If you’ve noticed a decline in your iPhone’s battery life after upgrading to iOS 18, you’re not alone. Many users, including me, have struggled with excessive battery drain after updating to iOS 18 and its subsequent versions, 18.1 and 18.2. Here’s how I resolved the issue after weeks of frustration and troubleshooting.
My Battery Woes After Upgrading to iOS 18
Post-upgrade, my iPhone’s battery life took a serious hit. It became almost impossible to make it through the day without plugging in. By lunchtime, my battery was often below 40%, and carrying a power bank became a daily necessity. Even enabling Low Power Mode didn’t provide the relief I was hoping for.
After experiencing this for weeks, I decided it was time to investigate.
Investigating the Battery Drain Problem
The first place I checked was the Battery section under Settings. This section provides detailed insights into battery consumption, including which apps and features are draining power. It displays two key charts:
- Battery Level: Tracks charge levels at 15-minute intervals.
- Activity: Shows which apps and features were active and consuming power, broken down by hour.
While I noticed slightly elevated usage by the Home & Lock Screen, nothing else stood out as unusual. I tried turning off features like the Always-On Display (under Settings > Display & Brightness > Always-On Display), but it didn’t help.
The Culprit: Apple Intelligence
After more tweaking, I finally pinpointed the problem: Apple Intelligence. This feature, which can be found under Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri, was the root cause of my battery drain. With Apple Intelligence enabled, my iPhone struggled to last a full day. However, disabling it restored my battery life to its previous performance.
Interestingly, I wasn’t even actively using Apple Intelligence; I had enabled it for testing and forgotten about it. Despite not using it, the feature continued to drain my battery significantly.
A Repeatable Fix
Turning off Apple Intelligence consistently improved my battery life across all my devices, including iPhones, iPads, and even MacBooks. When the feature was disabled, battery consumption normalized. When re-enabled, the drain returned immediately.
How to Disable Apple Intelligence
If you’re experiencing poor battery life on iOS 18 or later, try disabling Apple Intelligence:
- Open Settings.
- Navigate to Apple Intelligence & Siri.
- Toggle off the Apple Intelligence feature.
Should You Disable It?
While this fix worked wonders for me, it might not work for everyone. If you rely heavily on Apple Intelligence, this solution may not be ideal. However, if you find the feature underwhelming or don’t use it much, turning it off could save you hours of battery life.
Conclusion
iOS 18’s updates brought some exciting features, but they also introduced battery life challenges for many users. If your battery life has worsened since the update, Apple Intelligence might be the culprit. Disabling it could be the quick fix you need to reclaim your iPhone’s battery life.
