iPhone XR Battery Draining Fast After iOS 13 Update? Here’s How to Fix It

Is your iPhone XR battery draining faster than usual—even when it’s idle? You’re not alone. Many users have reported quick battery drain after installing iOS 13. While it’s frustrating, the issue is often software-related and can be fixed without replacing your battery.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help improve your iPhone XR’s battery life.

1. Close Background Apps

Apps left running in the background—even idle—can misbehave after an update and drain power.

Here’s how to close them:

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle.
Swipe left or right to browse through apps.
Swipe up on each app preview to close them all.

After clearing background apps, observe if your battery life improves.

2. Update All Apps and Restart Your iPhone

Outdated apps might not work well with iOS 13 and can drain your battery excessively.

To update apps:

Open the App Store.
Tap your profile icon (top right).
Scroll to see pending updates and tap Update All.

After updating, do a soft reset:

Press and hold the Side button + Volume Up or Down.
When “slide to power off” appears, drag the slider.
Wait 30 seconds, then press the Side button again to restart.

3. Reset All Settings

iOS 13 may have overridden your settings in a way that causes the battery to drain quickly.

To reset all settings:

Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings
Enter your passcode and confirm

This won’t delete your personal data, but will reset system settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and wallpaper.

4. Perform a Factory Reset (Optional but Effective)

If you’re still dealing with fast battery drain, a factory reset might help resolve deeper software bugs.

⚠️ Backup your data first (via iCloud or iTunes)

To reset:

Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings
Follow the prompts to wipe your device
Set it up as new, without restoring from backup right away

Monitor battery performance before reinstalling apps or data.

5. Restore via Recovery Mode Using iTunes

If the battery drain started immediately after the iOS 13 update and nothing else worked, a full iOS restore might be needed.

To restore:

Connect your iPhone XR to a computer with iTunes.
Press and release Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the Side button.
Keep holding until the recovery mode screen appears.
Choose Restore when prompted in iTunes.

This will reinstall iOS from scratch. Test your battery life before restoring apps or settings.

Other Tips to Extend Battery Life

Turn off Background App Refresh: Settings > General > Background App Refresh > Off
Lower screen brightness: Settings > Display & Brightness
Disable Location Services for unnecessary apps: Settings > Privacy > Location Services
Enable Low Power Mode: Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode

Still Draining Too Fast?

If your battery still dies quickly after all these steps:

It could be a hardware issue (e.g., battery degradation)
Contact Apple Support or visit a Genius Bar for battery diagnostics
If it’s a widespread iOS bug, Apple may release a patch—keep checking for iOS updates