iOS 26.1 Battery Drain? 7 Tricks Every iPhone User Must Try Now

Apple's iOS 26.1 update not only features the Liquid Glass interface but also includes a number of improvements that few users will notice. Although this upgrading of the system is done underneath the hood, its performance is immediately evident in a quicker, smoother, and more responsive system throughout the entire iPhone.

This is the case for many iPhone users, though, as they report the negative side of the update in the form of shorter battery life and, at times, heating of the device. This is attributed to numerous background tasks that are done automatically after an update, such as app indexing, photo and video analysis, and system optimizations, which cause the “Ongoing iOS Update” message to appear in Settings.

Here are seven practical steps that can be taken to fix the issue of battery draining after the iOS 26.1 installation.

1. Let the post-update processes run their course

Once you have performed an upgrade, it is the case that iPhone performs heavy lifting in the background doing various processes. With your device plugged into a charger and connected to Wi-Fi, the best way to help these processes finished is to keep the screen off for an hour or two. Users can keep checking the ongoing activity in Settings > Battery. The “Ongoing Device Setup” means that the system is still updating. Direct your attention to those apps that might be using more power than usual to minimize the effect.

2. Switch on Adaptive Power Mode

The iOS 26.1 release brings along with it Adaptive Power Mode, a feature that smartly alters background activity, refresh rates, and display settings based on the user pattern and battery level. You can turn it on through Settings > Battery > Power Mode. By merely turning this option on, the phone will have the capability of managing power in a smart way, using Low Power Mode only when it is absolutely necessary for prolonging battery life.

3. Use Low Power Mode strategically

Low Power Mode is still a great way to reduce power consumption by preventing background fetching, automatic mail checks, and certain visual effects. Make it easily accessible by placing it in Control Center. It is suitable to use during low battery moments, travelling, or in places with poor reception. LPM decreases some system functions; therefore, users can turn it off when the device is charging.

4. Modify network and location settings

Cellular radios in weak signal zones use more power. Changing to 5G Auto or LTE from 5G On will reduce the amount of activity spent searching for the tower. Always use Wi-Fi when possible, turn on Wi-Fi Calling, and disconnect any unnecessary Personal Hotspot sessions. Your Location Services settings can also prevent you from running out of battery too quickly—set apps to “While Using” and turn off Precise Location when it’s not necessary.

5. Limit background activity, widgets, and notifications

Keeping Background App Refresh only for important apps and deleting non-needed widgets helps maintain battery power. On the iOS 26.1 operating system, Long Live Activities and real-time widgets should be reduced to a minimum. Allow notifications from less important apps to be pushed to Scheduled Summary or simply turned off; this will in turn decrease the number of times device wakes up.

6. Charge wisely

iOS comes with Optimized Battery Charging, which after a while the device won’t stay at 100% for a long time. iPhones that support this feature can be set to a daily charging limit of 80-90% and allowed to charge to full capacity on days when the longest operation is needed. Keep thick cases off the phone and avoid direct sunlight while it’s charging to help the battery stay cool. A battery health rating above 85-90% is a major contributor to the daily performance.

7. Reset settings if problems persist

In case the battery problems do not get resolved even after trying the steps mentioned earlier, it is suggested to do a complete reset of settings through Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset> Reset All Settings.

This will help to remove stuck services or configuration loops without losing any data. In addition, sometimes, a major update can leave some issues behind which can be easily resolved by a simple restart. Battery drain that sticks around often points to old batteries or single apps that are consuming an unusual amount of power, something that can be discovered in the per-app Battery section.