There’s a Reason Your iPhone’s Battery is Draining Faster Than Usual
Apple’s latest version of iOS – iOS 16.5 – became available to download on May 18, but the supposedly helpful update has left many iPhone users grappling with a frustrating battery problem. “iOS 16.5 is deadly for the battery,” reads one of the several complaints posted to social media in recent days, with users reporting faster-than-usual battery drain after downloading iOS 16.5 on their iPhones.
The severity of the issue appears to vary case by case, but charging speeds seem to be affected across the board, too, with some unfortunate souls claiming that their iPhones are taking almost three hours (three hours!) to reach 100% charge. Yikes.
The good news is that this annoying battery hiccup is completely normal. When Apple – or indeed any software developer – pushes out major operating system (OS) updates, phones often need to reindex data and recalibrate their battery settings, which in turn leads to faster battery drain. Crucially, though, this faster drain is temporary and should resolve itself in a few days after first occurring.
In addition to this recalibration, new OS updates often trigger a slew of app-specific updates that put even more strain on your iPhone battery. Once these apps have freshened themselves up for the latest version of iOS, however, this drain subsides.
In all likelihood, then, your iPhone is experiencing an iOS 16.5-induced hangover, and there’s nothing to worry about in terms of long-term damage. If you’re still concerned about your handset’s battery health after a few more days, head to Settings, Battery, then Battery Health to check for any official battery warnings.
As for the improvements iOS 16.5 brings to your iPhone, Apple’s latest update patches a nefarious loophole that allows – or rather, allowed – anyone to access your contacts book from the lock screen (an issue that presumably arose as a result of the company’s decision to improve lock screen customization in iOS 16 proper).
Previous versions of iOS 16 have patched similar vulnerabilities concerning access to Messages and the Wallet app through the iPhone lock screen, so iOS 16.5 looks to have fixed the final threat in this particular set of security risks.
The new update also adds a series of Pride celebration lock screen wallpapers and a dedicated Sports tab in Apple News. The latter provides easier access to stories, scores, and standings for the teams and leagues you follow, with scorecards now taking you directly to game pages.
iOS 16.5 addresses various issues relating to Spotlight, CarPlay, and Screen Time, too. The full list of updates can be viewed on Apple’s dedicated iOS 16.5 release notes page. Apple is expected to debut its next major revision to iOS – iOS 17 – at WWDC 2023 on June 5.
