Updates are supposed to bring good things but there are just times when the outcome turns bad due to many factors. Among the most common post-update issues encountered by iPhone users is on rapid battery draining. This happens more often because apps can become rogue and start using much power than usual following the system transition. Nonetheless, there are also some cases where battery draining is attributed to hardware damage like a bad battery or other power components that require some fixing. In that case, iPhone service/repair is needed.
But before rushing to a service center, there are still some workarounds and possible solutions you can try on to clear out software-related factors that might have caused your iPhone battery to run out faster. Outlined below are some tweaks that can be used to deal with post-update battery draining problem on an iPhone. Read on to learn what to do when your iPhone XS Max battery is suddenly draining so quickly after updating to iOS version 12.1.
First solution: Clear all background apps on your phone.
If you’ve left some apps opened or suspended during the update, then it’s possible that any of these apps has been corrupted, went rogue, and caused massive power drain. To clear this out, end all background apps from running on your iPhone XS Max with these steps:
- From the Home screen, swipe your finger up and then pause.
- Swipe right or left to navigate through apps preview.
- Then swipe up on an app preview to end/quit it.
Follow the same method to end or quit the rest of the background apps until everything is cleared.
Second solution: Force restart your iPhone.
The same problem can occur, if you haven’t restarted your iPhone after updating. Some apps or services may be acting up due to the recent system changes and therefore need some refresh. To fix the problem, you can do a force restart on your iPhone XS Max, to forcibly quit all errant apps and services thus stopping them from draining the battery. Here’s how it’s done:
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
- Finally, press and hold the Side/Power button until the Apple logo appears.
Wait until your iPhone boots up and then use it as you normally do. If the battery is still draining so fast, then try to manage your apps.
Third solution: Manage and/or uninstall bad apps.
As mentioned earlier, rogue apps are usually the main triggers of battery draining on a phone. To see which from your apps is the culprit, you can view the battery usage details of your iPhone by heading to the battery menu under settings. Here’s how:
- Tap Settings from your Home screen.
- Then go to the Battery section.
- To view battery usage details in the last 24 hours, simply tap on the Last 24 Hours tab. Otherwise, tap on the Last 10 Days tab. You should then see the battery level over the last 24 hours in a graph.
- To view which apps are using the most of your iPhone’s battery life, scroll down and tap the option to Show Activity.
The information found in this section can help you narrow down which apps are using the most battery. If you see any unusual power consumption by a certain app, then you need to manage that app. The first thing you can do is to install pending app updates on your iPhone. Apps can become rogue and could use up unusual amount of power after a new system platform is implemented. This usually happens when the app isn’t updated and no longer able to meet the minimum system requirements to run smoothly on the new platform. To check for pending app updates on your iPhone XS Max, simply follow these steps:
- Tap to open the App Store.
- From the App Store main screen, scroll down to and then tap the Updates tab. A list of apps with pending updates will then show up.
- To update individual app, tap the Update button next to an app.
- Or tap the Update All button to install all app updates at once. This option is only available if multiple app updates are available.
Updating the rogue app usually helps but if it doesn’t, then that’s when you should consider uninstalling the app from your phone system.
Fourth solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone.
Some updates may tend to change or override settings on the phone automatically. While the overrides are normally programmed to work positively, that would still depend on how the receiving device is configured by its use. Invalid customization can cause conflict and the system override turns into problems including battery draining. To clear this out, follow these steps to reset all settings on your iPhone XS Max and delete all your customized settings:
- From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down to and tap Reset.
- Select the option to Reset all settings.
- If prompted, enter your device passcode.
- Then tap the option to confirm all settings reset.
When the reset is finished, the phone restarts automatically and then loads the default values and options. By then you can start enabling individual features including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to use them again on your phone.
Fifth solution: Restore factory default settings on your iPhone.
The problem you’re dealing with could be due to a major system error that’s likely inflicted by an update bug. To clear such errors, you can try restoring your iPhone to its factory default settings. Doing so will wipe everything including complex system errors or corrupted system data that caused the battery system to act up. Before you begin with the system reset, back up all your important files to iCloud or iTunes to prevent permanent data loss. Once you’re all set, you can factory reset your iPhone XS Max through settings with these steps:
- From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down to and tap Reset.
- Select the option to Erase all content and settings.
- If prompted, enter your device passcode.
- Then tap the option to confirm full system reset.
After the reset, your iPhone should reboot by itself. Wait until it boots up and then you can continue with the initial setup process to set up and configure your iPhone as new.
This should give your device a clean fresh start and free from any system flaws including battery issues.
Alternatively, you can restore your iPhone in iTunes via recovery mode. This can be considered an option if the previous resets failed to fix the problem. Should you wish to continue restoring your iPhone, then follow these steps:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer using the Apple-supplied USB/Lightning cable.
- While it’s connected, press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Then quick press and release the Volume Down button.
- Next, press and hold the Side/Power button and continue to hold as it restarts. Don’t release the Side/Power button when the Apple logo appears as you need to put the device in a recovery state.
- Release the Side/Power button when you see the Connect to iTunes logo on the screen.
- On your computer, navigate to iTunes then you should see a message saying that your connected iOS device is in recovery mode and prompts options to update or restore.
- Select the Restore option to wipe everything from the phone system and then restore iOS through iTunes.
If none of that works and your iPhone XS Max battery is still draining so fast, then it’s time so seek more help.
You can escalate the problem to your device carrier or Apple Support so they can make further assessments on their end and if necessary, develop a fix patch to clear the bug and address the battery draining problem on your iPhone XS Max conclusively.
Or you can also bring your iPhone to the nearest Apple service center in your area. Doing so will help rule out hardware damage from the possible triggers. You can ask an authorized technician to conduct hardware check to make sure your device is free from any sort of physical or liquid damage. If repair is needed, then you can avail for service warranty or new unit replacement. Talk to your device carrier for more details on availing for iPhone warranties.
I hope that we’ve been able to help you fix the problem with your device. We would appreciate it if you helped us spread the word so please share this post if you found it helpful. Thank you so much for reading!