How to Reduce Battery Drain After an Android or iOS Update (2026)

Did your phone’s battery suddenly start draining faster after installing a new Android or iOS update? You’re not alone.

A major software update can temporarily increase battery usage because the phone may continue performing background tasks, optimising apps, syncing data and completing setup processes after the update.

The good news is that faster battery drain immediately after an update does not always mean your battery is damaged.

Samsung similarly notes that battery consumption can temporarily increase while apps and services are being optimised.

So before changing dozens of settings or performing a factory reset, try these practical steps.

1. Give Your Phone Some Time After the Update

While talking about the iPhone, then Apple says that some update-related tasks can continue in the background and temporarily affect battery life. Apple Support – If your iPhone battery drains too quickly.

After installing a major Android or iOS update, your phone may continue working in the background. Apps may be optimised, files may be indexed, accounts may sync and other system processes may run.

Apple’s current support documentation specifically says that if battery life decreases after an update, users should wait a few days and check again. iOS can even show an “Ongoing iOS Update” insight under Battery while update-related activity is still happening.

Samsung also says that battery consumption can temporarily increase during the initial optimisation period as apps and services are optimised.

So if the update was installed only recently, don’t immediately assume something has gone wrong.

2. Restart Your Phone

A simple restart is worth trying after a major software update.

Restarting can clear temporary processes and give the operating system a fresh start. Google includes restarting the phone among its troubleshooting steps for Android problems, while Samsung also recommends occasional restarting as part of maintaining stable performance.

After restarting, use the phone normally for the next day and check whether the battery drain improves.

3. Find Out Which App Is Draining Your Battery

Don’t start disabling random features without first finding the actual problem.

On Android, open your phone’s Battery settings and look at battery usage by app. The exact menu can vary between Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Pixel and other Android phones.

On iPhone, go to:

Settings → Battery → View All Battery Usage

Apple’s Battery section can show which apps and system activities consumed the most power. It can also identify background activity and low cellular coverage as potential reasons for higher battery consumption.

If one particular app suddenly appears at the top after the software update, update that app from the Play Store or App Store.

If it continues consuming an unusually large amount of battery, consider temporarily uninstalling it or restricting its background activity.

4. Update All Your Apps

Your operating system may be updated while some installed apps are still running older versions.

That can sometimes result in compatibility or optimisation problems.

On Android, open the Google Play Store → profile icon → Manage apps & device and check for available updates. Google specifically recommends checking for app updates when troubleshooting Android battery problems.

On iPhone, open the App Store, tap your profile picture and check for available app updates.

This is particularly important after a major operating-system update because developers may release app updates to improve compatibility.

5. Reduce Screen Brightness

Your display is one of the biggest sources of power consumption on a smartphone.

If your brightness is constantly near maximum, reduce it or enable automatic brightness.

Android recommends reducing screen brightness and allowing the brightness level to adjust automatically to help extend battery life.

Apple also lists high screen brightness as a battery-saving opportunity in its Battery settings.

You don’t necessarily need to keep your display extremely dim. The goal is to use a comfortable brightness level rather than maximum brightness throughout the day.

6. Reduce the Refresh Rate If Battery Life Matters More

If your phone has a 120Hz, 144Hz or higher refresh-rate display, it can consume more power than a lower refresh rate depending on how the phone manages it.

After a major update, check whether your display settings changed.

If battery life is more important than ultra-smooth animations, try switching from a high fixed refresh rate to the phone’s Adaptive or lower refresh-rate option.

This is particularly useful for phones with gaming-focused displays.

7. Check Background Activity

Some apps continue working even when you’re not actively using them.

Social media apps, cloud storage, navigation, email, messaging and streaming services can all perform background tasks.

On Android, manufacturers may provide options such as:

• Battery optimisation
• Background usage limits
• Sleeping apps
• Deep sleeping apps
• Restricted apps

For example, Samsung allows users to place rarely used apps into Sleeping or Deep sleeping modes to reduce background battery consumption.

Don’t put every app into deep sleep, though. Apps that need timely notifications—such as messaging or banking apps—may behave differently if their background activity is restricted.

8. Check Your Mobile Signal

Your phone can use more power when it is constantly searching for a stable cellular connection.

This can be particularly noticeable in buildings, underground areas, rural locations or places with weak 5G coverage.

Apple’s battery documentation identifies low cellular coverage as a possible reason for increased battery consumption. Samsung also lists weak or unstable network signals among the causes of faster battery drain.

If you’re connected to reliable Wi-Fi, using Wi-Fi can also help reduce the power required for internet activity.

9. Try 5G Auto Instead of Constant 5G

If your phone is constantly searching for or maintaining a 5G connection, battery consumption can increase depending on the network and signal conditions.

On supported iPhones, Apple provides 5G Auto, which can switch to LTE when 5G doesn’t provide a noticeable improvement, helping save battery.

Android phones from different manufacturers have different 5G settings. If your phone offers an option such as 5G Auto, Smart 5G or a preferred network mode, you can consider using it rather than forcing the phone to stay on 5G all the time.

10. Turn Off Features You Aren’t Using

You don’t need to keep every connectivity feature active 24/7.

Depending on your phone, consider turning off features you aren’t currently using, such as:

• Bluetooth
• Location
• Mobile hotspot
• NFC
• Wi-Fi scanning
• Nearby-device scanning

Samsung specifically recommends disabling unused connectivity features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS when they aren’t needed.

However, don’t disable something simply because you’ve heard it “always drains battery.” Check your actual battery usage first.

11. Turn On Battery Saver or Low Power Mode

If you need your phone to last until the end of the day, use the built-in battery-saving mode.

Android phones may call it Battery Saver or Power Saving Mode, depending on the manufacturer.

On iPhone, Apple provides Low Power Mode, which reduces or disables certain background and visual activities to extend battery life.

Samsung’s Power Saving Mode can also restrict background activity and reduce certain power-intensive features.

This is especially useful when you are travelling or when your battery is already running low.

12. Don’t Keep the Phone Extremely Hot

Heat can make battery drain worse and can also affect long-term battery health.

Google’s Android guidance recommends keeping the phone cool because batteries can drain faster when the device is hot.

If your phone becomes unusually hot after an update, avoid demanding activities such as gaming or recording long 4K videos until the temperature returns to normal.

Also avoid leaving the phone in direct sunlight or inside a hot car.

13. Check Battery Health

If your phone is several years old, the software update may not actually be the main problem.

The battery itself may simply have degraded over time.

On supported iPhones, you can check battery information through:

Settings → Battery → Battery Health

Apple says rechargeable batteries have a limited lifespan and may eventually need replacement.

Samsung users can also use the Samsung Members app’s Phone Diagnostics feature to check battery status. Samsung recommends professional inspection when significant battery problems continue.

14. Don’t Immediately Factory Reset Your Phone

A factory reset should not be your first response to battery drain after an update.

First:

1. Wait a few days.
2. Restart the phone.
3. Check battery usage.
4. Update your apps.
5. Identify abnormal background activity.
6. Reduce unnecessary power consumption.
7. Check battery health.

If the problem continues despite these steps, then manufacturer-specific troubleshooting may be appropriate.

Google also lists factory reset as a more advanced troubleshooting option and warns that it removes data from the phone, so you should back up your important information first.

Android vs iPhone: What Should You Do First?

The basic approach is similar, but the settings are different.

Problem	Android	iPhone
Check battery usage	Settings → Battery	Settings → Battery
Battery-saving mode	Battery Saver / Power Saving	Low Power Mode
Background apps	Battery optimisation / Sleeping apps	Background activity controls
App updates	Google Play Store	App Store
Network drain	Check signal/5G settings	5G Auto / check cellular coverage
Battery health	Depends on manufacturer	Settings → Battery → Battery Health
Restart	Recommended	Recommended
After major update	Give it time to optimise	Wait a few days and check again

Menu names can vary depending on the Android manufacturer and software version.

What If Battery Drain Continues for a Week?

If your phone is still losing battery unusually quickly several days after the update, don’t simply assume that the operating-system update is permanently bad.

Look for a pattern.

For example, if one app suddenly consumes 30–40% of the battery, the app may be the problem. If battery consumption is high mainly in areas with poor network coverage, the cellular connection could be contributing. If the phone remains hot even when you’re barely using it, background activity or another software issue may need investigation.

If the battery is old and its health has significantly degraded, replacing the battery may ultimately make a bigger difference than changing software settings.

Final Takeaway

If your Android or iPhone battery is draining faster after a software update, don’t panic and don’t immediately factory-reset the phone.

The first thing to do is give the phone a few days, especially after a major update. Apple confirms that update-related background tasks can temporarily affect battery life, while Samsung says optimisation processes can also temporarily increase battery consumption.

After that, check battery usage, update your apps, reduce unnecessary background activity, manage screen brightness and refresh rate, use Wi-Fi where practical, and enable Battery Saver or Low Power Mode when necessary.

If the problem continues, check battery health and look for an individual app or network condition that could be responsible.

The most important thing is to find what’s actually consuming the battery instead of blindly disabling every feature on your phone.

Sources: Apple Support, Google Android Help and Samsung Support. These official support pages were checked while preparing this guide and provide the battery troubleshooting recommendations used above.