Millions of Apple fans have rushed to update their iPhones with iOS 18, Apple’s new operating system, which was released on Monday.
However, it seems that many are regretting their decision already.
Several users have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to complain that the latest update is draining their battery life.
One user said they’d updated to iOS 18 and their battery ‘is dying before my eyes’, while another simply called the battery life on iOS 18 ‘f****** horrible’.
Another posted a GIF of an exploding car with the caption: ‘my iphone 11 with 75% battery health after i update it to iOS 18’.
Since Apple launched its eagerly anticipated iOS 18 update on Monday, millions of eager iPhone users have rushed to download it
One affected user posted a GIF of an exploding car with the caption: ‘my iphone 11 with 75% battery health after i update it to iOS 18’
Yet another user posted: ‘anyone having battery issues with ios 18?’ while someone said: ‘God iOS 18 is absolutely killing my battery !!!!’
Someone else posted: ‘I updated my software to IOS 18 and my battery percentage has dropped so fast.’
They continued: ‘It’s been an hour since I charged it at 80% and didn’t used it that much at this time yet my phone percentage now is at 67%.’
However, others revealed that their device is working fine with the update, with one calling it ‘great’ with ‘no battery drain’.
Someone else said: ‘thanks to the ios 18, my battery has performed waaaaaay better :)’
iOS 18 is supported on the new iPhone 16 models which are released later this month, as well as older models. Pictured, iPhone 16 (L) and 16 Plus
One user found their iPhone battery dropped ‘so fast’ after updating – from 80 per cent to 67 per cent in an hour without much use
Complaints have taken X (formerly Twitter) by storm over the past 24 hours, as users allege that the latest update has ruined their device’s battery
One user said they’d updated to iOS 18 and their battery ‘is dying before my eyes’, while another simply called it ‘f****** horrible
The highly anticipated iOS 18 includes advanced home screen customization, messages upgrades, a new passwords app and more
Although Apple is yet to comment, it is actually normal to experience battery drain in the aftermath of a power-intensive update.
Sometimes it can take hours and even days for software changes to finalise, which means that battery health can fluctuate in the meantime.
‘Installing a new OS on an iPhone triggers a lot of stuff to go on in the background, from indexing to recalibrating the battery, and this can go on for hours or even days,’ Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, a researcher at ZDNet, previously explained.
‘Not only does this consume power, but the battery recalibration can give the impression that the battery is draining more rapidly when in fact it isn’t.’
However, if issues last for longer, it may be a good idea to check your phone battery’s maximum capacity.
An iPhone’s capacity to hold charge lowers as the battery chemically ages, which may result in fewer hours of usage and worse performance between charges.
The highly anticipated iOS 18 includes advanced home screen customization, messages upgrades, a new passwords app and more
Others revealed that their device is working fine with the update, with one calling it ‘great’ with ‘no battery drain’
Sometimes it can take hours and even days for software changes to finalise, which means that battery health can fluctuate in the meantime
The maximum capacity is located in the Battery tab found within the Settings menu on an iPhone’s home page.
If your battery needs replacing, an ‘important battery message’ will pop up indicating that its health has significantly degraded.
Users should also check if Wi-Fi Assist setting is switched on, which keeps devices connected to the inert when the Wi-Fi connection is poor but can drain battery too.
Finally, Apple advises that users can take a number of other steps to maximise their battery life.
Keeping your device away from extreme temperatures higher than 35°C (95°F) is a must for preserving battery life.
Certain phone cases should also be removed while charging a device if they generate excess heat, to avoid unexpected device shutdowns.
With iOS 18, Apple is finally ditching the app grid and letting users place app icons wherever they want on the home screen. Users can also change the size and colour of the icons
For those not phased by the battery issues, iPhone users can downloaded iOS 18 by going to Settings, clicking General and then Software Updates to follow the on-screen instructions.
Released worldwide on Monday, iOS 18 includes advanced home screen customization, messages upgrades, a new passwords app and more.
It’s available on iPhone XS (released in 2018) and newer models, including iPhone 11, iPhone SE (second and third generation) and the new iPhone 16.
Apple’s much touted suite of AI features know as Apple Intelligence will only arrive with iOS 18.1, which is set to be available from next month.
Generally, Apple releases a major software update each autumn to accompany a new iPhone model (for example, iOS 18) but adds incremental updates throughout the year (e.g., 18.1, 18.2).
