Apple's New iOS Update Fixes a Battery Drain Bug (Hopefully)
Updated: Apr 4, 2022
If you updated your Apple device’s iOS to the 15.4 version, you may have noticed that your device’s battery drains power more quickly than usual. You are not alone. Customers have raised this online and Apple’s latest update, 15.4.1, aims to fix the problem.
CNet reports that Apple customers have raised concerns about the 15 March 2022 update to iOS. These customers reported that upon updating to the 15.4 version, their batteries started draining fast. In a tweet by Apple Support, the company initially responded on 19 March by saying that “it’s normal for your apps and features to need to adjust up to 48 hours after an update”. On Thursday, 31 March, the company finally released version 15.4.1 which would fix this bug.
Two other fixes come with this update, affecting features that help blind users and those with hearing concerns. The first fixes unresponsiveness issues with braille devices when users navigate screen text or the device shows an alert. The second resolves a problem where some iPhone hearing devices could not connect to some third-party apps.
Apple’s iOS 15.4 update dropped in the middle of March. Among its significant features are:
A new Face ID system that would allow users to unlock their phones while wearing a mask, reflecting widely adopted social and health norms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new Universal Control feature that allows for the seamless use of one’s mouse and keyboard across recent models of Macs and other Apple devices.
37 new emojis, including recently popular gestures such as hands forming a heart.
Other features affect such things as the ability to turn off notifications in the Shortcuts app, annotations for iCloud Keychain, and custom email domains for iCloud Mail to likely spur wider adoption of the service.
The phenomenon of Apple device battery drains is not new, however. For instance, a cursory search using the keywords “iPhone battery draining overnight 2021” shows that some users have complained about inexplicable battery draining, especially during hours when a phone is inactive. Some of these threads make for fascinating reading, as they sometimes dig deep into how apps work and how battery power is used. The devices usually mentioned include the iPhone 12 and 13 Pro models, launched in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Rapid battery drains are always going to be an issue with portable consumer electronics devices such as smartphones and tablets, regardless of who makes them. As these devices become more and more powerful, with the ability to run multiple apps and functions simultaneously, there is a chance that they will drain a battery’s power storage. Another issue is that device batteries have a limited shelf life, and faster battery draining is one indicator that a battery might be on its last legs.
Charging one’s batteries based on manufacturer recommendations may help solve the problem, and managing background apps can reduce the risk. Some types of devices also allow for battery replacement. However, as this recent Apple iOS update issue shows, the problem isn’t going away and device manufacturers are finding ways to minimise it.
Apple dropped an iOS update at the end of March 2022 fixing some bugs in the iOS 15.4 update launched a couple of weeks before.
The update aims to address concerns from Apple device users over rapid battery draining as a result of installing the new OS.
The iOS 15.4.1 update also fixes bugs in features meant to help blind users and those with hearing concerns.