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iPhone battery bad under iOS 14?

Nobody like to hear it, but this is always the case with a new release. And it might not be a bug.
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer

iOS 14 was dropped on everyone -- developers included -- last week, and iPhone users did what they always do. They threw caution to the wind and smashed that update button as hard and as fast as they could.

But for some the excitement has been replaced by the realities that surround a new release.

And the biggest complain so far is the most predictable one -- battery drain.

Must read: Five iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 security and privacy features you need to know about

With a quick Twitter search, it's clear that for many, the most prominent iOS 14 feature is aggressive battery drain.

Am I shocked?

I am not.

Why?

THIS. ALWAYS. HAPPENS!

First off, 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. 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.

Add to this the dual factor of a lot of app updates happening following a new release, combined with a lot of new features available that may put more drain on an older handset.

My advice stays the same -- don't worry about your iPhone's battery for a week or so after installing a new iOS. It takes time for things to normalize. If you go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and the message is that it is good for Peak Performance Capability, then it's either just the normal stuff going on, or a bug.

Note that rolling back to iOS 13 doesn't help here because that too would be a new operating system, and would need to go through that initial setup period before things settled down.

Which brings me to bugs.

Remember how I urged caution before iOS 14 was out? Yeah, well this is why.

Not only could there be bugs in iOS 14 that affect battery life, but developers have been given almost no time to release apps that are ready for iOS 14, so problems are to be expected.

So yes, I know it's annoying, but just charge your iPhone more, and keep a power bank or wireless charging pad nearby and see if things settle down after a few days.

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