Apple Says Installing iOS 26 Might Impact Battery Life

In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal.

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature
A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps.

Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources, leading to a "small impact" on performance and battery life.

Apple's hardware and software are designed together to deliver great performance and great battery life. As new features and improvements are added, they can change the way we use our devices, as you explore and utilize these new capabilities. Here are some important things to keep in mind:

Immediately after completing an update, particularly a major release, you might notice a temporary impact on battery life and thermal performance. This is normal, as your device needs time to complete the setup process in the background, including indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps.

New features are exciting and help you get even more out of your Apple product, though some may require additional resources from the device. Depending on individual usage, some users may notice a small impact on performance and/or battery life. Apple continually works to optimize these features in software updates to ensure great battery life and a smooth user experience.

There are often complaints about battery life after a new software update, which is likely why Apple linked the new support document in the ‌iOS 26‌ release notes. While the impact of software updates on battery life has been mentioned in past support documents, Apple has not explained possible battery drain after updates so explicitly.

The new support document wasn't written specifically for ‌iOS 26‌, and it is a generalized support document applicable to all iOS and iPadOS software updates.

Apple's support document also explains why it is important to install new versions of iOS, and how software updates work.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

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Top Rated Comments

JoshuaBru Avatar
1 week ago
Yeah we’ve noticed. Sincerely iPhone users from the last 18 years
Score: 56 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GioGiusi Avatar
1 week ago

Yeah and this statement admits we know we made mistakes and we have no plan to fix it right now, so yep time to downgrade to the 18.7 ....
Literally not at all what they said. Amazing the way some people can just read anything they want from something.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thatJohann Avatar
1 week ago
Hope the iPhone Air is ready and optimized for iOS 26.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
STOCK411 Avatar
1 week ago
Good on apple for finally releasing this..

As someone in IT, anytime there is a major OS update, people ask why their computer is slow/battery is draining faster etc
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GioGiusi Avatar
1 week ago
All they're saying is A) the process of doing a major upgrade will eat some battery, and then after that B) you staring at your phone twice as much as you normally do looking at the new stuff with eat some battery.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gaximus Avatar
1 week ago

Yeah and this statement admits we know we made mistakes and we have no plan to fix it right now, so yep time to downgrade to the 18.7 ....
Downgrading will literally be changing your to a Major OS, causing more battery usage and heat due to indexing, downloading new assets, and all the things they mention in the announcement. So you are going to have twice the battery loss. Good job on reading and understanding what they said.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)