Apple’s iOS 26 rolled out this week with a host of new features and a fresh Liquid Glass look. But along with redesigned screens and call-screening, some iPhone users have reported faster battery drain and warmer devices right after updating. Apple’s message: don’t panic that spike is usually normal and short-lived. Here’s what’s happening and what you can do.
Why is your iPhone using more power right after the update?
When your iPhone installs a major new OS – like iOS 26 – it doesn’t just restart and call it a day. The device kicks off a bunch of background work: apps update, new assets download, and the system re-indexes files so search and other features run smoothly. That extra activity uses CPU, memory and network resources, which translates to faster battery drain and a hotter phone for a day or two.
Apple first pushed many of these changes through the iOS 26 public beta, where early testers flagged both the flashy Liquid Glass visuals and the occasional battery quirks. In its support notes, Apple says this post-update workload, especially after a major release, can temporarily impact both battery life and thermal performance. In other words, your iPhone is working in the background and that obviously needs power.
It may also depend on how you use your phone
In addition to the background setup, the new features of iOS 26 require additional resources. When you use the new features, you will definitely spend more time learning and using them, thus will use more battery. Apple mentions that any effect in the long term hinges on how an individual uses it, i.e., the heavy user of the resource-intensive features will experience the difference more than the other consumer.
Big changes are not new – can you recall the changes in the features of iOS 18 that reshaped the background services and Spotlight indexing? Those updates also had a short-term drain for a number of users and the same happens with iOS 26.
New tools in iOS 26 to manage battery life
Apple didn’t leave you empty-handed. iOS 26 revamps the Battery screen in Settings so you can see more detailed graphs and compare today’s use with yesterday’s. That can help you pinpoint what’s draining power.
Even more useful: Adaptive Power, a new mode that helps extend your charge. When enabled, Adaptive Power lowers screen brightness, lets some tasks take longer to finish, and will automatically activate Low Power Mode when your battery drops to 20%. It’s basically a smarter, lighter-touch version of power saving designed for everyday use.
Quick fixes to try right now
When it seems your iPhone is losing charge quicker than normal, follow these steps:
- Give it time: Wait 24-48 hours after a major update for background tasks and indexing to finish.
- Check Settings > Battery: Use the redesigned Battery screen to spot any apps or services acting up.
- Enable Adaptive Power: Let iOS tune behavior to stretch your battery.
- Use Low Power Mode: Manually if you need to squeeze more life out of a charge.
- Restart your iPhone: If drain seems extreme – sometimes a reboot clears a stuck background task.
- Update apps: Make sure all apps are updated; older app versions can misbehave on a new iOS.
- If problems persist: Check a roundup of new iOS update issues to see whether your issue is a known bug and if a patch or workaround already exists.
Bottom line
Watching your iPhone become warmer and the battery depleted more quickly because of iOS 26 is a normal and temporary thing. Much of this is due to the phone finishing work in the background. Things would normalize in the course of the next day or two. If they don’t or if you spot one app depleting the power, the tools in iOS 26 (and a few simple fixes) should get you back to normal.
Have you updated to iOS 26 yet? Check your Battery screen and try Adaptive Power, and tell us if your battery settles down after a day or two.
