Increased battery drain has been reported after virtually every iOS release, although many iPhone users experience better battery life after updates. Even so, the fact remains that Apple has struggled with battery issues since iOS 4.0 was released. The following are just some of the many user complaints:
iOS 4.3 is causing battery drain
iOS 4.3 drains my battery
iOS 4.2.1 battery drain
New iOS 4.1 is a battery KILLER!
iOS 4.1 drains battery
Battery runs out very quickly in iOS 4.0.1
See our previous articles on the iOS 4.0.1, 4.1 and 4.2.1 updates and associated battery drain issues for tips on how to prolong an iPhone’s battery life. Here are some more ideas for troubleshooting this common problem (make sure that after each step you reboot the iPhone by holding down the Home and Sleep keys until an Apple logo appears):
- Turn the iPhone off and then on again.
- Go to Settings>General>Reset and select Reset Network Settings.
- Go to Settings and turn off Notifications. If this fixes the problem, a misbehaving application is to blame.
- Find the application that is causing the problem. Likely suspects are streaming programs like Pandora; social networking applications such as Facebook, Yahoo and Skype; or other data-heavy programs including Dataman and Game Center. To disable Game Center you must go to Settings>Restrictions and disable Multiplayer Games; this action will kill a background process that does not show up in the quick-launch bar.
- Delete the Exchange account, if you have it, and reboot; then add it back.
- Go to Settings>Email>MobileMe and turn off the Find My iPhone feature.
- Install this configuration profile from Apple: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3398 and then reboot your iPhone.
- If none of the above suggestions fix the problem, restore using a backup (see the resources section below).
- Restore in iTunes as new, without using a backup (you may have corrupted data in your backup). This should be a last resort because applications and music will have to be manually added again and application settings will be lost (see the resources section below for more information).
Please go to http://www.apple.com/feedback to make Apple aware of the battery issue. Hopefully, they will release iOS 4.3.1 soon and the problem will be fixed. And don’t forget, when charging an iPhone, to make sure the device is allowed to fully charge.
Resources
Apple Batteries
Backing up, updating, and restoring your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch software