iOS 18 May Be Causing Battery Havoc on iPhone 16 with No Fix in Sight
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It’s not unusual for some users to experience battery issues after updating to a new version of iOS or setting up a new iPhone. Typically, these problems resolve within a few days, once the system finishes indexing data and optimizing. However, some iPhone 16 owners running iOS 18 are facing a different, more persistent issue.
- Also worth a read: Top hacks to maximize your phone's battery life
Is iOS 18 Causing Abnormal Battery Drain on iPhones?
According to reports on Reddit and MacRumors forums, a growing number of iPhone 16 (review) and iPhone 16 Pro users are complaining about excessive battery drain—despite having their devices for nearly a month. While many complaints date back to the phone's release, new reports continue to surface, suggesting that the issue is far from resolved.
What’s particularly alarming is that the battery drain seems to occur even when the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are in standby mode. Some users report a significant drop in battery life after just a few minutes of use. One iPhone 16 Pro Max user mentioned losing 20% of battery power within 20 minutes of full charge, while another said their iPhone 16 loses about 1% every five minutes.
For others, the problem is less severe but still concerning. One iPhone 16 Pro user reported a 11% battery drain over four hours of idle time, while another saw their battery level drop from 100% to 60% halfway through the day.
On Reddit, similar stories are cropping up, with one iPhone 16 Pro user losing nearly half of their charge after just 92 minutes of screen time. Interestingly, some users who upgraded from the iPhone 15 (Pro) to the iPhone 16 (Pro) note that the battery life is noticeably worse on the newer model.
These issues aren’t limited to the iPhone 16 series. A few iPhone 15 users who updated to iOS 18 have also reported battery drain problems, although the issue appears to be more widespread among iPhone 16 owners.
Is There a Fix for the iPhone 16 Battery Problems?
Despite trying various troubleshooting steps, such as disabling the always-on display and lowering the refresh rate (ProMotion), many users report that the battery drain persists.
The issues have been noted with both the pre-installed iOS 18 and the iOS 18.0.1 update, indicating that the underlying bugs may still be present in the latest software. It’s unclear whether the iOS 18.1 beta addresses these issues, but my colleague, Camila Rinaldi, reported that our iPhone 16 review unit running iOS 18.1 beta 6 barely lasts a full day—no better than the previous iPhone 15 (review).
Currently, Apple has not acknowledged the battery concerns, and it remains uncertain whether any resolutions will be incorporated in the forthcoming iOS 18.1 update, which is expected to be released in the upcoming weeks.
Do you own an iPhone 16 (Pro) and are experiencing similar battery drain issues? Please let us know in the comments below.
Via: MacRumors Source: Reddit, MacRumors forum, Apple Support
