with his iPad mini 4. Another user said that this phone’s battery is losing 1% every 20 seconds.
Talking of the iOS 11.4 battery drain, one user mentioned on Apple’s discussion thread: “My iPhone 6 was working perfectly fine until I updated to iOS 11.4 and ever since I did that my battery is draining rapidly even without me using it at all.”
Though most of the complaints for the iOS 11.4 battery drain issue are for the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s, there are some complaints for the latest models as well. Despite the complaints by the iPhone users, there has not been any response from Apple on the issue so far. A “Community Specialist” on the support forums did share links to the articles on the iPhone batteries and repair costs, but these articles fail to address the iOS 11.4 battery drain issue.
As of now, it is not known what is actually causing the iOS 11.4 battery drain, or how widespread the issue is. Some, however, are suggesting that turning off the WiFi might slow down the battery drain, while others say that switching to a 2.4Ghz network from a 5GHz might help. If you are facing the same issue, you can try both of these approaches. If you have not yet updated to the iOS 11.4, but are planning to do so in the near future, it is better to wait for a while at least until Apple comes up with some clarifications.
Battery drain – a common issue with iOS 11
The battery drain issue has been a common problem with the iOS 11 since its release. In a report last year, mobile security firm Wandera talked of the iOS 11 battery drain, calling the OS a battery killer. The agency backs up its claim with hard evidence after monitoring a “subset of 50,000 moderate to heavy iPhone and iPad users.” According to the report, iPhones running on the iOS 10 would run on an average of 240 minutes before the battery died, while the iPhones on the iOS 11 lasted only for 96 minutes – a difference of 60%.
“In other words, the decay rate for iOS 10 is 0.006958 percent per second and for iOS 11 it’s 0.01739 percent per second,” the mobile security firm said. Further, the report states that the issue can partly be attributed to the Spotlight re-indexing on the iOS 11, as well as upgraders keen on using every new feature.
Explaining the reason behind the battery drain, Apple expert, Rene Ritchie, explained at iMore last year that the upgrade phase for a new operating system is power-intensive as Wi-Fi remains active to download apps while the Spotlight search system works to re-index the system. “When radios and processors can’t sleep, power consumption goes way up,” the expert said.
However, to check if any rogue app is causing the battery drain, Apple suggests that users go to the settings app and then tap battery. In case the app has a “Background Activity” label shown, the clock should be tapped to see how busy it has been even when not actively used by the owner.
Another battery issue for iPhone users
The iOS 11.4 battery drain is the latest in a series of battery issues that Apple users have faced recently. A couple of months back, a battery issue even forced Apple to come up with a clarification that its software, which may throttle CPU performance, is not aimed at pushing users to upgrade to new hardware, rather is designed to benefit customers.
“First and foremost, we have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades,” the company said in a press release. “Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.”
Nevertheless, Apple introduced an option with the iOS 11.3 that disables the iPhone battery slow down feature.
