Some iPhone and iPad users have reported that battery life is suffering after updating to iOS 14.6 on their device.
Battery draining issues are reported after virtually every system software update, and often issues with battery life are simply the natural result of installing a software update and the associated tasks that go on in the background after that update is installed.
Nonetheless sometimes there are bigger issues, bugs, or other quirks that can cause battery draining problems and reduced battery life of iPhone after installing an iOS software update.
In the case of iOS 14.6, a fair number of iPhone users are reporting battery life has reduced, sometimes notably so. Often this is accompanied by the iPhone feeling hot, or feeling as if the iPhone is overheating.
An iPhone that is warm to the touch and also suffering bad battery life is typically indicative of some process or app running, whether in the foreground or background of the device, or perhaps even at a system level.
While there is not always a clear culprit, some users have reported that the Podcasts app appears to be using inordinate amounts of energy, particularly in the background, even if the app is not in active use. Other users have reported that Mail seems to be the issue, while others have reported their battery drains particularly fast when using Safari or that their iPhone gets hot while using Safari.
8 Tips for Improving Battery Life Issues in iOS 14.6
Here are some helpful tips to help improve battery life on iPhone or iPad experiencing battery issues:
- Leave the iPhone (or iPad) plugged in and online overnight for background system tasks to complete
- Disable Background App Refresh via Settings > General > Background App Refresh > OFF
- Review the Battery overview on your iPhone for leads on what the issue is by going to Settings > Battery
- If Podcasts app seems to be the problem, consider deleting the Podcasts app (long press on the Podcasts icon, then choose “Remove App”) and using an alternate podcast app for the time being, like Overcast
- Use Low Power Mode to prolong battery life (Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode > ON)
- Update apps via App Store
- Install iOS / iPadOS updates when they become available
- Review additional tips about improving battery life of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 for iPhone and iPad
As mentioned earlier, battery issues are commonly reported after installing system software updates for iOS and iPadOS, and in that respect battery issues being reported with iOS 14.6 and iPadOS 14.6 are nothing new. If there is an actual issue that is related to a bug or some other quirk with the system software itself, Apple will certainly release a software update in the near future to address that.
This particular issue regarding iOS 14.6 has been griped about widely on social media and Twitter, and MacRumors noted an increase in their forum activity for the topic. Whether or not this is out of the ordinary for an iOS update cycle remains to be seen.
Are you having battery problems with iPhone with iOS 14.6, or iPad with iPadOS 14.6? Did you find a particular culprit for battery draining? What tip (if any) helped resolve your battery issues? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments.
