Apple iPad Air 3 battery is draining so fast after iOS 12.3.1 update

Battery draining problems that occur following an iOS update implement are apparently due to software bugs. Some post-update power draining issues are transpiring as minor symptoms from a glitching app or battery system. This usually happens as some apps ended up glitching or acting up after the recent platform transition. In the worst case scenario, post-update battery draining problem occur as a major symptom of an iOS bug that require patch codes for fixing.

Tackled in this post is a relevant issue on the iPad Air 3 following the iOS 12.3.1 update implementation. Read on to learn what to do if your battery is draining so fast after installing the latest iOS version on your iPad Air 3.

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Your device must have sufficient power to carry out these procedures. Connect it to its charger if necessary.

First solution: Clear all background apps.

The first factors to eliminate are background apps that have gone rogue from the update. This is likely the underlying cause if you’ve left some apps suspended or running in the background during the update. It’s possible that any of these background apps had crashed or become corrupted. So here’s what you should do first:

  1. Start by going to the Home screen and then press the Home key twice to view recent applications.
  2. Swipe up on an app preview to close individual apps.
  3. After clearing all background apps, tap the Home screen or press the Home key to go back to the Home screen.

After clearing all background apps, use your device as you normally do and see if the battery is still draining so fast or not anymore.

ALSO READ: How to fix an iPad Air 3 that keeps lagging and freezing

Second solution: Force restart iPad Air 3.

Another effective solution to post-update battery draining issue is the so-called forced restart on your iPad Air 3. Doing so close out all rogue apps and corrupted services simultaneously as it forces the system to shut down and restart. Any associated errors will therefore be rectified. Here’s how to force restart an iPad Air 3:

  1. Simultaneously press and hold the Power button and Home button until the device shuts down and reboots.
  2. Release the buttons when the Apple logo appears.

Wait for your device to finish rebooting and then try to see if that solves the problem.

Third solution: Install pending app updates.

Battery draining problem that’s attributed to errant apps can also be remedied by updating apps. Oftentimes, third-party apps that aren’t updated are the main culprits so if there are pending app updates on your iPad Air 3, then you should implement them. Here’s how:

  1. From the Home screen, tap App Store. Doing so will open the Apple Store app.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the App Store main screen then tap on Updates. A list of apps with pending updates will then show up on the screen.
  3. Scroll through the apps list then tap the Update button next to the name of the app to install pending update individually.
  4. If multiple app updates are available, you can just tap the Update All button on the top-right corner of the screen. Doing so will install all pending app updates simultaneously.

Reboot your iPad after updating all apps to save and apply the recent software changes and to refresh the apps as well.

Fourth solution: Delete or reinstall rogue apps.

Apps that went totally corrupted from the update and caused the battery system to act up must be deleted. To view which apps are consuming the most of your iPad’s battery at a certain period of time, check the battery usage details from Settings-> Battery menu of your device. Scroll down and view more details on battery usage by each application. If you see any unusual power consumption by an app, that app is likely the culprit and therefore must be eliminated. To delete the app from your iPad, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Home screen to get started.
  2. Tap and hold on an app icon until the icons start wiggling.
  3. Tap the X on the upper left corner of the app that you want to delete.
  4. Tap Delete if prompted to confirm app deletion.
  5. Follow the same steps to delete other rogue apps from your iPad.
  6. Once you’re done deleting bad apps, tap the Home screen or press the Home key to stop the apps from wiggling.

If you still want to use the deleted application, then you can reinstall it from the App Store. Just be sure to download and install the latest version of the app to ensure that it’s not flawed and working properly.

ALSO READ: How to fix iPad Air 3 apps that won’t update via App Store

Fifth solution: Reset all settings on iPad Air 3.

Some updates override settings automatically. While not all devices end up facing the same dilemma when auto-update overrides are implemented, devices that are customized according to end-users’ preferences may end up having some conflicts. And for this reason, resetting all settings on the iOS device after an iOS update is recommended. If you haven’t done this yet, then you should give it a try and see what happens. Just follow these steps whenever you’re all set:

  1. From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap Reset.
  4. Select the option to Reset all settings.
  5. Enter your passcode to proceed.
  6. Tap the option to confirm all settings reset.

Your device will restart with the reset is finished and then loads up the original options and values. To use features that are disabled by default, you’ll have to re-enable them first.

Last resort: Factory reset or iOS restore.

Your last option would be to perform a factory reset, if not an iOS restore through iTunes. To erase your device and restore its factory defaults, follow these steps:

  1. From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
  4. Select the option to Erase all content and settings.
  5. If prompted, enter your device passcode to continue.
  6. Then confirm that you want to erase your iPad and restore its factory default settings.

Follow the rest of the onscreen instructions to finish the reset and then you can set up your iPad Air as new using the start-up wizard. If the problem is not resolved by a factory reset, then you may opt to proceed and try performing a recovery mode restore.

To restore your iPad Air 3 in recovery mode through iTunes, refer to these steps:

  1. If your iPad is turned on, turn it off first.
  2. On your computer, launch or open iTunes. Be sure to use the latest version of iTunes app to avoid system conflicts.
  3. Then connect your iPad to the computer while pressing and holding down the Home button.
  4. Release the Home button when the Connect to iTunes screen appears.
  5. At this point, iTunes will prompt you with a message saying that it has detected your iPad in recovery mode and will allow you to restore your device. Just click the Restore iPad button to instigate recovery mode restore through iTunes.

The restore process could take longer depending on the amount of data there is to restore. Don’t disconnect your iPad until the restore process is finished, otherwise you’ll end up facing more fatal system problems especially when the operating system gets corrupted.

To deal with stubborn symptoms that could not be remedied by a recovery mode recovery mode restore, performing a DFU mode restore would be the last option. This is the deepest type of iOS restore you can do on your iPhone or iPad. Similar to recovery mode, you will need to use iTunes on a computer to carry out system restore via DFU mode. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Turn off your iPad if it’s still turned on.
  2. Connect your iPad to the computer using the Apple-supplied USB cable.
  3. While the device is connected, simultaneously press and hold the Home button and Power/Top button for about 8 seconds.
  4. After the elapsed time, release the Power/Top button but continue to hold down the Home button until the screen turns completely black.

Note:

  • If the Apple logo appears after releasing the Power/Top button, it means that you’ve held the button for too long and so you’ll have to start all over from the very beginning.
  • If nothing will be shown on the screen, it means that the device has successfully entered DFU mode.

Perform a forced restart on your iPad Air 3 when iTunes is finished restoring so that it will exit DFU mode and switch back to normal mode.

Is your iPad Air 3 battery still draining so fast?

At this point, escalating the problem is necessary. If your iPad Air 3 battery continues to drain rapidly after exhausting all possible solutions, contact Apple Support and let them know of the problem so that they can make further system evaluations on their end. There might be some stubborn iOS bug from the recent update that needs to be eliminated. If this is proven to be another post-update battery draining problem, then Apple is obliged to roll out a dedicated fix patch.

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