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Is iOS 11.4 Draining Your iPhone's Battery? You're Not Alone (zdnet.com)

If you've noticed that the battery life on your iPhone is not what it used to be, it's likely that the problem isn't with your iPhone or some setting or app, but a bug in iOS 11.4. From a report: Apple's support forum has been blowing up with complaints from users that battery life has been seriously curtailed since installing iOS 11.4. The problems seems to be reasonably widespread and affects the iPhone line up across the board. I've seen this issue on the iPhones that I use. It seems to be accompanied by the device running unusually hot.

62 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. iOS 11.4 is draining my battery by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 5, Funny

    iOS 11.4 is draining my battery... and I don't even have an apple.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    1. Re:iOS 11.4 is draining my battery by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah, these recurrent yearly issues occur a couple months before the new iPhones are released. Coincidence of course.

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    2. Re:iOS 11.4 is draining my battery by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      Yeah, these recurrent yearly issues occur a couple months before the new iPhones are released. Coincidence of course.

      They occur occasionally when a new OS Update comes out. Usually, they are just the result of Spotlight Re-Indexing, and the excessive drain stops after a few days. But sometimes not.

    3. Re:iOS 11.4 is draining my battery by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 4, Insightful

      iOS 11.4 is draining my battery, and I have an iPhone 4. That's how bad iOS 11.4 is!

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      #DeleteFacebook
    4. Re:iOS 11.4 is draining my battery by Khyber · · Score: 1

      Except its well known that despite Apple's supposed warranty/support claims, the 4S is stuck on a 9.x version of iOS and is barely 'supported.'

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    5. Re:iOS 11.4 is draining my battery by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      I said iPhone 4, not 4S. Which means it still runs on iOS 7.1.2, not 9.x.

      Also, duh.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    6. Re:iOS 11.4 is draining my battery by antdude · · Score: 1

      But 4 can't run v11.4. My 4S only goes up to v9.3.5. Not 11. :(

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    7. Re:iOS 11.4 is draining my battery by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Your iPhone 4S doesn't go up to 11? #sad

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    8. Re:iOS 11.4 is draining my battery by antdude · · Score: 1

      Correct. Only v9.3.5. #:(

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    9. Re: iOS 11.4 is draining my battery by arglebargle_xiv · · Score: 1

      Not affecting mine either. I got it from an Apple store in China. Must have been some pre-release thing because it was before Apple even announced they had stores in China. Also, there are Google apps on my iPhone, and when it boots there's an Android logo. Not sure how that works, probably another special Apple thing just for China. As was the price, just RMB 800.

  2. Sample size of one by sjbe · · Score: 1

    Apple's support forum has been blowing up with complaints from users that battery life has been seriously curtailed since installing iOS 11.4.

    Not disputing what other people are finding but my wife's phone and mine both are unaffected by this problem so it obviously isn't every phone. I'm curious what the common thread might be. Is it with certain devices or apps or something else?

    1. Re:Sample size of one by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

      If it's "blowing up their forums" and threatening to "break the Internet", let me be the first one to "clap back" and tell you that the sample size > 1.

    2. Re:Sample size of one by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      Either this is a bunch of anti-Apple fanatics polluting forums on a regular basis, or Apple likes to remind everyone that new iPhones are coming very soon in an Apple store near you.

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      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    3. Re:Sample size of one by garcia · · Score: 1

      Using older phones which were released with multiple major iOS versions in between (e.g. iPhone 5S).

      Keeping your iPhone running the same major version of software it was released with for its life is the best way to keep these sorts of issues from occurring (yes, this comes with risk, keep yourself protected) while greatly exceeding its planned obsolescence.

  3. Really? Is this something new? by mark_reh · · Score: 1

    My wife has had iPhones for the last 8 years or so, and she has always had to keep charging them throughout the day and every time she gets in the car. I don't think she uses it any more than anyone else, she almost never actually makes a phone call, and she doesn't facebook all day (at least I don't think she does).

  4. Again, seriously? by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is a minor fix 11.3 => 11.4, and yet that battery drain issue is back from the dead, again? Either Apple has some main dev team problem (which it has in a way), or maybe the new fw (os) install reset some settings, like "backup app refresh" set to true for some apps which would cause that issue.

    --
    Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    1. Re:Again, seriously? by jittles · · Score: 1

      This is a minor fix 11.3 => 11.4, and yet that battery drain issue is back from the dead, again? Either Apple has some main dev team problem (which it has in a way), or maybe the new fw (os) install reset some settings, like "backup app refresh" set to true for some apps which would cause that issue.

      Well we have plenty of proof that they have a hard time porting fixes in the current OS release into the future OS release under development, but that can't be occurring in this case since it was 11.x to 11.x. But they usually have quite a few regressions they have to patch once they release a new major OS version.

  5. I'm one of them by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

    I usually don't have much trouble with iOS upgrades. Maybe a small drain the first day, and fine after that. I have had a big drain with 11.4. I've often gone under 10%, and once the phone even shutdown, compared to the 30-50% I had before.

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    Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
    1. Re:I'm one of them by OffTheLip · · Score: 1

      My experience too. I switched from 5Ghz wifi to 2.4 and that seemed to help but didn't completely eliminate battery drain. If I run on cellular data exclusively I don't see the same battery drain problem.

    2. Re:I'm one of them by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

      That's interesting. July 4, I was sitting on my porch waiting for the fireworks, and futzing around on my phone. It was slow, and I figured I was close enough to my wifi that it was trying to connect, but far enough that it couldn't, so I switched to cellular. I still had it there the next day, and my battery seemed better that day.

      --
      Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
    3. Re:I'm one of them by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 2

      I switched from 5Ghz wifi to 2.4 and that seemed to help but didn't completely eliminate battery drain.

      Switching to 1.2 GHz should help even more. :-)

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  6. Re:Really? Is this something new? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's probably her "Tinder" app. Ask her about it tonight.

  7. Upgrade drains battery, no? by pz · · Score: 5, Informative

    From what I recall reading on Slashdot, this issue is raised nearly every time there's an upgrade to iOS and the reason is that while the basic upgrade happens right away to ensure usability as quickly as possible, there's a ton of stuff that happens in the background for some time to come. It's the background activity that appears to shorten the battery usability. Once the background activity is done, back to normal, more-or-less.

    Or so I've read. Personally, I don't own an Apple device of any sort so I can neither confirm nor dispute. Don't blame the messenger.

    --

    Put my fist through my alarm clock with its ding-dong death inside my ear. - The Blackjacks.
    1. Re:Upgrade drains battery, no? by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      It seems an odd way of doing things, but then it is Apple...

      If you switch it off and back on again does it get all that background shit done and out of the way?

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    2. Re:Upgrade drains battery, no? by im_thatoneguy · · Score: 1

      Yeah I call it "new phone syndrome". Every time someone gets a phone they complain about battery life because they are installing a bunch of apps and updates, using it more because there are new features, testing the camera, downloading all of their notebooks, offline playlists and photo gallery thumbnails...

      Every new phone I've gotten has terrible battery life for the first week or two as each app definitely has to cache data.

    3. Re:Upgrade drains battery, no? by CoolCash · · Score: 2

      So its probably just media fear mongering and FUD. Open article, search replace IOS version number.. post.

    4. Re:Upgrade drains battery, no? by ripvlan · · Score: 1

      It isn't odd or uncommon. Microsoft .NET does the same thing. After downloading a new update there's a background job that compiles everything for your device. It can take an hour or 2 - and survives a reboot, continuing where it left off when the reboot occurred.

      When the job is done it disables itself.

      I used to find this statement true of iOS too. After a reboot my battery life was reduced for 1/2 day (or so). Everyone would post that battery life sucked - but a reboot would fix it. Then Apple said "wait - we're still performing post-upgrade processing" which turned out to fit my experience.

      But I agree - it would be nice to know this was happening so that I wouldn't complain. I simply learned to never apply updates before traveling - or anytime access to a charger would be limited.

  8. Re:Really? Is this something new? by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 4, Informative

    Based on my own experience, iPhones are not born equal. Anyway I'd check the "background app refresh" settings and unset most of them...

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    Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
  9. Re:Really? Is this something new? by ole_timer · · Score: 1

    "backup app refresh" set to true for most apps which would cause that issue - multiple phones means it's one or more apps that your wife is running

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    nothing to see here - move along
  10. Re:Really? Is this something new? by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

    The scare quotes should have been round "her".

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  11. Re:Really? Is this something new? by jeremyp · · Score: 1

    Look in settings under "Battery". It will tell you which apps are draining the battery the most.

    If she has to charge the battery "Constantly" either one of her apps is misbehaving or the phone is very old and the battery is shafted.

    --
    All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
  12. Re:Really? Is this something new? by Gilgaron · · Score: 2

    Settings > Battery > she can see what is eating it. With it needing charged that often, though, it probably just needs the battery replaced.

  13. Enable low power mode... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    and the problem is solved. I only have to charge my almost three year-old iPhone 6S Plus twice a week.

    1. Re:Enable low power mode... by kimvette · · Score: 1

      We just discovered the one person in the world who uses their smartphone only as a phone.

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  14. Re:Simple fix by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    Ah ah ah, Ah ah ah, Ah ah ah,.

    Battery saver is not allow on the app store as if competes with our iphone battery replacement at the apple store for only $79

  15. Battery Drain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    ... because it turned on by default the GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and every other power draining feature? Screen brightness to max? Camera on?

    wait, why is the camera on again, Siri?

  16. Re:Who Cares? by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

    Can't wealthy people afford to charge their phone?

    I spent all my money on the "I Am Rich" app, so now I can't afford a new iPhone.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  17. Re:Who Cares? by nnet · · Score: 1

    and afford replacement batteries?

  18. Re:Really? Is this something new? by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

    We see this same story after every iOS update and it turns out to be the update finishing or something else benign.

    --
    Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
  19. Re:Really? Is this something new? by Arkham · · Score: 3, Informative

    Based on my own experience, iPhones are not born equal. Anyway I'd check the "background app refresh" settings and unset most of them...

    I started doing this years ago, and have never had any battery issues. 95% of the apps on my phone should be doing nothing if I am not using them.

    --
    - Vincit qui patitur.
  20. +1 happening to me to by jockeys · · Score: 1

    and (shame on me, I know) although I don't have empirical metrics, anecdotally my phone is definitely doing *some*thing because it's getting hot even when the screen is off and I'm not using it... got so bad it started dropping frames in a video the other day.

    installed *.1 this morning, we'll see if this improves things.

    --

    In Soviet Russia jokes are formulaic and decidedly non-humorous.
    1. Re:+1 happening to me to by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      To quote Lore: I don't know exactly what it's doing, but its doing something.
      (ST:TNG, S04E03)

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  21. There’s an easy fix ... by ddtmm · · Score: 5, Funny

    Couldn’t they just slow the phone down a bit so it doesn’t use as much battery power? This is a no-brainer.

  22. Re:No Problems Here by jnork · · Score: 2

    Those damned homophones are the cause of all the problems in this country, I'm tellin' ya.

    --
    Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
  23. Re:I have an idea by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is the 100th time Apple has released a patch that screwed up certain models. They're incompetent. I see a pattern here. They're going to keep doing it! BUY A DIFFERENT BRAND, YOU IDIOTS!

    While Android wisely avoids the problem by almost never having Updates at all...

  24. Re:I have an idea by jareth-0205 · · Score: 1

    This is the 100th time Apple has released a patch that screwed up certain models. They're incompetent. I see a pattern here. They're going to keep doing it! BUY A DIFFERENT BRAND, YOU IDIOTS!

    While Android wisely avoids the problem by almost never having Updates at all...

    :D

    I do get the joke... but at the same time not putting bigger and heavier software on unchanging hardware is the right decision.

  25. Re:Simple fix by lgw · · Score: 1

    Looks like you took your Jobs-fellating bit too far with this one.

    --
    Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  26. Re:I have an idea by PmanAce · · Score: 1

    I've had 2 in 1 month of usage of my new Galaxy S8.

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    Tired of my customary (Score:1)
  27. Re:Simple fix by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    In Settings, disable "Android Emulation Mode".

    I would like to complain to the moderators of the site acting on this post, which clearly should have been moderated as "Flamebait" or "Unfunny" instead of "Off-Topic", as it was clearly on-topic.

    Thank you for your hard work in correctly sorting out the trash bins of Slashdot.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  28. Re:No Problems Here by Iwastheone · · Score: 1

    It's those homogenerous people helping out that really grind my gears.

  29. Re:no updates for me!! by Iwastheone · · Score: 1

    There's been a spamming problem at Ars. On Chrome on windows10 I clicked on "best comments" and got a "Banned for spamming" message and a link to their techs. Told him that I have an Ars account that I haven't signed into in years. I was asked for my IP address which was promptly whitelisted.

  30. 12.0 beta on 5s - works just fine by ole_timer · · Score: 1

    and the battery lasts all day. clearly you're doing something wrong. takes tweaking and you can't overload it with every app under the sun all notifying...

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    nothing to see here - move along
    1. Re:12.0 beta on 5s - works just fine by ole_timer · · Score: 1

      and someone else said 95% (or more) don't need to be updating in the background when i'm not using them

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      nothing to see here - move along
  31. Re:I have an idea by ole_timer · · Score: 1

    it's your provider who sent the updates (t-mobile or att or somebody) android has been updated more frequently than that

    --
    nothing to see here - move along
  32. No problems on my iPhone 7+ by movdqa · · Score: 1

    I upgraded to 11.4 a while ago and didn't see any problems. What I usually see is articles saying that battery life is better for some and worse for others. I'd guess that it's App issues.

  33. Re:Really? Is this something new? by baker_tony · · Score: 1

    Chur, just went and turned off vast majority of my apps doing background app refresh.

  34. Re:I have an idea by baker_tony · · Score: 1

    "While Android wisely avoids the problem by almost never having Updates at all..."
    Why on earth has this been modded funny?

  35. Re:I have an idea by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

    You should really try the "spouse" test before you post. After writing your post call your loved one over and have them read it out loud. If you both agree that the post furthers the conversation or educates the reader then you go ahead and post it.

    You should give it a try next time.

    OMG!

    Are you trying to kill the internets?!?!?

  36. Re:I have an idea by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

    "While Android wisely avoids the problem by almost never having Updates at all..."
    Why on earth has this been modded funny?

    Because there isn't a "Sad But True" Moderation-Tag?

  37. Re: Really? Is this something new? by another_twilight · · Score: 1

    50% after two years?

    I'm not sure what you're using, but decent Li ion batteries should last about 1000 cycles before they hit 80%. At one charge per day that's over two and a half years.

    I've got an iPhone 6+ that's probably nearly four years old. A previous owner had a 'typical' usage for about 2 years; mine has been 'light'. Probably charged once a day for most of that period and just now getting down to 83% (self reported).

  38. Definite iOS Bug by KidSock · · Score: 3, Interesting

    As a developer who has written drivers for DSP and other low level stuff, I can say with great certainty that this is definitely an iOS bug. The problem did not occur at all before the 11.4.0 update. As soon as that update dropped it happens without fail for the past 5 weeks. It's not background apps. I can close all apps, charge to 100%, unplug when I go to bed and in the morning it's 20%. Something is getting stuck in a loop or maybe some chip is getting bad commands. The phone gets physically warm so something is running free.

    No doubt everyone that always used their iPhone a lot is going to jump in an say "me too" when their problem is that they're just using their phone a lot. So naturally that has created enough doubt to muddy the diagnosis. And Apple has not acknowledge the bug so there are a lot of responses regarding how to turn things off to improve battery. But, again, that is NOT the problem. The problem is something is running uncontrolled.

    There are many theories as to the cause. Many have to do with something related to WiFi. The only pattern that I have seen is that if I shutdown and restart, the problem goes away for a while. But as soon as I use the phone for whatever reason, it comes back. It might take 6 hours. It might take a day. But eventually it always comes back and then it's stuck draining battery unless I reboot.

    Note that iOS 11.4.1 was just released yesterday. But the release notes say nothing about battery anything so it remains to be seen if they have fixed it. It is discouraging that they have not acknowledged it. It makes you wonder if they're actually having trouble reproducing it. But that would almost unbelievable since they could just install 11.3 and compare. Of course we can't do that because 11.3 isn't signed anymore so it cannot be installed. Obviously it's not a trivial CPU loop or they would have spotted it quick. Running the CPU in debugging mode probably suppresses it or again they would have spotted it quick.

    I'm starting to have doubts about Apple. Steve Jobs was a prick but maybe that's precisely why he was so successful.

  39. Re:I have an idea by PmanAce · · Score: 1

    Nope, I don't live in the US.

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    Tired of my customary (Score:1)