iPhone Battery Draining Fast on iOS 10? Fixes & Facts

If your iPhone battery is draining noticeably faster after updating to iOS 10, you are not alone—this is a common complaint, and the causes range from background app refresh to a misbehaving app or a battery that has simply aged. Below are the practical fixes and the background you need to understand why it happens and how to stop it.

Why iOS 10 Changed Battery Life

iOS 10 introduced several new features that, by default, run in the background and consume power even when you are not actively using your phone. The most notable is Raise to Wake, which lights up the screen every time you pick up the device. Other additions like richer notifications, a redesigned lock screen with widgets, and more aggressive background app refresh can all add up to a noticeable drain. Additionally, right after any major iOS update, the system spends hours reindexing photos, messages, and other data, which temporarily increases CPU usage and battery drain. This is normal and usually settles within a day or two, but if the drain persists, the steps below will help.

First Steps: Check What’s Using Your Battery

Before changing settings, find out which apps are the biggest culprits. Go to Settings > Battery and wait a few seconds for the list to populate. You will see a breakdown of usage by app, and each app will show either On Screen or Background activity. Pay special attention to apps that show high Background usage—these are running when you are not looking at them. Also check the Battery Usage section for any app that you barely use but that shows a high percentage. If you see an app that is clearly misbehaving, the first fix is to delete it and reinstall it, or at least force-quit it and see if the drain stops.

Turn Off These iOS 10 Features to Save Battery

Several iOS 10 features are convenient but not essential. Disabling them can extend your battery life significantly:

Raise to Wake: Settings > Display & Brightness > toggle off. This stops the screen from turning on every time you pick up the phone.
Background App Refresh: Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You can turn it off entirely or select only the apps that truly need it (like email or messaging).
Location Services: Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Set it to While Using for most apps, and turn off system services like Frequent Locations and Location-Based Apple Ads.
Mail Fetch: Settings > Accounts & Passwords > Fetch New Data. If you do not need instant push email, switch to Fetch and set it to Hourly or Manually.
Auto-Brightness: Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations > Auto-Brightness. Turning it off and setting a lower brightness manually can save power, but be aware that you will need to adjust it yourself.

These are the most impactful settings. You can also reduce motion (Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion) to cut down on the parallax effect, which uses the gyroscope and GPU.

Common Culprits: Apps and Glitches

Sometimes the issue is not a setting but a specific app that has a bug or is poorly optimized for iOS 10. Social media apps, especially Facebook and Facebook Messenger, are frequently reported as battery hogs because they run background tasks like auto-playing videos and location tracking. To see if an app is the problem, check the battery usage list after a full day. If one app consistently shows more than 20% usage, try the following:

Force-quit the app by swiping it up from the app switcher.
Delete and reinstall it—this often clears corrupted temporary files.
Check for updates in the App Store; developers often release fixes for battery drain after a new iOS version.
If the problem persists, disable Background App Refresh for that specific app in Settings > General > Background App Refresh.

Another common glitch is a stuck background process. A quick fix is to restart your iPhone by holding the power button until “slide to power off” appears, then turn it back on. If that does not help, a hard reset (holding Home + Power for 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears) can clear more stubborn issues.

Battery Health: When It’s a Hardware Issue

If you have tried all the software fixes and the battery still drains quickly, the problem may be the battery itself. All lithium-ion batteries degrade over time, and a battery that has been through many charge cycles will hold less charge. On iOS 10, you can check your battery’s maximum capacity in Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If it shows a maximum capacity below 80%, the battery is considered worn and will need to be replaced to restore normal battery life. Apple offers battery service for a fee, and third-party repair shops can also do it, but be aware that using non-genuine parts may affect performance or safety. If your iPhone is still under warranty, a defective battery may be replaced for free.

Myth vs. Fact: Charging Habits and Battery Life

There is a lot of misinformation about charging. Here are the facts:

Myth: You must let the battery drain to 0% before charging. Fact: Modern lithium-ion batteries do not have a “memory” effect. In fact, deep discharges can stress the battery. It is better to charge your phone when it drops to 20-30%.
Myth: Leaving your phone plugged in overnight overcharges the battery. Fact: iOS stops charging at 100% and then runs on adapter power, so leaving it plugged in is safe. However, the battery will still slowly age due to heat and time.
Myth: Using a non-Apple charger will damage your battery. Fact: A high-quality third-party charger that is MFi-certified is safe. Cheap, uncertified chargers may not regulate voltage properly and could harm the battery or the phone.

The best way to extend battery lifespan is to avoid extreme temperatures and to avoid letting the battery sit at 100% for long periods (like all day on a wireless charger).

Alternatives: Downgrade or Wait?

If you are still on iOS 10 and the drain is unbearable, you have a few options. Apple rarely allows downgrading to older iOS versions once a new version is released, so you cannot easily go back to iOS 9. You can, however, try a clean install of iOS 10: back up your data, then restore the phone via iTunes (or Finder on newer macOS) and set it up as a new device. This eliminates any corrupted settings or data that might be causing the drain. If you are willing to update further, newer iOS versions (11 and later) include more advanced battery management features, but they may also be slower on older devices. For very old iPhones (iPhone 6 or earlier), iOS 10 may simply be too heavy, and the best solution is to replace the battery or the phone itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my battery drain so fast right after updating to iOS 10?

Immediately after an update, your iPhone performs background tasks like reindexing photos and messages, which uses extra CPU and battery. This is temporary and should resolve within 24-48 hours. If it does not, try the settings changes above.

Will turning off Background App Refresh break notifications?

No. Notifications are handled by the push notification system, not Background App Refresh. You will still receive alerts, but apps will not be able to fetch new content in the background. For example, email will only update when you open the app (or at the fetch interval you set).

How do I know if my battery is actually bad?

Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If the maximum capacity is below 80%, the battery is considered degraded and should be replaced. You can also look for sudden shutdowns or the phone turning off at 20-30% battery.

Does low power mode help on iOS 10?

Yes, Low Power Mode (Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode) reduces background activity, disables Raise to Wake, and lowers screen brightness. It is a quick way to extend battery life when you are running low, but it also disables some features like automatic mail fetch and Hey Siri.

Is it safe to use a third-party battery replacement?

It can be, but only if you use a reputable repair service that uses quality parts. Poor-quality batteries can be a fire hazard and may not work correctly with iOS. If your phone is under warranty, always use Apple’s official service first.

Will updating to iOS 11 or later fix the battery drain?

It might, because later versions include better battery management and bug fixes. However, on older devices, newer iOS versions can be slower and may not improve battery life significantly. Check online for feedback from other users with the same iPhone model before updating.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →