iOS 15.x.x.x is an absolute disaster: a sluggish, buggy, battery draining monster, right?

[adb1973]

For stats I personally use iMazing.
I have the time to find out what’s going on but it ís my everyday phone so it’s quite an effort.
My dads phone might be the best starting point. It has almost no3rd party apps. And the use case is zero to none…

I’m not a ‘designed obsolescence’ believer but from my n=5 experience I can now understand people come to such conclusions.

From every truly new perspective I learn so thanks for the info. Also for the carrier stuff for example…

 

[robertosh]

Maybe you have a poor Wifi/4G/5G coverage at your place? This tends to use a lot of battery and would explain why this is happening in all devices. Another cause could be an app that is not well adapted to iOS15, target the apps that you have in all your devices, and try to delete it to see if the problem persist.

 

[GSWForever8]

All my devices are running perfectly on iOS/iPadOS 15.

 

[gruversm]

So far. YES
I'm really really disappointed by iOS 15 performance. But maybe there's someone here who proves it's just me who is the problem. And this rant is way out of line...

I don't say this lightly but the amount of bugs, the sluggishness and especially the battery drain make me mad and wonder: how can I get out of this mess that's iOS.

So far, my:
- iPhone 12 mini (5G,4G dual sim Vf NL and KPN NL)
- iPad mini 4 (4G VF NL)

In my family
- 1x iPhone 12 mini (4G carrier Vodafone NL, single sim)
- 2x iPhone SE 2016 (different carriers)

...all drain their batteries -even with NO use- within a day/overnight
...turned into sluggish monsters, especially the iPad mini 4 I use as an e-reader is dead slow now.

What I did so far on my iPhone 12 mini was switch off almost all background activity, even removed apps, reinstalled iOS, rebooted, checked battery use per app...you name it.

But what really makes the case is that my family members living in other places and with completely different use cases have exactly the same problems. I don't know what's happening in the background but what I do know is that my 82 y/o dads SE (2016) (he hardly uses(!) and has 94% battery quality used to drain in 2 days and now drains overnight. My own SE with very moderate use is empty before the day ends.

In the meantime an old iPad mini and iPad 2 on iOS 9.1.3 just sleep there for weeks before they are even remotely depleted.

So does someone actually know what's really going on with iOS? Is it the CSAM algorithm? Is it iCloud phoning home all the time.? Is it AdGuard Pro's fake VPN (no I would say my family members don't use it).

Please enlighten me, show me the way, keep us away from the dark side or start a class action lawsuit with me.

I'm not experiencing any of the problems on my devices that you described. Try hard-rebooting.

 

[Warped9]

I have experienced zero issues.

 

[Mirachan_007]

iOS/ iPadOS 15 is really buggy and battery hungry.
Next version (iOS/iPadOS16) is could no longer compatible older iPhone (6S or older), iPad Pro (2016 or older).

 

[wabisabizo]

So far. YES
I'm really really disappointed by iOS 15 performance. But maybe there's someone here who proves it's just me who is the problem. And this rant is way out of line...

I don't say this lightly but the amount of bugs, the sluggishness and especially the battery drain make me mad and wonder: how can I get out of this mess that's iOS.

So far, my:
- iPhone 12 mini (5G,4G dual sim Vf NL and KPN NL)
- iPad mini 4 (4G VF NL)

In my family
- 1x iPhone 12 mini (4G carrier Vodafone NL, single sim)
- 2x iPhone SE 2016 (different carriers)

...all drain their batteries -even with NO use- within a day/overnight
...turned into sluggish monsters, especially the iPad mini 4 I use as an e-reader is dead slow now.

What I did so far on my iPhone 12 mini was switch off almost all background activity, even removed apps, reinstalled iOS, rebooted, checked battery use per app...you name it.

But what really makes the case is that my family members living in other places and with completely different use cases have exactly the same problems. I don't know what's happening in the background but what I do know is that my 82 y/o dads SE (2016) (he hardly uses(!) and has 94% battery quality used to drain in 2 days and now drains overnight. My own SE with very moderate use is empty before the day ends.

In the meantime an old iPad mini and iPad 2 on iOS 9.1.3 just sleep there for weeks before they are even remotely depleted.

So does someone actually know what's really going on with iOS? Is it the CSAM algorithm? Is it iCloud phoning home all the time.? Is it AdGuard Pro's fake VPN (no I would say my family members don't use it).

Please enlighten me, show me the way, keep us away from the dark side or start a class action lawsuit with me.

Tbh, 12 series has the weakest battery and I can attest to this. My wife has an 12 Pro, and it doesn't hold up so well. Can't say for iPads and any other iPhones but for 12 series, the battery drain and sluggishness is horrendous.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Tbh, 12 series has the weakest battery and I can attest to this. My wife has an 12 Pro, and it doesn't hold up so well. Can't say for iPads and any other iPhones but for 12 series, the battery drain and sluggishness is horrendous.

My iPhone 12 Pro Max has no battery issues... if this is "the weakest battery", it's news to me. I charge every day (overnight)... and it's 50% or more every night when I put it on the charger... again, I don't see any battery drain or sluggishness.

 

[iHorseHead]

No idea, I have a 12 mini and iPad mini on the latest iOS updates and don’t see that problem at all.

Silly question, have you don’t a hard reboot of these devices?

I have iPhone 12 mini as well and have no issues with the battery. On the latest iOS

 

[Arbuthnott]

So far. YES
I'm really really disappointed by iOS 15 performance. But maybe there's someone here who proves it's just me who is the problem. And this rant is way out of line...

I don't say this lightly but the amount of bugs, the sluggishness and especially the battery drain make me mad and wonder: how can I get out of this mess that's iOS.

So far, my:
- iPhone 12 mini (5G,4G dual sim Vf NL and KPN NL)
- iPad mini 4 (4G VF NL)

In my family
- 1x iPhone 12 mini (4G carrier Vodafone NL, single sim)
- 2x iPhone SE 2016 (different carriers)

...all drain their batteries -even with NO use- within a day/overnight
...turned into sluggish monsters, especially the iPad mini 4 I use as an e-reader is dead slow now.

What I did so far on my iPhone 12 mini was switch off almost all background activity, even removed apps, reinstalled iOS, rebooted, checked battery use per app...you name it.

But what really makes the case is that my family members living in other places and with completely different use cases have exactly the same problems. I don't know what's happening in the background but what I do know is that my 82 y/o dads SE (2016) (he hardly uses(!) and has 94% battery quality used to drain in 2 days and now drains overnight. My own SE with very moderate use is empty before the day ends.

In the meantime an old iPad mini and iPad 2 on iOS 9.1.3 just sleep there for weeks before they are even remotely depleted.

So does someone actually know what's really going on with iOS? Is it the CSAM algorithm? Is it iCloud phoning home all the time.? Is it AdGuard Pro's fake VPN (no I would say my family members don't use it).

Please enlighten me, show me the way, keep us away from the dark side or start a class action lawsuit with me.

Is this some sort of industrial espionage negative marketing ********? Everyone I know with an iPhone new enough for the update has no problems whatsoever with ios15. Take your phone to a repair shop if you have a problem, rather than this faux agony aunt nonsense. Honestly. How about we stick to serious topics on here?

 

[Yuck9]

So far. YES
I'm really really disappointed by iOS 15 performance. But maybe there's someone here who proves it's just me who is the problem. And this rant is way out of line...

I don't say this lightly but the amount of bugs, the sluggishness and especially the battery drain make me mad and wonder: how can I get out of this mess that's iOS.

So far, my:
- iPhone 12 mini (5G,4G dual sim Vf NL and KPN NL)
- iPad mini 4 (4G VF NL)

In my family
- 1x iPhone 12 mini (4G carrier Vodafone NL, single sim)
- 2x iPhone SE 2016 (different carriers)

...all drain their batteries -even with NO use- within a day/overnight
...turned into sluggish monsters, especially the iPad mini 4 I use as an e-reader is dead slow now.

What I did so far on my iPhone 12 mini was switch off almost all background activity, even removed apps, reinstalled iOS, rebooted, checked battery use per app...you name it.

But what really makes the case is that my family members living in other places and with completely different use cases have exactly the same problems. I don't know what's happening in the background but what I do know is that my 82 y/o dads SE (2016) (he hardly uses(!) and has 94% battery quality used to drain in 2 days and now drains overnight. My own SE with very moderate use is empty before the day ends.

In the meantime an old iPad mini and iPad 2 on iOS 9.1.3 just sleep there for weeks before they are even remotely depleted.

So does someone actually know what's really going on with iOS? Is it the CSAM algorithm? Is it iCloud phoning home all the time.? Is it AdGuard Pro's fake VPN (no I would say my family members don't use it).

Please enlighten me, show me the way, keep us away from the dark side or start a class action lawsuit with me.

It's all that CSAM scanning going on.

 

[clevins]

Oh this is new. We've not had one of these for...a week?

Look, if you're ever experiencing something that makes you wonder how this stuff got released... I mean it's crashing, draining your battery 5x as fast as the prior version etc...

it's you. It's ALWAYS you.

Nothing is bug free and iOS is no exception but when things drop off a cliff like that, it's you because you KNOW Apple would be crucified if, for example, iPhones were crashing and restarting all over the place or batteries suddenly had 20% of their prior life or other really serious issues.

You know what to do, too. Clean install, etc.

What not to do? Post online that iOS suddenly is utter crap.

PS: If it's several devices, try clean installing on one. don't restore a backup, do a clean reset and install. Do the problems go away? OK, now reinstall your critical apps. Don't reinstall everything. Still OK? Fine, reinstall all your apps. If things are still good go back to a problem device and make sure all the apps are updated.

Obviously, if installing a given app causes issues.... it's that app.

 

[leslieg]

don't have any issues ?‍♂️

 

[Warped9]

Often one poor experience with a product can taint someone’s perception of said brand for years on even if the source of the poor experience is the user themselves.

I’ve had customers swear they will never buy another HP or Acer or Lenovo or Apple or whatever because of one bad experience or that of someone they know. I’ve had customers assert their devotion to an HP or Asus or Lenovo or whatever and are wary to consider anything else. Some buy into the idea Intel is the only processor to rely on (and it just has to be an i5) and AMD can’t be trusted. I have often heard people claim they would never consider buying an Apple and others assert they want nothing but.

So much of these notions is based largely on lack of knowledge, unfamiliarity and simple user error. They’re dead sure it couldn’t have been them so it must have been the device. Another element is poor customer service further tainting one’s experience while good customer service can often salvage a situation.

Every brand can have issues and occasional lemons, but the vast majority work as intended. If a brand is as bad as some like to claim said brand wouldn’t stay in business very long.

I’m not immune. I am leery of certain brands even if I have never owned them myself. I had a disappointing experience with an Epson printer that has tainted my view even though I know most people purchasing Epson are fine. I’m wary of Canon printers even though I have never owned one (I find many of their models look cheaply made). I bought an HP printer over two years ago I feel (so far) is the best printer I’ve ever owned. I look at Windows and Android and see nothing but a confusing mess, but in fairness there is an unfamiliarity with them and I know many people are fine with them with no issues. I think Chromebooks, laptops with Windows S and Amazon Fire tablets are a joke, but they work fine for some.

Toyota is a trusted and respected brand yet I cannot see myself ever buying one. I would find it odd considering a GM or Chrysler vehicle.

But objectively user error is often the root cause of a bad experience.

 

[papbot]

I’ve only found ios 11 to be a total disaster when first released, 13 was also pretty bad early on. 14 had a couple small issues that I ran into, 15 has actually been very good. No battery issues on either my wife’s 12 or my 13. All of us use our devices in different, specific ways so will have somewhat different experiences. But overall 15 appears to be the smoothest update in quite a while.

 

[now i see it]

Sometimes setting up a phone from a backup corrupts it.
Not usually but it can happen.
Example:
I have an iPhone (7) that I restored from a backup from a different phone and it worked fine for a while sort of. Eventually months later, Wi-Fi stopped working and so did Bluetooth. I thought the phone was toast.
I wiped it and restored it as virgin factory new and deleted all apps I never used and it’s working properly again.

 

[adb1973]

I’m going to bite back a bit to the above posters that defend iOS 15 with ‘I do not have a problem so there is no problem’ or calling the teasing title anti Apple marketing.

1. The drainage problems are multi device and multi user and multi area in my family only. Very different user profiles.
2. The problem occurred after updating to iOS 15 and did NOT exist before. It’s not normal a phone is dead after 6-8 hours of light to medium use (i do not game, FB or watch videos on the phone)
3. I’m a very experienced Apple user and don’t (cheeky) rant for nothing, I tried 80% of the adviced stuff myself before that advice was mentioned here, we have 15 Apple devices in this 4p family only, not counting extended family, i repair and maintain them.
4. Advice from the community is always helpful also when people actually READ what others wrote or I for that matter
5. That this is post ## about the problem means something, and should not be dismissed as ‘another whiner’ so easily
6. My tongue and cheek tone of voice was my attempt to stir up and lighten up the discussion, the problem is actually quite serious. I have not seen Multi occurences of a problem so widespread EVER before in my private digital life.

Now where are we:
So far the focussed on iPhone 12 mini was DFU’d and apps were NOT restored, cell tower info was shared here.
- overnight drain seemed less and was 15% from 2am to 9am from 93-78%=2%/h
- Safari + WhatsApp browsing from 9am to 10.30 took another 15%=10%/h, screen brightness was 50% or less

Overnight suspected processes from ‘needed’ apps NOT reinstalled yet:
-Adguard pro (vpn process blocking ads)
-Filebrowser pro (backup & sync)
Less suspicious:
-iMazing (backup ios devices in the evening)

Somehow i feel the phone (previously) never really idles (adguard really confirms that, apple contacting apple services thousands of times)

 

[Taz Mangus]

I’m going to bite back a bit to the above posters that defend iOS 15 with ‘I do not have a problem so there is no problem’ or calling the teasing title anti Apple marketing.

1. The drainage problems are multi device and multi user and multi area in my family only. Very different user profiles.
2. The problem occurred after updating to iOS 15 and did NOT exist before. It’s not normal a phone is dead after 6-8 hours of light to medium use (i do not game, FB or watch videos on the phone)
3. I’m a very experienced Apple user and don’t (cheeky) rant for nothing, I tried 80% of the adviced stuff myself before that advice was mentioned here, we have 15 Apple devices in this 4p family only, not counting extended family, i repair and maintain them.
4. Advice from the community is always helpful also when people actually READ what others wrote or I for that matter
5. That this is post ## about the problem means something, and should not be dismissed as ‘another whiner’ so easily
6. My tongue and cheek tone of voice was my attempt to stir up and lighten up the discussion, the problem is actually quite serious. I have not seen Multi occurences of a problem so widespread EVER before in my private digital life.

Now where are we:
So far the focussed on iPhone 12 mini was DFU’d and apps were NOT restored, cell tower info was shared here.
- overnight drain seemed less and was 15% from 2am to 9am from 93-78%=2%/h
- Safari + WhatsApp browsing from 9am to 10.30 took another 15%=10%/h, screen brightness was 50% or less

Overnight suspected processes from ‘needed’ apps NOT reinstalled yet:
-Adguard pro (vpn process blocking ads)
-Filebrowser pro (backup & sync)
Less suspicious:
-iMazing (backup ios devices in the evening)

Somehow i feel the phone (previously) never really idles (adguard really confirms that, apple contacting apple services thousands of times)

You are saying the iPhone 12 Mini has been DFU to factory state, no apps have been reinstalled and the iPhone 12 Mini is loosing 2%/hr in standby?

By any chance do you have an Apple Watch or other such devices paired to the iPhone 12?

 

[ian87w]

Now where are we:
So far the focussed on iPhone 12 mini was DFU’d and apps were NOT restored, cell tower info was shared here.
- overnight drain seemed less and was 15% from 2am to 9am from 93-78%=2%/h
- Safari + WhatsApp browsing from 9am to 10.30 took another 15%=10%/h, screen brightness was 50% or less

Overnight suspected processes from ‘needed’ apps NOT reinstalled yet:
-Adguard pro (vpn process blocking ads)
-Filebrowser pro (backup & sync)
Less suspicious:
-iMazing (backup ios devices in the evening)

Somehow i feel the phone (previously) never really idles (adguard really confirms that, apple contacting apple services thousands of times)

Interesting. Just sharing my thoughts.

- a bad website can drain battery, especially if you allow it to do push notifications or access to GPS. I never allow any websites to have push notifications nor location access. I have seen my dad's Android got pummeled when he accidentally allowed notifications from a news site.
- Whatsapp can be a battery drainer, especially if there's a lot of activity. Every single whatsapp chat is a push notification event. Chatting activity by itself is a huge battery drainer as the screen remains on all the time (screen on is one of the biggest battery drainer). It's worse if you set the screen to turn on everytime a chat notification comes in. If you do whatsapp a lot, have a set expectation of not having great battery life. The 12 mini doesn't have a great battery life to begin with.
- I wonder if adguard is blocking some Apple required connection, resulting in the iPhone keeps pjnging Apple server and draining battery.
- where is iMazing backing up the iPhone? I would try not installing this and just rely on icloud backup.
- the Apple services connectivity can also mean something is wrong. It could be Apple servers being down (like I mentioned above), or something is blocking the connection.

By the way, have you updated to 15.2.1?

 

[clevins]

Try a device and do NOT install WhatsApp. Basically you're doing the same thing I talked about above but did you try seeing if the phone behaved right after a fresh install with NO apps?

Given that your problems seem to happen across devices and households, my suspicion would be a common app and WhatsApp would be a good candidate if you all use it to message as it would be, well, common to all. Same for a game you all play etc.

Also, what's the battery health on the 12? Fast drain is a symptom of a worn battery but that would not explain all the other devices.

 

[Tagbert]

iPhone 12 mini
LTE only (5G not activated)

No battery life or sluggishness problem

 

[adb1973]

You are saying the iPhone 12 Mini has been DFU to factory state, no apps have been reinstalled and the iPhone 12 Mini is loosing 2%/hr in standby?

By any chance do you have an Apple Watch or other such devices paired to the iPhone 12?

Yes an Apple Watch 6 and before an Apple Watch 4

 

[dmr727]

I have a 12 Mini and it's been perfect under 15.1.1. I also have an Apple Watch 5 paired without issue. I get about a full day of charge with what I consider to be pretty heavy use.

 

[adb1973]

Interesting. Just sharing my thoughts.

- a bad website can drain battery, especially if you allow it to do push notifications or access to GPS. I never allow any websites to have push notifications nor location access. I have seen my dad's Android got pummeled when he accidentally allowed notifications from a news site.
- Whatsapp can be a battery drainer, especially if there's a lot of activity. Every single whatsapp chat is a push notification event. Chatting activity by itself is a huge battery drainer as the screen remains on all the time (screen on is one of the biggest battery drainer). It's worse if you set the screen to turn on everytime a chat notification comes in. If you do whatsapp a lot, have a set expectation of not having great battery life. The 12 mini doesn't have a great battery life to begin with.
- I wonder if adguard is blocking some Apple required connection, resulting in the iPhone keeps pjnging Apple server and draining battery.
- where is iMazing backing up the iPhone? I would try not installing this and just rely on icloud backup.
- the Apple services connectivity can also mean something is wrong. It could be Apple servers being down (like I mentioned above), or something is blocking the connection.

By the way, have you updated to 15.2.1?

Useful research paths, thx.

Adguard is not installed anymore, but i will soon and monitor this especially.

Yes i upgraded to 15.2.1

imazing is installed on my Mac mini server and backups to that server. I do not use iCloud for that, it's less secure, slower and expensive.
The backup time around 22pm is not a draining event on the battery graph

 

[clevins]

Bah, I can't believe no one has asked this including me... but in Settings, Battery, it shows battery use by app. Anything suspicious there?