iPhone users complain iOS 16 is battery draining, has other issues

Two weeks after Apple launched iOS 16, users continue to complain that the mobile operating system sucks their battery far too quickly.

Battery life tends to take an initial hit when new operating systems are rolled out, as software and app updates, as well as re-indexing of files, photos, and other functions, require the processor and therefore the battery. But over time, these background updates cease and battery usage levels usually return to normal levels.

According to business analytics service Mixpanel, around 13.3% of iPhone users have upgraded to iOS 16 since its September 12 rollout. That’s when reports of battery issues started popping up.

“I’m running on a 13 Pro and getting noticeable battery drain compared to iOS 15.6.1,” said one user commenting on MacRumors’ iOS 16 battery drain thread. “I had to charge in the middle of the day (I don’t allow my phone to drop below 30% to keep my battery health in peak condition). For your information, my battery health is 99% And yes, this is iOS 16 production (not beta).

Another poster wrote yesterday: “This is ridiculous. How long has it been 16 years? My phone is still getting hot… and the battery is draining much faster than before 16. I just got this popup. And I don’t even do anything!

MacRumors

Apple news site 9to5Mac surveyed its readers last week and found that 63% of iPhone users said their battery life was worse after installing iOS 16.

“This seems to broadly align with public sentiment regarding the battery life impact of iOS 16,” the site reported.

Gordon Kelly, senior writer for “Forbes,” said the problem is so widespread that Apple iPhone owners should consider sticking with iOS 15 until the problem is fixed by Apple.

“The problem is hidden in plain sight. In my iOS 16 upgrade guide, I reported several reports of battery drain, but the re-indexing process after updates makes this difficult to verify,” Kelly wrote. “A week later, however, the complaints are still pouring in and the evidence is mounting that Apple has a big problem on its hands.”

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

Since its introduction, iOS 16 has had its share of problems. The mobile operating system received two rushed updates to fix bugs and security issues as well as iMessage and FaceTime loading issues, among others. And users are more cautious about updating to iOS 16.

“It’s not uncommon for newer versions of iOS (and apps) to have issues, but they’re usually detected during pre-release testing. If the battery life issue is real, Apple doesn’t “didn’t do adequate testing before releasing the update. And that’s a problem with their quality control,” said Jack Gold, principal analyst at research firm J. Gold Associates.

Generally speaking, Gold said, many things can cause such issues from one operating system generation to another. New features and functions added to an operating system can lead to power consumption if not properly optimized. New operating system features running in the background could also cause battery drain. In addition, things like not putting operating system components to sleep when not in use, or not optimizing low-level processor and architecture-specific coded functions, can affect how long it lasts. battery life.

“There are many reasons why OS or app updates can cause excessive battery drain, but the fundamental problem is that they shouldn’t have been pushed to the user base. if adequate testing and optimizations had been done in the pre-release code,” Gold says.

Users of iPhone 13 or earlier devices who have already upgraded to iOS 16 can downgrade to iOS 15.7. But owners of Apple’s new iPhone 14 lineup can’t roll back any version of iOS earlier than 16, which comes with the newer phones.

“It could be some sort of errant setting in the operating system, but the majority of users wouldn’t have the knowledge to fix this problem if that were the case,” Gold said. “They basically have to wait for Apple to fix the problem. But it shows Apple in a bad light when these things happen, especially since Apple sends a strong message around their security and the simplicity of their operations. “