iOS 18 Update: Is the high battery consumption normal? Apfelpatient

With the introduction of iOS 18, Apple has launched a number of improvements and new features for the iPhone. But alongside the innovations, more and more reports of problems with energy consumption are emerging. Users complain that their devices, especially the new iPhone 16, are losing battery capacity much faster than expected. Is iOS 18 really that energy-hungry or are there other causes for the battery problems?

If you are one of the lucky owners of an iPhone 16, then you have probably already expected the longer battery life that Apple promises. The company advertises that the new models should last up to four hours longer than their predecessors. This is thanks to both the energy-efficient architecture of the A18 Pro chip and the improved battery capacities. However, many users report surprisingly high energy consumption. This can be very frustrating if you go into the new hardware with high expectations and then find that the battery runs out faster than usual. But what is really behind these problems?

iOS 18: The influence of background processes on the battery

It's no secret that iOS updates often result in increased energy consumption - at least in the first few days after installation. This is because numerous background processes are running, such as indexing your data or updating apps. These processes put a strain on the battery and can drive up consumption in the short term. Apple itself points out this effect in the battery settings, and after a few days consumption should normalize. However, many users report that these energy problems persist even after the initial setup phase. What is particularly worrying is that battery consumption remains unusually high even in sleep mode. This means that even if you hardly use your iPhone 16, the battery level drops faster than expected.

Affected models: Not only the iPhone 16

Interestingly, it is not only the new iPhone 16 models that are affected by this problem. Users of older models who have updated to iOS 18, report also report similar problems. Some mention that their devices lose up to 1% battery per five minutes even when they are inactive. This suggests that the problem is less related to the hardware and more to the operating system.

Solutions: Optimizations and possible updates

There are some proven methods to reduce battery consumption under iOS 18:

Disable Always-on Display: The Always-on Display available on the iPhone 16 Pro can put a significant strain on the battery. If you can do without this feature, turn it off.
Limit background updates: Some apps constantly update data in the background. You can disable this for individual apps in the settings.
Optimize location services: If you don't need your location all the time, turn off location services or limit them to the apps that really need them.

Some users have reported that installing the iOS 18.1 beta version has at least partially resolved the issue. It remains to be seen whether Apple will release another update that will bring power consumption under control.

High battery consumption under iOS 18: How you can counteract it

The high battery consumption under iOS 18 is disappointing for many users, especially with a device like the iPhone 16, which is advertised as having a longer battery life. Background processes after installation, energy-intensive features such as the always-on display and possibly still unresolved software issues could be among the causes. However, it is important to keep an eye on battery consumption and make optimizations where possible. If the problems persist, a future update from Apple could help. Until then, you can achieve an improvement at least in the short term with a few adjustments. Keep your iPhone up to date regularly and check which settings affect battery consumption. This way you can get the best results from your device without constantly having to reach for the charging cable. (Image: Apple)