How to fix an Apple iPhone X battery that is draining so fast after installing an iOS update [Troubleshooting Guide]

Apple’s software updates including iOS usually integrate advanced energy-saving technologies, thus keeping your device software up-to-date is recommended. Nevertheless, this isn’t always the case during the actual iOS update implementation. In fact, you’ve heard a lot of iPhone users complaining about the rapid battery draining issue following an iOS update installation. Usually, post-update problems on battery draining are attributed to software bugs that are often remedied by follow-up fix patches. Yet, there are also some workarounds end-users can try on to resolve the issue without having to wait longer for the next update rollout.

Highlighted in this post are some helpful solutions and workarounds that are used to deal with a post-update battery draining issue on the iPhone X. If by any chance, you ended up having the same problem after installing the latest iOS update on your iPhone X, then this post may be able to help you. Read further for more details.

Before we move on to our troubleshooting, if you are looking for a solution to a different issue, make sure you drop by our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed some of the most common problems reported by our readers. Find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If you still need our help after that, then feel free to contact us by filling up our iPhone issues questionnaire.

First solution: Force close background apps.

Background apps are applications you’ve recently used but not closed hence, they’re still running in the background. While these apps may be necessary for multitasking purposes, they’re also among the factors that contribute to battery draining especially when any of them gets rogue. To make sure this isn’t the reason why your battery is rapidly draining, try clearing or force closing background apps on your iPhone X with these steps:

  1. Swipe up from the bottom to the middle of your Home screen and hold until the App Switcher shows up.
  2. Swipe left or right on an app preview.
  3. Firmly touch and hold the app, and then tap the minus (-) icon to clear or force close.
  4. Follow the same step to quit/clear the rest of the background applications.

When you’re done clearing background apps, restart/soft reset your iPhone X to dump cache from the internal memory and to refresh the operating system.

  1. Press and hold the Side/Power button and either Volume button for a few seconds.
  2. When you see the Slide to Power off command, release the buttons.
  3. Then, drag the Power off slider to the right. Give your iPhone several seconds to power off.
  4. After about 30 seconds, press and hold the Side/Power button again until the Apple logo appears, then release.

This won’t affect any data stored on the internal memory of your iPhone, so you don’t have to create backups.

Second solution: Manage and adjust settings.

Some updates will alter current settings on your device automatically. So there is a chance that some settings might have been automatically reconfigured in a way that augments power consumption on your iPhone X. To make sure this isn’t the underlying cause, check and manage settings like screen brightness, notification/alert frequencies, background app refresh, and the like. Other things you can do to reduce battery consumption would include but not limited to change wallpapers or themes from animated to still or non-moving images and disabling of unused services like Bluetooth, GPS, and other location services.

  • To find out which apps or services is using the most of your iPhone X battery, you can view the battery usage details, simply go to Settings-> Battery menu, then scroll down to the bottom of the screen to view which apps are using the most of your battery.

If you see anything unusual like when a certain app is consuming a significant amount of power in the last 5 hours, then that app might be at fault. In that case, you can try clearing the rogue app first or delete the app, if needed.

Third solution: Install pending app updates on your iPhone X.

Some apps may go rogue after an iOS update because they too need updates. For apps to keep working properly and smoothly, app developers push regular updates containing new and enhanced features, as well as bug fixes. Keeping apps updated is recommended to ensure they’re working smoothly with the new iOS platform. To check and install pending app updates, follow these steps:

  1. Tap on the App Store icon from the Home screen.
  2. Tap on the Updates button at the bottom right corner of the App Store screen.
  3. Tap the Update button next to an app to update each app one by one or tap the Update All button at the top right corner of the screen to update all apps at once.
  4. If prompted, enter your Apple ID password to continue.

Wait until all apps are finished updating and then restart your iPhone X to apply the new update changes accordingly.

Fourth solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone X.

Resetting all settings on your iPhone does not affect data stored on the internal memory, thus won’t result to data loss. This is usually needed if something goes wrong with any of your iPhone functions or services after modifying system settings or after installing a major system update. Some updates may override the current settings on the device and eventually result to a conflict or error. To rectify the error, restoring the default system settings can help. Doing so allows you configure and enable only necessary features and options on the phone. Here’s how:

  1. Tap Settings.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll to and tap Reset.
  4. Select the option to Reset all settings. This will clear your current iPhone settings without affecting any data.
  5. If prompted, enter the correct passcode for your iPhone to continue.
  6. Then tap the option to confirm all settings reset.
  7. Wait until the reset is finished and then restart your iPhone.

Your iPhone will restart by itself when the reset is finished. Allow it to finish booting up and then you can continue with the device setup.

Fifth solution: Restore your iPhone in iTunes.

Your last ditch solution if the problem persists is an iOS restore. This will erase your device and thereby lets you set it up again as new or utilize a previous iOS backup. In order to perform an iOS restore, you will need a Windows PC or Mac computer running a later or latest operating system and with the latest iTunes software installed.

To get started, connect your iPhone X to your computer using the supplied USB cable or Lightning cable. Open iTunes on your computer then continue with these steps:

  1. On your iPhone X, press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold the Side/Power button until the Connect to iTunes screen appears.
  2. When you see the option to Update or Restore, select Restore.
  3. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the iOS restore process in iTunes.
  4. After the Restore process is finished, restart your iPhone X and then set up your device.

Complex software issues in iOS devices are usually dealt with by a recovery mode restore. But if you’re still having the same problem or your iPhone X battery is still draining so quick after performing a recovery mode restore, then you may have to carry out a DFU mode restore. It’s the most in-depth type of system restore you can do on your iPhone and is usually the very last option to try on when dealing with device issues attributed to fatal system errors.

For a more detailed walkthrough on how to perform a DFU mode restore on the iPhone X, visit our iPhone X troubleshooting page and then navigate to the tutorials section to locate.

If none of these is able to fix the problem and your iPhone X battery is still draining so fast, then you’ll need to consider other options.

Seek more help

If you have exhausted all possible solutions and workarounds on your end but to no avail, then service would be the next option to consider. Some of your iPhone X components, like the battery, might have obtained some sort of physical or liquid damage from a previous drop or liquid exposure and it just so happened that the symptoms emerge after installing an iOS update. In that case, taking your iPhone to an Apple service center would be necessary. Don’t forget to avail for warranty, if your device is still eligible for one.

For other options and official recommendations, contact your device carrier or Apple Support.

Connect with us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the Apple iPhone X smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone X. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

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