If your iPhone battery life sucks since updating, there’s an easy way to fix it
Ever since Apple released iOS 18.1, users have been complaining about their iPhone batteries draining faster than they should. With iOS 18.2, BGR reported a few bugs, including an issue with the Camera Control, the iPhone constantly overheating, and that pesky battery drain problem.
Several people have been complaining on a Reddit thread about the iPhone’s battery life draining too fast. Even though Apple recently released iOS 18.2.1, the issue has seemingly persisted.
The person who started the thread wrote: “I’m not actually a battery health conscious person, but before updating my phone to iOS 18.2, it would last more than 22 hours with 30%+ battery remaining (only charging my phone until 95%). However, after updating it to iOS 18.2, the battery drains faster. With the same usage as before, it will only last for 20 hours with 20%+ battery remaining.”
Other people have had the same issue. While the Battery panel on Settings doesn’t look revealing, ZDNet apparently discovered how to fix the iPhone battery drain issue. According to the blog, turning off one feature instantly improved the iPhone 16’s battery life.
Unfortunately, the answer is the one you are probably expecting: Apple Intelligence. Released in late 2024 with iOS 18.1, it got a bit more useful with iOS 18.2 thanks to the Visual Control feature, Image Playground, Genmoji, and ChatGPT integration. However, all these technologies come at a price: Battery draining fast.
Weirdly enough, people complaining about iOS 18.2 battery life sucks aren’t using Apple Intelligence on a daily basis. Still, turning it off seems enough to get your battery back to an everyday experience.
A never-ending Apple Intelligence indexing issue could cause this weird bug. iOS 18.2 users, for example, complain that their Photos app is still indexing images months after installing iOS 18 or upgrading to a new phone.
Unfortunately, it also seems the first beta of iOS 18.3 doesn’t solve the issue, so we just need to wait until Apple releases a fix or newer beta versions. That said, if your iPhone is draining your batter faster than ever, do the following:
Open the Settings app
Choose Apple Intelligence and Siri
Turn Apple Intelligence off