Apple

iOS 14.2 seems to be causing battery woes for some users

Multiple users have reported battery updates since updating.

by
Joe Rice-Jones
December 7, 2020

Image: KnowTechie

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Have you noticed your iPhone’s battery life nosediving since the update to iOS 14.2 last month? If so, you’re not alone, with multiple complaints on Apple’s Developer Forums, Reddit, and also Apple Support’s forums.

Reported issues range from sudden battery percentage drops to recharge times being longer than usual. In some cases, restarting the iPhone gave an instant battery gain, perhaps pointing to a software bug rather than aging batteries.

We’ve read through the threads and the battery reporting issues seem to be all from users with older devices, like the iPhone XS, iPhone 7, iPhone 6S, iPhone SE (1st gen), and even the 2018 iPad Pro. Some of the affected users even mention replacing the battery recently, which backs up the thought of this being a software bug.

I’ve noticed some additional battery drain on my iPhone 11 Pro, which seems to be due to the new COVID-19 Exposure Notifications system, using almost thirty percent of my battery every day. Could that be part of the issue for these users as well? I’ve not seen the drastic drops that the forum posts show, so if it is a factor, it’s likely not the main issue.

With iOS 14.2 bringing important security fixes, it’s still probably better to upgrade than to hold off. Hopefully, Apple will fix whatever is causing the issue in an upcoming update.

What do you think? Have you noticed any issues with your iPhone’s battery life? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.