iPad Pro 10.5" battery drain in standby

[Stq]

I noticed this on my iPad since 11.4 update too. Without using it at all the battery is still draining. The usage time in the stats is always about 1/6 of standby time with no app is showing up there. Turning off WiFi, bluetooth, location, background refresh, hand off, mail fetching, WiFi-calling, messages syncing and photos syncing all didn't help. Tried erasing everything and setting it up again without restoring from backup, still the same. I found that it might be related to my iCloud account. If I do a fresh install, the battery drain is not there. Sign in to iCloud and it's back. Also if I remove the iPad from my iCloud account with another device, the battery drain immediately stops. But other devices with the same account don't have this issue.

My phone did have battery drain on 11.4 too but I believe it was a bit different. It drops by 50% overnight (the iPad only drops by about 5% to 10% per day) and usage time in battery stats did not increase. Turning off WiFi also stops it. 11.4.1 fixed the battery drain for the phone but not for the iPad.

 

[spiderman0616]

I noticed this on my iPad since 11.4 update too. Without using it at all the battery is still draining. The usage time in the stats is always about 1/6 of standby time with no app is showing up there. Turning off WiFi, bluetooth, location, background refresh, hand off, mail fetching, WiFi-calling, messages syncing and photos syncing all didn't help. Tried erasing everything and setting it up again without restoring from backup, still the same. I found that it might be related to my iCloud account. If I do a fresh install, the battery drain is not there. Sign in to iCloud and it's back. Also if I remove the iPad from my iCloud account with another device, the battery drain immediately stops. But other devices with the same account don't have this issue.

My phone did have battery drain on 11.4 too but I believe it was a bit different. It drops by 50% overnight (the iPad only drops by about 5% to 10% per day) and usage time in battery stats did not increase. Turning off WiFi also stops it. 11.4.1 fixed the battery drain for the phone but not for the iPad.

I'm experiencing the exact same as what you're describing--however, on my first iPad Pro 10.5, my battery was draining about 20% per day, so I am still convinced that my first unit had a bad battery. My replacement unit is only draining about 5% a day on standby, which I've learned to deal with, but it's not ideal. I'm hoping iOS 12 remedies some of this.

 

[Stq]

I'm experiencing the exact same as what you're describing--however, on my first iPad Pro 10.5, my battery was draining about 20% per day, so I am still convinced that my first unit had a bad battery. My replacement unit is only draining about 5% a day on standby, which I've learned to deal with, but it's not ideal. I'm hoping iOS 12 remedies some of this.

Well, I updated to iOS 12 beta a while ago and the battery drain was still there. iOS 12 does not show the old "usage time" anymore, just screen on time. But I could tell from the rate the battery level is dropping.

So I decided to turn off all sync features in the iCloud settings menu and individually enable them back to see what the culprit was. For me the battery drain only returned when I enabled Notes and Reminders syncing. Thinking it might be some corrupted items failing to sync, I moved all the data from iCloud to local account on my Mac. And indeed the battery drain stopped. I moved the data back and enabled everything else and there seems to be no more battery drain so far.

 

[spiderman0616]

Well, I updated to iOS 12 beta a while ago and the battery drain was still there. iOS 12 does not show the old "usage time" anymore, just screen on time. But I could tell from the rate the battery level is dropping.

So I decided to turn off all sync features in the iCloud settings menu and individually enable them back to see what the culprit was. For me the battery drain only returned when I enabled Notes and Reminders syncing. Thinking it might be some corrupted items failing to sync, I moved all the data from iCloud to local account on my Mac. And indeed the battery drain stopped. I moved the data back and enabled everything else and there seems to be no more battery drain so far.

Everything I’ve ever tried, even the stuff that worked, has never been permanent. I’ve been able to stop it for a while, but it always comes back. I’ve gotten into the habit of just closing out all apps and doing a hard reboot every time I charge it up. Seems to help.

 

[Remy_Focus]

Hi. I have am also experiencing the same problem. I have charged up my ipad pro 10.5 fully to 100% just before hitting the pillows. When I woke up in the morning, I’ve noticed that the Standby time is 8.59 hours and the usage time is 35 mins. I have used the ipad for a mere 5 mins only after charging. However, battery level is still 100%.

Judging from your experience, do you think it is wise for me to have the ipad replaced during my 2nd Apple Store visit tomorrow, judging by the fact that my battery still showing 100% charge but the issue is only with the usage time? But I am worried that Apple will give me a refurbished set with some other issues.

I’ve read from your experience that even after Apple gave you a replacement set, the “Usage Time” phenomenon still exists right? Even though it is not as bad as your 1st device. Pls advice. Thanks.

***Btw, during my 1st Apple store visit, Apple asked me to restore my device to factory settings, and manually download each individual app from the app store. They also told me tthat if the problem persist, they will change my device with a replacement set. I have done just that but the “usage time” issue persist, even after monitoring the device for 2 days.

 

[spiderman0616]

Hi. I have am also experiencing the same problem. I have charged up my ipad pro 10.5 fully to 100% just before hitting the pillows. When I woke up in the morning, I’ve noticed that the Standby time is 8.59 hours and the usage time is 35 mins. I have used the ipad for a mere 5 mins only after charging. However, battery level is still 100%.

Judging from your experience, do you think it is wise for me to have the ipad replaced during my 2nd Apple Store visit tomorrow, judging by the fact that my battery still showing 100% charge but the issue is only with the usage time? But I am worried that Apple will give me a refurbished set with some other issues.

I’ve read from your experience that even after Apple gave you a replacement set, the “Usage Time” phenomenon still exists right? Even though it is not as bad as your 1st device. Pls advice. Thanks.

***Btw, during my 1st Apple store visit, Apple asked me to restore my device to factory settings, and manually download each individual app from the app store. They also told me tthat if the problem persist, they will change my device with a replacement set. I have done just that but the “usage time” issue persist, even after monitoring the device for 2 days.

Your standby/usage time and battery percentage sound normal to me and mirror what I was seeing on my replacement unit eventually. 35 minutes of usage over that many hours of standby and still 100% battery is totally fine. I’m not sure what exactly is worrying you about those stats, and Apple would most definitely not replace it.

My original model was draining 15-20% overnight on standby and another 15-20% during the day on standby, even after a DFU restore and fresh install of everything.

 

[Chrisjmv]

Well, I updated to iOS 12 beta a while ago and the battery drain was still there. iOS 12 does not show the old "usage time" anymore, just screen on time. But I could tell from the rate the battery level is dropping.

So I decided to turn off all sync features in the iCloud settings menu and individually enable them back to see what the culprit was. For me the battery drain only returned when I enabled Notes and Reminders syncing. Thinking it might be some corrupted items failing to sync, I moved all the data from iCloud to local account on my Mac. And indeed the battery drain stopped. I moved the data back and enabled everything else and there seems to be no more battery drain so far.

Seems like I have with my iCloud account a similar issue but with my iPhone X.
Draining battery also over night etc and also high battery drain like you mentioned on your iPad Pro.

Did you have settings like these here too? I have a screenshot of some settings that are in my iCloud account that are under the find me via email setting

Hope I can fix the stuff with battery like you did with enable disable sync. Maybe in my case it can be contact or so.

I will delete all data on iCloud and put it manually in.

 

[Nightwing32]

Another update. My iPad Pro battery usage settled down on its own again and has been stable for the last few days. I took it off the charger yesterday afternoon and then put it away. I just got it back out and it shows 21 hours standby, 51 minutes usage. That’s pretty great.

So do you think the battery issue is just problem for the first week?

 

[spiderman0616]

So do you think the battery issue is just problem for the first week?

None of my testing ever amounted to anything other than the first unit having a bad battery. My replacement unit would fluctuate sometimes, but was stable enough where I stopped seeing any dramatic drain when not in use.

 

[Nightwing32]

None of my testing ever amounted to anything other than the first unit having a bad battery. My replacement unit would fluctuate sometimes, but was stable enough where I stopped seeing any dramatic drain when not in use.

Mine dropped 2 percent on its first night and about 3 percent over 10 hrs during the day on standby. Is this normal or a weaker battery? My ipad 1 only dropped 1 percent during this entire period.

 

[HateOverpricedCrap]

Mine dropped 2 percent on its first night and about 3 percent over 10 hrs during the day on standby. Is this normal or a weaker battery? My ipad 1 only dropped 1 percent during this entire period.

So, I had battery life problems on my iPad Pro - was dropping by >40% overnight on standby. After a lot of effort, finally figured out why.
The keyboard of the iPad Pro sucks battery like hell - the said 40% drop overnight - all battery gone in ~24 hrs. Without keypad attached - battery drop is 4-5% overnight and 10% in 24 hrs!

So, if you have an iPad Pro with a keypad, detach it before you put it away for standby.

 

[Soordhin]

As i mentioned in a separate post somewhere here i had extremely bad battery issues with my iPad mini 4 since iOS 12.01 (always use the newest one, but never beta ones). It would run completely dry within 8 to 10 hours of standby. In the beginning it did always showed Siri as using all the battery, however i disabled Siri and it still showed it as the culprit. After i disabled the icloud integration and dictation side of Siri it didn't show anymore, however, the last app i used shows up as number 1 on the battery usage statistics. Those stats seem completely wrong, i would suspect it is highly unlikely that books uses 96% of the battery of overnight standby.

Funny thing though, if i charge the iPad to full after it was completely out of juice and let it sit in standby without unlocking it once, it holds the charge just fine, even after a full week it is only down to 98% state of charge. The drain doesn't happen either when it is not connected to any known network nor the LTE network. So something that requires network access might drain the battery without it showing up as using battery. I will try to disable all of the icloud sync stuff, however that badly impacts the usability of the device for me as i fluently switch between my phone and the ipad most of the time.

So far i did completely reset it twice, however set it up from a backup, as i have some MDM agents installed that i really do not want to install again, plus some proprietary software requiring its own specific license which is a pain in the butt to set up. The iPad is always warm to the touch when it is sitting in standby, which indicates that it never really enters a real standby state. Since it is still in the normal 2 year warranty period and additionally covered by apple care i will visit the nearby apple store in the new year and try to solve it with them there, or replace the device.

 

[jordii]

I decided to turn off all sync features in the iCloud settings menu and individually enable them back to see what the culprit was. For me the battery drain only returned when I enabled Notes and Reminders syncing.

I've read a zillion threads to troubleshoot this problem, and this was the only useful advice. Turn off Notes and Reminders syncing in iCloud settings fixes this completely. And nothing else works. Spread the news!

[Update]
Before I turned off Notes/Reminders syncing, I'd lose 50% of battery within 20 minutes while it just sat there. Now I've spent the past hour using the hell out of my device, and lost ONE PERCENT.

STQ, where do I send the chocolate cake and car keys?

 

[The_Smarti]

Do you have HomeKit enabled in your house ? I have similar issue.... and I suspect Homekit.....

 

[borainceler]

Hi all--

So my iPad Pro 10.5" has been having battery drain issues for the last few weeks, here is kind of the order of events, and I feel like it's linked to when the last iOS 11 update went out:

1. Started draining on standby--about 20% every 12 hours. Doing a hard reset would only help for a day or so and then it would start again.

2. Did a factory reset and restore from backup. That did not work at all. (I mostly didn't expect it to.) I did realize at that point that I had the iPad set up as a Home Hub, and turned that off. We have 2 Apple TVs and a HomePod acting as Home Hubs, so I don't need the iPad doing it too. Turning that off did fix some of the battery drain.

3. Did a DFU restore and installed a fresh copy of iOS 11. I went ahead and restored all apps from backup since it just redownloads/reinstalls new copies of those anyway. This actually worked for 2 or 3 days, and then I noticed the battery was draining about 10% overnight again.

4. Last night it went from 97% to 89% in about 12 hours. I had only logged about 20 minutes of actual use on the iPad since putting it away the day before (according to the battery menu), but it was showing 4 hours of usage time and about 26 hours of standby time. I definitely had not used it for 4 hours since taking it off the charger, but SOMETHING is using battery in standby.

5. Today I did a hard reset on it, turned off all background app refresh, and force quit all apps. I'm going to see where it is at the end of the day. I did call Apple Support and they ran a diagnostic on it--the OS, battery, and all apps passed their test as being fine, so they made me an Apple Store appointment. I just have doubts that's going to do anything. I think something is running in the background that shouldn't be. I just can't figure out which app or service it is.

Anyone have any experiences like this recently? I feel like I have a rogue app somewhere or something.

Can you try removing smart keyboard?

 

[spiderman0616]

Can you try removing smart keyboard?

The issue on this unit ended up being the iPad itself. After I exchanged it I never had that problem again. But I've moved on to an 11" Pro since then anyway.

 

[Deegan22]

This was a very helpful thread. Thank you for posting this detail. My brand new iPad Pro 12.9" drains 10-15% every day just sitting undisturbed on my treadmill. Since I'm not very tech savvy I figured it was because the device was so powerful that it burned that much battery just by being awesome.

I did a factory reset last night and we'll see what happens.

 

[Momof9]

I remember having a similar issue with my new 2018 12.9". Now my new 11" is turning on the home& lock screen in the middle of the night and draining the battery dead.

I don't remember what i did to fix it the last time....

 

[MowingDevil]

The issue on this unit ended up being the iPad itself. After I exchanged it I never had that problem again. But I've moved on to an 11" Pro since then anyway.

Just got a 2018 11" and I'm having what appears to be the exact same problem. After turning it on for the first time it was at 100% and woke up the next day to find it at 18%. Never had that issue whatsoever /w my iPad Air. At first I thought leaving the Apple Pencil connected was causing the drain but removed it and it's still petering out. Left the unit asleep (at full capacity) for several days (w/ very limited use) and woke it up today to find it at 3%.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Just got a 2018 11" and I'm having what appears to be the exact same problem. After turning it on for the first time it was at 100% and woke up the next day to find it at 18%. Never had that issue whatsoever /w my iPad Air. At first I thought leaving the Apple Pencil connected was causing the drain but removed it and it's still petering out. Left the unit asleep (at full capacity) for several days (w/ very limited use) and woke it up today to find it at 3%.

Why didn't it happen with your iPad Air?

 

[Reddy-Tiago]

Hello. Just for your knowledge this works for me: I think it’s a bug on the widgets area. I have the today view always opened on my system with the two location widget (weather). When I delete it, my iPad goes nice with it. I think you can give it a try.