iOS 18 Battery Life Thread

[ATmahe]

1. Check your iCloud settings (also your messages and if you don’t need - delete all the messages there stored in, and after that disable it. Turn off and on the phone.

I've already tried disabling messages in iCloud, the drain was basically the same (tested over few days).

2. Check iCloud Drive settings (maybe there is an app syncing data the whole time) - I had a case where an older App that stored data was in endless sync with it.

I'll try disabling all apps in the iCloud settings.

3. Check if you use any DNS ADBlocking features - in some cases if you use special DNS services like NEXT DNS or Adblock with lots of blocking lists that leads to endless request from iCloud services that won’t sync anymore = battery drain like hell!

Nothing like DNS blocking is in place on the device and also not in the network I'm connected to.

4. Save your data on your iCloud or on a Mac - make a Backup.

5. Reset your phone DFU - set up as new phone without restoring any iCloud data yet.
When set up - just use your phone for one day or two and check.

That's the very last resort. It would take weeks to get everything setup again (because of some apps a hardly use but may need in case and to configure them again I need to get in touch with some ppl and also be there in person, security rules ...)

 

[Hish99]

16 Pro Max here.

Getting an insane battery life
with my usage, all my previous phones had to be charged 1 time per day (Usually at night)

with this device on the 2nd day, I got 9H SOT off the charger for 38 Hours.

While currently, I'm sitting on 2H 52M SOT off the charger for 10 hours with 81% Left.

 

[MCKLMT]

16 Pro Max here.

Getting an insane battery life
with my usage, all my previous phones had to be charged 1 time per day (Usually at night)

with this device on the 2nd day, I got 9H SOT off the charger for 38 Hours.

While currently, I'm sitting on 2H 52M SOT off the charger for 10 hours with 81% Left.

What’s your firmware?

 

[goldmac2006]

The only thing new are AirPods Pro 2, which replaced my old AirPods Pro. But I had the problem before.
The number of AirTags didn’t change, network at home didn’t change.
Got my new Apple Watch together with the phone.
So everything is pretty consistent.

The drain is the same when I‘m not on WiFi, already checked a few times when I wasn’t working from home.

Yeah, MS Teams usually eats the battery when in use or in a call, but not when it’s in the background.
To me it’s clear that the battery goes down when I use the phone, but it shouldn’t go that fast when it’s only in standby.

btw. I updated to 18.4 Dev Beta 1 yesterday.
I know it’s early to say and tbh I did expect even more drain than I already have, but …
11h off the charger, I‘m at 48% with 1h49m SOT and 2h12m standby usage. I was driving with CarPlay, Apple Maps and streaming music (Apple Music lossless).
This looks better to me than usual, but also doesn’t make any sense to me.

Congrats on your new Apple Watch. What series is it? Also do you download lossless Apple Music songs or you stream it from cellular via CarPlay?

 

[ATmahe]

Congrats on your new Apple Watch. What series is it? Also do you download lossless Apple Music songs or you stream it from cellular via CarPlay?

It's an Ultra 2, bought it with the 15Pro because my plan was to use those devices at least 3-4 years, but currently it looks like I'll switch the iPhone earlier ...
All the stuff I'm listening too is downloaded. Apple Music lossless, yes.

 

[goldmac2006]

It's an Ultra 2, bought it with the 15Pro because my plan was to use those devices at least 3-4 years, but currently it looks like I'll switch the iPhone earlier ...
All the stuff I'm listening too is downloaded. Apple Music lossless, yes.

My first one was a Series 1 from 2017, and it lasted until the screen separated and came off after just 7 years in 2024. I also upgraded to the new iPhone 15 Pro after the Apple Watch. Primarily upgrade iPhones first because Apple Watches aren’t as big of a deal to upgrade more often than the iPhone. By the way, what color Apple Watch Ultra 2 is it? I heard you used to have a black Apple Watch Series 7 titanium before.

I understand about the 11 hours of battery life. My 15 Pro on 18.4 beta also has the same battery life as yours.

 

[ATmahe]

My first one was a Series 1 from 2017, and it lasted until the screen separated and came off after just 7 years in 2024. I also upgraded to the new iPhone 15 Pro after the Apple Watch. Primarily upgrade iPhones first because Apple Watches aren’t as big of a deal to upgrade more often than the iPhone. By the way, what color Apple Watch Ultra 2 is it? I heard you used to have a black Apple Watch Series 7 titanium before.

I understand about the 11 hours of battery life. My 15 Pro on 18.4 beta also has the same battery life as yours.

As I have the Ultra2 since its release, it's the natural titanium. I still have the black Series 7 Ti, it got a new battery 1.5 months ago, so I also still use it.

My real problem isn't that I end the day with 20ish % battery, my problem is that I hardly use the phone and still end the day with that low battery. If I would use the phone, let's say 4-6h during the day, I would be totally happy with it.

Just to be clear, with "using the phone" I mean stuff like:

• messaging (mainly iMessage)
• mail (reading/replying 5-10 mails)
• checking calendar/reminders
• a few calls (max. 2h all together with screen off)
• doing a bit financial stuff (max. 15-20m)
• reading MR and other forums (maybe 1h, but only if I'm not at home)
• maybe MS Teams (1h with screen off)
• confirm logins in MS Authenticator (about 5-10, takes only a few seconds each time)

That's basically all I use the phone for since I basically quit all social networks (on the phone).
So I should be happy and say thanks to the bad battery life for helping me quitting social networks

Current stats for today:
10h off the charger (cable, this time no MagSafe)
1h7m screen on
1h10m screen off
49 % battery used

So as usual around 5% per hour on average.
Couldn't try anything new this week, it was really stressful at work.

 

[Stiille]

As I have the Ultra2 since its release, it's the natural titanium. I still have the black Series 7 Ti, it got a new battery 1.5 months ago, so I also still use it.

My real problem isn't that I end the day with 20ish % battery, my problem is that I hardly use the phone and still end the day with that low battery. If I would use the phone, let's say 4-6h during the day, I would be totally happy with it.

Just to be clear, with "using the phone" I mean stuff like:

• messaging (mainly iMessage)
• mail (reading/replying 5-10 mails)
• checking calendar/reminders
• a few calls (max. 2h all together with screen off)
• doing a bit financial stuff (max. 15-20m)
• reading MR and other forums (maybe 1h, but only if I'm not at home)
• maybe MS Teams (1h with screen off)
• confirm logins in MS Authenticator (about 5-10, takes only a few seconds each time)

That's basically all I use the phone for since I basically quit all social networks (on the phone).
So I should be happy and say thanks to the bad battery life for helping me quitting social networks

Current stats for today:
10h off the charger (cable, this time no MagSafe)
1h7m screen on
1h10m screen off
49 % battery used

So as usual around 5% per hour on average.
Couldn't try anything new this week, it was really stressful at work.

That seems like there is something wrong with your phone to be honest…
Maybe apple support getting involved is a good idea?

 

[ATmahe]

That seems like there is something wrong with your phone to be honest…
Maybe apple support getting involved is a good idea?

Oh well, they won't help me further until I completely reset my phone (that was actually a Windows-only-solution back in the days) which isn't really an option for me right now.

 

[Stiille]

Oh well, they won't help me further until I completely reset my phone (that was actually a Windows-only-solution back in the days) which isn't really an option for me right now.

Why’s that? To much work involved?
Then maybe buy a new phone? Sorry but you need a working phone and if it’s that short on battery and you can’t reset it because it’s to much work involved - maybe a new 16 Pro ?
Sorry that I can’t help you better than this.

 

[ATmahe]

Why’s that? To much work involved?
Then maybe buy a new phone? Sorry but you need a working phone and if it’s that short on battery and you can’t reset it because it’s to much work involved - maybe a new 16 Pro ?
Sorry that I can’t help you better than this.

yeah, that's what Tim said

Yes, too much work, would be the same with a new phone.
I have some apps which need to be setup every time when resetting/swapping the phone and I need a second person for that (that's by design, security regulations of customers). Even an encrypted backup doesn't carry over everything (or at least not in a way it would work). I've a XS Max as a backup here, where everything is setup, but it's a just in case backup device only for this and it shouldn't leave the house for that reason.

 

[goldmac2006]

As I have the Ultra2 since its release, it's the natural titanium. I still have the black Series 7 Ti, it got a new battery 1.5 months ago, so I also still use it.

My real problem isn't that I end the day with 20ish % battery, my problem is that I hardly use the phone and still end the day with that low battery. If I would use the phone, let's say 4-6h during the day, I would be totally happy with it.

Just to be clear, with "using the phone" I mean stuff like:

• messaging (mainly iMessage)
• mail (reading/replying 5-10 mails)
• checking calendar/reminders
• a few calls (max. 2h all together with screen off)
• doing a bit financial stuff (max. 15-20m)
• reading MR and other forums (maybe 1h, but only if I'm not at home)
• maybe MS Teams (1h with screen off)
• confirm logins in MS Authenticator (about 5-10, takes only a few seconds each time)

That's basically all I use the phone for since I basically quit all social networks (on the phone).
So I should be happy and say thanks to the bad battery life for helping me quitting social networks

Current stats for today:
10h off the charger (cable, this time no MagSafe)
1h7m screen on
1h10m screen off
49 % battery used

So as usual around 5% per hour on average.
Couldn't try anything new this week, it was really stressful at work.

So, I mostly leave my iPhone 15 Pro idle for about an hour a day, even when it’s off the charger. Surprisingly, it doesn’t seem to be an issue. However, I do leave mine idle and tucked away in a pocket when I’m not using it.

I also engage in some common activities on my iPhone 15 Pro, such as sending iMessages, checking emails on both the native email app and Outlook, and logging into Canvas to check for updates. I usually spend around 20 minutes doing these tasks.

Another significant portion of my daily usage is YouTube Picture in Picture, which I use for about 2-4.5 hours a day. I also spend the same amount of time on Safari. Additionally, I use the Apple Fitness+ app extensively, dedicating 30 minutes to 90 minutes each day to my workouts. I also incorporate meditation into my routine, doing it twice a day for varying durations ranging from 5 minutes to 20 minutes.

It’s worth noting that I don’t use Zoom or Microsoft Teams on my iPhone 15 Pro. I only use Zoom on my iPhone when I absolutely need to attend a meeting while I’m on the go during the day.

By the way, do you primarily use black backgrounds on your iPhone? The OLED Super Retina XDR display on my iPhone 15 Pro saves battery by using dark wallpapers like the Unity Rhythm ones when certain pixels aren’t in use.

 

[ATmahe]

By the way, do you primarily use black backgrounds on your iPhone? The OLED Super Retina XDR display on my iPhone 15 Pro saves battery by using dark wallpapers like the Unity Rhythm ones when certain pixels aren’t in use.

My different lockscreens usually show some kind of wallpaper or photo, however, I don't see the lockscreen often (no AOD and why should I look at it).
All homescreens have a plain black background 6 (stock) apps on it (plus 4 other apps, depending on the set focus) and one widget (either Apple photos or Outlook calendar).

This weekend I'll see what happens if I completely disable mail push (for all 2 accounts=> iCloud and Exchange Online) and set fetching to manual. I also will try to avoid even opening the mail app.

 

[goldmac2006]

My different lockscreens usually show some kind of wallpaper or photo, however, I don't see the lockscreen often (no AOD and why should I look at it).
All homescreens have a plain black background 6 (stock) apps on it (plus 4 other apps, depending on the set focus) and one widget (either Apple photos or Outlook calendar).

This weekend I'll see what happens if I completely disable mail push (for all 2 accounts=> iCloud and Exchange Online) and set fetching to manual. I also will try to avoid even opening the mail app.

Okay, so you’ve implemented some battery-saving measures here and there. I usually only use a dark wallpaper for the Unity Rhythm theme and a gradient one. I’ve set focus modes for about three to four of my wallpapers. I’m a bit of a widget hog for the Home Screen and the widget page, but it doesn’t bother me much.

Let me know how the changes in the Mail app affect battery life over the weekend. For reference, are you running iOS 18.4 beta?

 

[ATmahe]

Right now I’m running the beta, yes. Because battery life can’t get worse and it didn’t (I‘ve turned off all the logging stuff), which could be another indicator that something is off.

I‘m really wondering how people are getting 6h and more usage time with one charge and still have at least 40% battery left (I was searching on YouTube and specifically looking for that).

 

[Stiille]

Right now I’m running the beta, yes. Because battery life can’t get worse and it didn’t (I‘ve turned off all the logging stuff), which could be another indicator that something is off.

I‘m really wondering how people are getting 6h and more usage time with one charge and still have at least 40% battery left (I was searching on YouTube and specifically looking for that).

I mean I got the 15 PM, but it shouldn’t matter that much or make that huge difference.

Something is really off with your iPhone.
But I agree try to manual fetch your mails, I do that too and still get push mails from spark

 

[ATmahe]

Let me know how the changes in the Mail app affect battery life over the weekend.

8h off the charger, 1h screen on time, I'm at 64 %, so on average 4,5% per hour.
Basically what I've expected, Push (iCloud and Exchange Online) doesn't have much impact (if any) on the battery.

 

[goldmac2006]

I mean I got the 15 PM, but it shouldn’t matter that much or make that huge difference.

Something is really off with your iPhone.
But I agree try to manual fetch your mails, I do that too and still get push mails from spark

This beta version, to be honest, has been a bit more battery-consuming. Yesterday, for instance, I had to charge my iPhone twice to reach 90-95% when it dropped below 50% in the afternoon and evening. Today even after a few hours of casual browsing and YouTube content today, and an hour of working out on Fitness+ kickboxing with my iPhone, the battery dropped to 48% from morning to late morning. 🌅

8h off the charger, 1h screen on time, I'm at 64 %, so on average 4,5% per hour.
Basically what I've expected, Push (iCloud and Exchange Online) doesn't have much impact (if any) on the battery.

No effect? Is your exchange email on native Apple app or outlook app?

 

[ATmahe]

Is your exchange email on native Apple app or outlook app?

Both, but I'm using the Outlook app for work only, so it's only on the app switcher during my working hours (I'm removing it from the switcher and open it again next working day. Background app refresh is turned off for it too (I'm mainly using it for the calendar, I normally don't do work mails on my phone).

btw.:
16h off the charger and we are down to 23 %, with 1.5h active usage and 1h10m standby usage. Which is basically nearly 5 % on average per hour.
So really no difference between push on or off, again ... as I expected ... it's called push (and not fetch or pull) for a reason.

 

[yongj1e]

Switched back to the iPhone 16 Pro since launch day, expecting phenomenal standby battery life after being on android for 11 years (previous iPhone 5s had insane standby times). But alas, I was deeply disappointed as it drains 1-2% per hour (sometimes 3!). Sometimes it will lose 10-20% as I don't leave my phone charging overnight. Even my previous android wouldn't drain this much!

Story aside, I've been following this forum closely, from iOS 18.0 to the betas to 18.3.1, hoping each and every release would somehow fix the horrible standby drain. I've tried everything such as disabling iCloud to crippling my phone's location services by disabling system services. I've also disabled Apple Intelligence (which made 0 difference to the battery life somehow). I know its not my apps as the drain started happening since launch day when I first setup my phone (clean with no backups) and there were 0 third party apps on it. This was when I started trying out more extreme measures: disabling bluetooth/wifi, turning on airplane mode and toggling between 4G/5G etc.

So, after almost 6 months of owning this phone, I've finally found a solution to the my standby drain. It was to simply disable cellular data and disconnect bluetooth devices (not disable bluetooth) when not needed.

For cellular data, I suspect it might be due to my Singapore carrier (Zero1) or some cellular radio firmware bug that causes battery drain whenever cellular data is enabled. I know its not my signal strength as I've toggled between 4G only and 5G auto/on, and somehow when cellular data is enabled it starts draining rapidly in standby even when connected to a wifi network. When it is off, standby was great even when there was only 1 bar of signal strength on 5G.

For bluetooth, I realised that keeping a constant connection to my Garmin watch will cause a bad standby drain. I initially disabled bluetooth because of this but realised it was my watch. It's quite disappointing as I never had this issue on my previous android.

My standby battery life now stands around ~0.5%/hr which is decent but not spectacular for me. It is as good as my previous android, and funny enough it doesn't get any better even when I turn on airplane mode. Only way to beat this is to switch the phone off 😂 which actually shows how impressive iOS manages background apps and keeping notifications coming while not draining the battery.

 

[goldmac2006]

Both, but I'm using the Outlook app for work only, so it's only on the app switcher during my working hours (I'm removing it from the switcher and open it again next working day. Background app refresh is turned off for it too (I'm mainly using it for the calendar, I normally don't do work mails on my phone).

btw.:
16h off the charger and we are down to 23 %, with 1.5h active usage and 1h10m standby usage. Which is basically nearly 5 % on average per hour.
So really no difference between push on or off, again ... as I expected ... it's called push (and not fetch or pull) for a reason.

Same here. I check Outlook once or twice on my off days since I have one for uni. However, I primarily use it on school days because that’s when I receive the most emails. To manage my inbox, I employ focus modes to disable non-priority emails and prioritize time-sensitive ones through Intelligent Breakthrough and silencing. Even writing a moderate-length email consumes 7-10% of my iPhone battery. I even limit how notifications go through my iPhone though these settings I put on my focuses.

On the other hand, I check my Gmail more frequently in the native Apple Mail app. When I no longer need to use an app, I remove it from the app switcher. I also update or refresh the information on it if there’s an issue. If there’s a problem, I try to resolve it first.

 

[Hish99]

What’s your firmware?

latest one so iOS 18.3.1

 

[thadoggfather]

hearing of intense battery drain on a family member's 14 Pro Max on 18.3.1 coming from iOS 16.

I already tried having them review apps using location, to set most to never or while using and very sparingly if ever always. Background app refresh off. Reboot the phone and soft reset the phone.

Out of guesses for what else to try, other than waiting on a newer update that isn't as taxing?

 

[goldmac2006]

hearing of intense battery drain on a family member's 14 Pro Max on 18.3.1 coming from iOS 16.

I already tried having them review apps using location, to set most to never or while using and very sparingly if ever always. Background app refresh off. Reboot the phone and soft reset the phone.

Out of guesses for what else to try, other than waiting on a newer update that isn't as taxing?

Had you took a look at the screen on and off times and intervals of being off the charger?

 

[ATmahe]

I have a new suspect …
Wondering why I didn’t think about that before.
The HomeKit page in Control Center.
Maybe because of unresponsive devices 🤔

I‘ve removed it to check if it makes a difference, I‘ll report back in a few days.